The
Tahquamenon Falls are two different
waterfalls on the
Tahquamenon River. Both sets are located near
Lake Superior in the eastern
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The water is notably brown in
color from the tannins leached from the
cedar swamps which the river drains. This phenomenon is responsible for the alternative local name 'Root Beer Falls'.
The upper falls are more than 200 feet (60 m) across and with a drop of approximately 48 feet (14 m). During the late spring runoff, the river drains as much as 50,000 US gallons (190,000 L) of water per second, making the upper falls the third most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the
Mississippi River, after
Niagara Falls and
Cohoes Falls, both in New York State. The lower falls, located four miles (6.5 km) downstream, are a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island which can be reached by rowboat. A hiking trail runs between the falls along the riverside, and visitors often play in the lower falls during the summer heat.
(Wikipedia)
