Area Attractions

Erikson Center is a wonderful place for artistiic experiences. On our visit we were able to see a diplay of students' visual art work and enjoyed exploring the varied selection of handmade crafts. We only wish we could have enjoyed a musical performance that is regularly scheduled during the spring and summer months.

The centerpiece of Tahquamenon Falls State Park's nearly 50,000 acres is the Tahquamenon River with its waterfalls viewable from multiple accessible overlooks. The Upper Falls, one of the largest waterfalls east of the Mississippi River, 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.

The Lower Falls, which consists of a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island that can be reached by a rowboat rented from a park concession.

This 6 1/2 hour wilderness tour starts with a 35 minute narrow gauge train ride, followed by a 2 hour, narrated riverboat cruise. After reaching the rapids above the falls, the riverboat docks for one hour and fifteen minutes, allowing for a 5/8 mile nature hike to our private view of the upper Tahquamenon Falls. After the stopover, the riverboat and train retrace their route back to Soo Junction. The nature hike includes stairs and is not handicap accessible.

Wild Beauty on the Lake Superior Shore. Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, inland lakes, deep forest, and wild shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The power of Lake Superior shapes the park's coastal features and affects every ecosystem, creating a unique landscape to explore. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, and four-season outdoor opportunities abound.

The park is home to Kitch-iti-kipi or the “Big Spring.” It is Michigan's largest freshwater spring, spanning 200 feet across and 40 feet deep. The flow continues throughout the year at a constant 45 degrees Fahrenheit, gushing more than 10,000 gallons of water a minute from fissures in the underlying limestone.

Oswald's Bear Ranch, one top 10 best family friendly Upper Peninsula Attractions located just north of Newberry, MI. This complex is the largest (bear only) Bear Ranch in the entire United States of America. Since opening to the public in 1997, Oswald's Bear Ranch has grown tremendously both in size and in bears. Shown here is founder and owner Dean Oswald with one of the large males that he has raised since his rescue as a cub. With lots of room to roam, these rescued bears are given a chance to continue their lives in natural habitats and comfort.

GarLyn Zoo is home to hundreds of native North American Animals including, Alligator, Badgers, Fox, Wolves, Bobcat, Whitetail deer, Javelina, Cougar, River Otter, Porcupine, as well as exotic animals from around the world, African Lions, Hyena, Siberian Tigers, Syrian Brown Bear (Grizzly), Patagonian Cavy, Ring-tailed Lemur, Camel, Reindeer, Sika deer, Sulcata Tortoise just to name a few.

The Seney National Wildlife Refuge and its Whitefish Point Unit are nestled in the eastern portion of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Slow down, relax and unwind as you enjoy winding roads, beautiful vistas and the local wildlife that populate these forests, wetlands and waters. These tracts of land are a birders paradise with abundant populations of trumpeter swans, common loons, osprey, bald eagles and hundreds of other bird species. Visitors may spot red fox, deer, bear, porcupine, fisher or other mammals on or near the refuge. So, stop by and enjoy your public lands.

Affectionately called the “Linchpin of the Great Lakes” by the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the Soo Locks are an engineering marvel with roots dating back to the mid-1800s. Each year it’s estimated that 500,000 people visit these iconic locks that connect Lakes Superior and Huron.

Whitefish Point is known as the Graveyard of Ships as more vessels have been lost here than in any other part of the lake. Hundreds of vessels, including the famed Edmund Fitzgerald, lie on the bottom of the bay and the approaches. The lighthouse marks the end of an 80 mile stretch of shoreline known as Lake Superior's Shipwreck Coast. This light has shined onto the big lake unfailingly for almost 150 years except for the night when the Edmund Fitzgerald went down.

Crisp's Point Lighthouse is located on the deserted shore of Lake Superior, just 37 miles north of Newberry, Michigan. Crisp's Point Lighthouse is considered one of the most inaccessible and lonely mainland lighthouses in the Upper Peninsula, yet can be reached by taking a narrow country road through the Lake Superior State Forest.

Seul Choix (pronounced Sis-shwa) Point Light marks a small harbor on Lake Michigan located on the south shore of the Upper Peninsula. Some sixty miles west of the Straits, the name means "only choice".

Nature’s Kennel offers 10 Mile or 20 Mile Day Trips. All of our trips are fully guided and provide guests with the option to either drive their own team or ride in the sled driven by a guide. All passengers ride in the guide's sled.

Come visit us at The Woods for a day of family adventure on the Tahquamenon River! We're located on M-123 (Tahquamenon Falls Road) in northern Michigan's Upper Peninsula between Newberry and Paradise, just 10 miles west of the Upper Tahquamenon Falls and 13 miles north of Newberry. This year we are offering two trips - Trip "A", and the "Short Trip". Since the Tahquamenon River is a slow moving river, both of these trips are easy paddling for all ages, and are great for beginners - but we do recommend the "Short Trip" for younger children. Included in our trips is delivery of all needed equipment(life jackets, and paddles) spotting of your vehicle at the end point, and a shuttle service back to the start.