PARADISE, Mich. – The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is excited to announce a major enhancement to the popular Upper Falls day-use area at Tahquamenon Falls State Park.
The Upper Falls will soon feature a new, fully accessible 900-foot-long boardwalk winding through an old-growth forest and providing views of the 200-foot-wide falls. The new structure will also feature benches.
Construction begins Oct. 14 and is expected to be completed by Aug. 1, 2025.
All other Upper Falls viewing areas will remain open to visitors during construction, including the three viewing platforms situated above the falls.
“The new, accessible boardwalk will replace the aging stairway structure that leads to the brink viewing platform,” said Kevin Dennis, supervisor of Tahquamenon Falls State Park for the DNR Parks and Recreation Division. “Despite construction, the majority of the viewing area remains open and accessible this fall through next summer.”
The privately owned Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub also will remain open during construction.
The funding
A $3.275 million allocation in federal relief funding made these and other renovations possible at the park.
A $273 million boost in federal America Rescue Plan relief funding was approved by the Michigan Legislature and has enabled the DNR to tackle a decades-long backlog of state parks, recreation and trail system infrastructure and rehabilitation needs.
The funding, secured through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and aligned with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Building Michigan Together Plan, will also support the construction of a new state park in Flint (Genesee County).
