For some visitors to Tahquamenon Falls State Park, the main attraction at Michigan’s second-largest state park has always remained out of reach.
For those using wheelchairs, experiencing the iconic, 200-foot-wide, amber-hued Upper Falls up close was impossible. What stood in the way was a 94-step staircase that led park visitors to a viewing platform.
“We heard time and time again from people that because of accessibility, they had never been to the brink, had never been able to feel that spray hit their face or smell the river,” said Kevin Dennis, park manager at Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the Upper Peninsula’s Luce and Chippewa counties.
That has now changed with the long-awaited official opening last Thursday of a new 1,100-foot, fully accessible boardwalk that replaces the aging staircase. The new feature will offer all visitors close-up, panoramic views of the Tahquamenon River as it rushes over the edge and drops about 50 feet.
“It’s really exciting to be able to open it to the public,” said Dennis of the renovation project that took nearly two years. “The public has been so patient during these past few years of hard work by a lot of people to bring this project to life. It feels great to see it finished, and most importantly, it feels good to watch as people use the new boardwalk.”
Last week, Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director Scott Bowen and other DNR staff and community members helped celebrate the new accessway to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the state park.
“Access to public lands for everyone is a priority for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, and Tahquamenon Falls is a prime example,” Bowen said during the ceremony. “Today, we celebrate the opening of this beautiful boardwalk, the latest feature furthering our legacy of partnership, collaboration and public access, not only here at Tahquamenon Falls but across our great state.”
—story, photos courtesy of Michigan DNR—
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