Summer Road Trip Ideas - 30 Waterfalls You Won't Want To Miss

Summer can bring out the inner explorer in all of us to a varying degree. Whether you are a true roughing it kind of family or maybe a weekend hiking warrior we all love a little adventure in our lives. 

Finding nature's hidden treasures along a trail or spending time at a National Forest can provide your family with the perfect venue for exciting explorations.

This post contains affiliate links which means if you click on a link and make a purchase I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more information please see my disclaimer page. Thanks!

This summer as you are planning your vacation explorations consider visiting a waterfall along the way. I guarantee you won't be disappointed. Waterfalls are so relaxing and powerful all at the same time! Their beauty and strength pulls you in as you watch and listen to the roar of the water cascading over the edge.

Our beautiful country has many waterfalls to explore. 

CarRentals.com has provided a great map broken down into five geographical regions that highlight a some less popular yet amazing waterfalls you may want to consider adding to your summer vacation plans. 

30 Waterfalls To Chase On Your Summer Vacation

Here is a glimpse of the map CarRentals.com put together. For more detailed information including a description of the different types of waterfalls please check out their blog HERE.

The informative map also includes a few tips to consider if you are going to visit these spots so you are prepared and know what to expect before you get there.  

Our Vacation to Tahquamenon Falls (Michigan)

Last year our family spent a week exploring and vacationing in the Upper Peninsula, fondly referred to as the "UP"(pronounced "you-p") of Michigan. We visited many beautiful places like Picture Rocks, Mackinac Island and St. Ignace but our favorite was Tahquamenon Falls.

Tahquamenon Falls is actually two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon river near Lake Superior in the UP. One unique feature of these falls is the color of the water. The water is brown in color (not muddy or cloudy) due to the tannins from cedar swamps which the river drains. 

Tip...

If you love taking nature pictures the best time to capture these beautiful falls is in Autumn when the contrast of the brown waterfall water is set against the backdrop of the surrounding trees as their leaves change colors.

Tahquamenon Falls State Park provides a paved path visitors can follow to see both falls. The viewing deck for the upper falls is a great place to pull out your camera and capture the beauty of this waterfall. There are also many quiet spots to rest and listen to the waterfall too. Pack a cooler and have a picnic at many of the picnic tables throughout the park. 

The upper falls span more than 200 feet and drop about 48 feet. In the spring the volume of water draining from the river over the falls can be as much as 50,000 gallons per second making the upper falls the third most voluminous vertical waterfall east of the Mississippi River after Niagara Falls and Cohoes Falls in New York State (per Wikipedia)

The lower falls are a great place for visitors to experience the waterfall right in the water! The lower falls are about 4 miles downstream and are really a series of five smaller falls cascading around an island. Visitors can rent rowboats and row to the island where the fun and exploration really begins! We rented one rowboat for our family of 6 (life jackets included!) and paddled our way across a small section of gently flowing river to the island.

Navigating our way across large slippery rocks, through the shallow water, along the river's edge was exciting! Even our youngest who was 5 years old at the time was able to do most of the climbing on his own. We spend hours exploring along the island and the river's edge. Water shoes are highly recommended if you want to climb the rocks!

The highlight of our exploration was at a section of the lower falls where the water cascades over a rock ledge. Those who are brave enough can make their way through the swiftly flowing river and carefully plunge themselves through the cascading waterfall into a large gap behind the falls. 

Standing behind the waterfall in the cave-like environment was exhilarating (and terrifying as a mom holding her 9 year old son's hand!). It was an experience like no other and definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

For more information specific to the Tahquamenon Falls State Park visit the Michigan State Park website.

Before you go...

While your family is traveling for vacation don't forget to look for funny signs to help you pass the time more quickly. Check out my post - 17+ Road Signs That Will Crack You Up! If you find any silly signs don't forget to take a picture and share them with me!  

Oh, and make sure you print a copy of my free Road Trip Scavenger Hunt game to take along with you! 

If you and the kids haven't already created a Summer Bucket List I highly recommend you do so - it isn't too late yet! Not sure what a bucket list is or how to begin? Don't worry! You can get a premade list or one you can customize all on your own HERE!

click HERE to read more

Happy trails my friends! Don't forget to Pin and Share this post so others can learn about these awesome waterfalls too!