Lower Falls Modern Campground

I travelled here with a 35’ 5th wheel, long bed pickup and parked in site #180, an E only (30A), BI site for $37/night plus the Michigan State Park vehicle pass. Roads were asphalt and the site was grass and dirt. It was a very wide space with an open site across the road which made it easy to get into the site. It was nicely shaded and pretty level. While the site was fairly large, the neighbors on the driver’s side and backside were pretty close. The site was close to the bathhouse. It was clean and the showers were in separate rooms. Connectivity: 1-2 bars LTE with Verizon, no wifi, 6-12 mbps download speeds. I sometimes had a hard time opening email due to cell towers getting overloaded in the evening. There were only two dump spots for the entire campground so the lines were pretty long on the weekends and in the afternoons (people getting water.) The Hemlock Loop seemed to have larger sites than Portage. I would try to get a spot on the outside of the loop the next time. The curve by sites 167-171 is a bit tight so be sure to swing wide. There is recycling available and multiple ranger programs. It’s a good campground for families with hiking, bike trails and water sports available. It’s a long way to a good grocery store so come prepared. Definitely do the hike from the Upper Falls to the Lower Falls if you can. It’s beautiful.

Camp sites in the park are hard to come by so we thought they’d be nice. It was a Thursday in mid-July and we got a spot in Portage loop of Lower Falls campground. The sites are close, with no vegetation between sites, so no privacy. Light rain overnight turned the site into a mud hole. Dog s**t everywhere. The showers were disgusting. Clearly, the upkeep has been overwhelmed by the use and some users are not conscientious. But the park is beautiful. Great hiking. Falls are spectacular.

Wow! This is a hard park to get into, it’s very busy, but the sites are pretty spacious and you are in the middle of the forest which is stunning!!!

Get to the lower falls early and late in the day to avoid the crowds. If the weathers warm, most people will be swimming and going over the lower falls. We took our dogs to go swimming and they had a blast, but we didn’t go in the falls itself.

You can hike 4 miles one way to the upper falls which is totally worth it! It’s not too bad of a hike, there is some uphill scrambling, but it’s pretty moderate. We saw people of all ages doing it. The upper falls are beautiful and there are several different vantage points you can hit, you just need to climb some stairs, but absolutely worth it, do them all and get a good work out in!

The brewpub was average at best, but we were hungry and thirsty, so we went there to have a drink and food.

There are sooooo many different trails you can take. If you have time, I highly recommend the Clark Lake Loop, It was about 11 miles round trip including the other trails we took to get to the loop, but Clark Lake is stunning!!! There was nobody on the trail, so you’ll have a peaceful hike and it’s fairly easy as well. There were several spots you could jump in the lake if you wanted to.

We also did the North Country trail the opposite way and another beautiful hike and not too hard to do. There are so many to do in this area, right from your campsite. There’s also a boat launch, actually 2 of them, where you can bring your kayak to have some fun in the water. You can visit lighthouses, or visit some small local restaurants in the area.

Overall, a must do when in the UP!

We greatly enjoyed our walks to the many spectacular waterfalls, just a short distance from the campground. We purchased online our Michigan State Parks pass prior to making reservations, this allowed us to save $10.00 per night, since we were staying at 7 state parks on our fall trip through Michigan. Our campsite was in the Lower Falls Portage Loop, with 30 amp electric hookup, table, fire ring, and a very spacious level site. The restrooms and showers were kept very clean, water was available in the loop, trash receptacles were located at the loop entrance. We would definitely return to this campground.

