5 Things to Do This Fall in Whitefish Point / Paradise
Shandra Martinez
| 2 min read
The Upper Peninsula community of Paradise has Lake Superior to its north and east, Tahquamenon Falls State Park to its west, and the Hiawatha National Forest to its south. It features Whitefish Point, which is known for its deep shipwreck sites. There’s a lot to explore in this region during the fall.
With more than 200 shipwrecks in the immediate vicinity, the area is known as Lake Superior’s Shipwreck Coast. The museum features exhibits of shipwreck artifacts, artwork, shipwreck models and the bell of the famous Edmund Fitzgerald steamer that sank in 1975, 15 miles northwest of Whitefish Point. The museum is open daily from May 1 to Oct. 31.
This state park stretches across nearly 50,000 acres at the Tahquamenon River, known for its majestic waterfalls that can be viewed from multiple accessible overlooks. The Upper Falls is one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. It has a drop of nearly 50 feet, is more than 200 feet across and has a maximum water flow of more than 50,000 gallons per second. Just 4 miles downstream is the Lower Falls, which consists of a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island.
This is the oldest operating lighthouse on Lake Superior. It sits at the extreme southeastern end of Lake Superior, a critical turning point for all vessel traffic entering and leaving this largest of all the Great Lakes. The Whitefish Point Light Station was constructed in 1861 during President Abraham Lincoln’s administration and has illuminated these dangerous waters for mariners ever since. The site was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
Sitting 11 miles north of Paradise is the premier migration hot spot in Michigan. Jutting out into Lake Superior, Whitefish Point acts as a natural migration corridor, bringing thousands of birds through this flyway every spring and fall. It’s home to numerous rare breeding birds and has recorded over 340 bird species. Research conducted at WPBO significantly contributes to the study of bird migration and critical bird conservation.
For nearly a century, this wilderness adventure has been offered to visitors. It takes them on a nearly 7-hour journey, that includes a train ride, narrated riverboat cruise and hike on private land to view the Upper Tahquamenon Falls. The tour season runs from mid-June through early October.
There’s lots to see and do in Whitefish Point / Paradise in the fall. Check out the highlights in this video.
Photo credit: Getty Images
