Tahquamenon Falls — Upper Falls

Michigan's largest waterfall earns its place on eastern Upper Peninsula loops not just for the scale of the water — though that is hard to overstate. The Upper Falls spans more than 200 feet across and drops roughly 48 feet, and the color of the river is the first thing riders comment on: a deep amber stained by tannins leaching out of the cedar and spruce swamps upstream, giving the water a look locals long ago nicknamed "Root Beer Falls." The surrounding old-growth forest inside Tahquamenon Falls State Park, accessed from Paradise via M-123, closes in tight on both sides of the gorge, and the foam the falls generate is just as striking as the color.

From the bike parking area the paved trail to the main overlook is short — well under a half mile — so you can see the falls and be back at the bike without committing to a long hike. If you want a closer angle, a boardwalk descends to a lower viewing deck, which gives a more direct look at the curtain of water. A Michigan Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into the state park, so factor that in if you're not an in-state resident.

The Tahquamenon Falls Brewery & Pub sits right at the Upper Falls trailhead — a privately operated brewpub inside the state park that is open spring through fall, serving house-brewed beers alongside UP pasties, locally caught whitefish, and a full menu. The combination of a world-scale waterfall and an on-site brewpub in the same walking loop is genuinely unusual, and it's what makes this stop worth building an M-123 run around rather than just passing through Paradise.