We stayed here towards the end of July. Our GPS wanted us to turn about 1/3 mile sooner on a closed gate rather than the actual Lower Tahquamenon Falls campground (CG) entrance. We got in line at the park checkpoint and paid the $36 for the annual MI State Park Pass as that was more economical for us than paying $10 per night. The ranger then told us to park in the area behind the gate and come in to register for our campsite. We were told that if we needed to fill with water there was potable water at the dump station. We then proceeded to Hemlock Loop, back-in site 182 that’s electric-only (50/30/20 AMP). As we entered our loop, we were a little worried as the sites coming in were either small or had some trees that would prevent an easy back-in. In addition, with our 39’ fifth wheel and F450 truck, we could not avoid brushing against trees on the side and top of our rig as we drove through. We went slow and there was no damage. When we got to site 182, we were relieved to see that the site was open and long enough for our rig and truck. We were also able to swing into the 90-degree back-in with no issues. If the campers in the site in front of us had parked on the front side, we probably would have asked them to move their truck while we got into the site. We got a bar, maybe two on Verizon and were able to get a usable signal very early in the morning. We didn’t get any OTA channels and with all the trees, a satellite would have been iffy, so we didn’t try. We took our showers at the shower house that had really good water pressure and hot water. This state park is a premier tourist attraction so the campground was full every day during our 6-day stay. There were hiking trails leading out of the CG at different locations, and we enjoyed walking our dogs both to the lower falls and other areas. If you go to the falls after 10:00 AM, expect crowds.

They stick to the 3pm check in time but let you park in overflow if you arrive early. The lower falls portage campground is walking distance to the lower falls and a short 3 mile drive to the upper falls unless you hike.

The lower falls were more interactive than the upper falls. They had a boardwalk to the new bridge to go to hike around the island to be able to see all of the 5 lower falls. Lots of people were wading but the best area for kids was just to the right after you cross the bridge and go around the corner to the shallow area.

The upper falls were beautiful and had steps to walk down for a closer view. The restaurant was good there too but they did have 3 snack shops with other food options.

Really great day trip was over to the Shipwreck Museum at Whitefish Point. Very worthwhile trip.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park was a complete surprise. Upon early arrival we were informed that AT&T had recently installed a cell tower nearby and there were reports that reception could possibly be available further up on the ridge. We were allowed to check-in but had to wait until 3PM to set up camp. But the cell news was true and my initial fears for three nights without being connected were unfounded. Plus the campsites were spaced out enough to give us ample privacy. The park was packed as expected. Both of the Falls were even more spectacular than I remembered. Hiking trails were plentiful all over the park and there was something for everyone here, levels of difficulty and lengths notwithstanding. Our electrical site #108 was close to fresh water and a short walk to the showers. For three nights the cost for camping averaged about $38 per night. A state park entry pass is also required.

The showers were dated, but clean. Plenty of water pressure. Drinking water spigots were located all over the park. There was a double-sided dump station and fresh water fill. Dumpsters were set near the dump station and there were literally, likely because of the bears, no other locations for household trash. Many ranger-led activities were available for those interested in learning more history about the Falls or topics like the reintroduction of the gray wolf.

The best little food truck was on the way in rustic downtown Paradise, a mere eight miles away from camp. “Catch-of-the-Day” was owned and run by a lifelong local and he served up the best jumbo perch dinner that I didn’t make. He also had fresh whitefish tacos on the menu which were absolutely delicious. Eating freshwater fish again tasted so good we returned the next day to eat at Brown Fisheries Fish House and had their locally fresh-caught white fish. Both places take cash only.

The Shipwreck Museum is about twenty-two miles north of our campsite at Whitefish Point and well worth the trip. The Edmund Fitzgerald story as well at its ship’s bell on display make for very emotional feelings. Being as near to the site of over five hundred shipwrecks was intense. Lake Superior is a monster and it has proven itself to be historically unforgiving. The several coast guard buildings and lighthouse help us remember how functional structures used to be made.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park has taken over as my number one five-star rated campground in the United States. So much to do and see here, and the campground is dotted with healthy pines, cedar, and oak trees with plenty of shade and nice families.

We stayed in the Lower Falls Hemlock Campground Site #172 which is pretty level. The site is across from the shower house (closed for season) and near the primitive toilets. A trail leading to the Lower Falls stems from this campground. Once there you can continue hiking to the Upper Falls which is about 4 miles one way. This is a must see UP park. Both the Upper and Lower Falls are gorgeous. There is a brewery located in the park at the Upper Falls. Unbelievable. I recommend lunch at the BBQ trailer next to it.