There’s something wonderful about standing before the rushing waters of Taquamenon Falls and it’s gentle beauty.
Known as the “Root Beer Falls” for its distinctive copper-brown waters, Taquamenon boasts the second largest waterfall east of the Mississippi. The water’s rich caramel hue can be disturbing until you find out that it’s colored by the natural tannins released from the cedar swamps that feed the Taquamenon River—nature’s own tea steeping process on a grand scale.
The Upper Falls is the undisputed star of the show, with up to 50,000 gallons of water cascading over a 200-foot-wide cliff every second.
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There’s an easy walk connecting the Upper and Lower Falls. The Lower Falls, a series of cascades around a small island, provides a different but equally enjoyable experience.
We did not visit at the peak of fall colors, but you can tell from the photos below that with perfect autumn timing, we’d have been treated to a color display as vibrant as a master painter’s palette. Both falls would have been framed by fiery maples and golden birches and we did see the first signs of autumn on the drive over.
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Taquamenon Falls was a good reminder that that sometimes the most profound experiences come from simply standing still and letting nature’s masterpiece wash over you—much like the amber waters have been doing to the rocks below for countless millennia.
