Extended Weekend Getaways-Aug. 2022

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Things to Do: Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is one of the most underrated beautiful areas to explore. Hiking Michigan’s Upper Peninsula trails are something that the entire family can partake in. With the abundance of spectacular hiking trails, waterfalls, and hidden gems that can be found, you will have a fabulous weekend exploring Mother Nature’s playground. Here are some of my favorite hidden gems on trails to discover in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Hike the Upper Peni

Tahquamenon Falls

My favorite accessible waterfalls are in one of Michigan’s 103 State Parks, Tahquamenon Falls State Park. A little over an hour from Mackinac Bridge, you can find fantastic hiking trails and some of the most beautiful waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. The North Country Trail travels 16 miles within the park, including a 4-mile trail between the Upper and Lower Falls. Part of the trail along the river is a boardwalk near the Lower Tahquamenon Falls, a series of five smaller cascading waterfalls around an island that can be reached by rowboat and a newly constructed bridge on the south side of the island. The Upper Tahquamenon Falls is almost 50 feet tall and over 200 feet across, with over 50,000 gallons of water cascading over the edge of the ancient sandstone. The coppery-colored water is from the natural tannins leached from vegetation near the river, which you can see up close after following a

short-paved trail to the 90+ steps to get down to the edge. Watch out; you might get wet from the mist rising around you. Pictured Rocks Bed & Breakfast The Tahquamenon Falls State Park has a campground where you can stay, but there is more to see in the U.P., and staying in the heart of it would put you in Munising. Munising is where you will find breathtaking scenery while enjoying fabulous hiking trails, waterfalls upon waterfalls, and spectacular sights of the colorful Pictured Rocks. The best

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place to stay overnight in Munising is the Pictured Rocks Bed & Breakfast, providing views that make you think you are directly on Lake Superior’s Munising Bay. Pictured Rocks B&B makes a great jumping-off point for day hikes due to three amazing waterfalls within walking distance and being close to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Miners Castle

Sandstone cliffs, beaches, waterfalls, and a magnificent shoreline are a few things you will find at the Pictured Rocks National


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