MSPCGT:Tahquamenon Falls SP Multi-Cache

Before you begin your tour, you should answer these questions and record your answers, as they will be helpful later. The answers can be found on the cache page. If you forget to solve this before heading to the field, you can find answers to these questions in the park. Cell phone service is spotty at best so you may not be able to find the answers using your phone on site. Because of this, the difficulty level has been bumped up.

Q1) What causes the waters of the Tahquamenon River to be amber colored?
     0) animal waste products
     1) tannin from cedar swamp
     2) mud and silt from the river bottom
     3) pollution

Q2 What causes the large amounts of foam in the water?
     0) Soft water and turbulence
     1) Pollution
     2) Soap from campers
     3) animal waste products

Q3) the Upper Falls drops _____ feet?
     0) 100
     1) 50
     2) 150
     3) 75

Q4) What animal will you most likely NOT see in this area??
     6) White Tail Deer
     7) Black Bear
     8) Bison
     9) Moose

Visit the lower falls while you are here and enjoy your tour. You are looking for a Regular size container. Please return everything as good or better than you found it.

Thank you usyoopers for creating, hiding and maintaining this MSPC GeoTour cache.

^{Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources}
Upper Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon State Park:

Tahquamenon Falls State Park encompasses close to 50,000 acres stretching over 13 miles. Most of this is undeveloped woodland without roads, buildings or power lines. The centerpiece of the park, and the very reason for its existence, is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls. The Upper Falls is one the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. A maximum flow of more than 50,000 gallons of water per second has been recorded cascading over these falls. Four miles downstream is the Lower Falls, a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. Although not as dramatic as the Upper Falls, they are equally magnificent. The falls can be viewed from the river bank or from the island, which can be reached by rowboat rented from a park concession. The island walk affords a view of the falls in the south channel.

^{Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources}
Autumn at the Lower Falls

Rising from springs north of McMillan, the Tahquamenon River drains the watershed of an area of more than 790 square miles. From its source, it meanders 94 miles before emptying into Whitefish Bay. The amber color of the water is caused by tannins leached from the cedar, spruce and hemlock in the swamps drained by the river. The extremely soft water churned by the action of the falls causes the large amounts of foam, which has been the trademark of the Tahquamenon since the days of the voyager.

^{Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources}
Aerial view of the Lower Falls

History:

This is the land of Longfellow′s Hiawatha - by the rushing Tahquamenaw Hiawatha built his canoe. Long before the white man set eyes on the river, the abundance of fish in its waters and animals along its shores attracted the Ojibwa Indians, who camped, farmed, fished and trapped along its banks. In the late 1800′s came the lumber barons and the river carried their logs by the millions to the mills. Lumberjacks, who harvested the tall timber, were among the first permanent white settlers in the area.

^{Map courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources}

Activities:

There is far more to do at Tahquamenon Falls State Park than admire the waterfalls. The park has over 35 miles of hiking trails that will get the ambitious hiker to places most people don′t ever see. There are sixteen miles of the North Country Trail through the park. Fishing for brown trout, walleye, muskie, perch, smallmouth bass from the river is a popular draw Paddling from the Lower Falls to the river mouth is also popular. In the fall, most of the park away from the falls is open to hunting. Winter sports include cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and snowmobiling.

^{Photo courtesy of Michigan Department of Natural Resources}
Elusive moose sighting

Watching wildlife is also available. White-tailed Deer and Black Bear call the park home. You may get lucky and see Moose feeding in the wetlands of the park. Do not approach the moose. They are one of the more unpredictable animals in the world.