Upper Tahquamenon Falls
Tahquamenon Falls State Park, Michigan · 670 ft
A 200-foot-wide curtain of tannin-stained amber water drops 50 feet into a gorge walled with maple and hemlock. The gorge overlook puts the falls upstream and slightly below you, so the color wraps both sides of the frame.
Typical peak
Sep 27 – Oct 5
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Classic view faces WNW (293°)
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Turn into the signed Upper Falls entrance off M-123 about 22 miles northeast of Newberry and walk the paved path 0.4 mile from the lot to the gorge overlook.
What turns here
- sugar maple
- american beech
- eastern hemlock
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 1Typical color progression for Upper Tahquamenon Falls. No change from Aug 24 to Sep 10. First color from Sep 10 to Sep 19. Approaching peak from Sep 19 to Sep 27. Peak from Sep 27 to Oct 5. Past peak from Oct 5 to Oct 15. Bare from Oct 15 to Oct 29.
Color starts around Sep 10.
Light at peak
Upper Tahquamenon Falls on October 1, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:09 AM |
| Sunrise Rises E · 94° | 7:39 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 40 min of low, warm light | 8:19 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 1:30 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 40 min before sunset | 6:41 PM |
| Sunset Sets W · 266° | 7:21 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 7:51 PM |
Times in America/Detroit · day length 11h 42m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sunrise: front-lit
Sun behind you. Flat, even light — accurate color, little drama. Good for wide valley scenes, weak for single trees.
Sunset: backlit
Sun behind the canopy — leaves glow translucent. The shot most people are after. Expect flare; a hood or a hand helps.
Based on the classic composition here facing WNW (293°).
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.