Tahquamenon River
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Tahquamenon River is a 94-mile (150-km) long river in the U.S. state of Michigan that flows in a generally eastward direction through the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula (U.P.). It drains approximately 820 square miles (2,050 km²) of the U.P., including large sections of Luce County and Chippewa County. It begins in the Tahquamenon Lakes in northeast Columbus Township of Luce County and empties into Lake Superior near the village of Paradise. M-123 runs alongside a portion of the river.
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[edit] Tahquamenon Falls
The river is best known for the Tahquamenon Falls, a succession of two waterfalls in Tahquamenon Falls State Park totalling approximately 73 feet (22 meters) in height. Because the headwaters of the river are located in a boreal wetland that is rich in cedar, spruce and hemlock trees, the river's waters carry a significant amount of tannin in solution, and are often brown or golden-brown in color. The Tahquamenon Falls are thus acclaimed as being the largest naturally dyed or colored waterfall in the United States. The state park preserves the falls area and some 24 miles (39 km) of the river.
[edit] Recreation
In Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's once-famous poem, The Song of Hiawatha (1855), the hero learned how to paddle a birchbark canoe in the Tahquamenon. The river is often used for canoeing to this day. The river's watershed and state park are also extensively used for fishing and hiking. In winter, the watershed welcomes snowmobilers.
[edit] Tour boat
The Toonerville Trolley Train and Riverboat Tour, a private firm, offers 21-mile (34-km) boat tours of the upper Tahquamenon as part of an overall family experience that includes a narrow-gauge rail ride and visit to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls. The tour is based in Soo Junction, between Newberry and Hulbert.
