Ocqueoc Falls (Presque Isle, Michigan)

One of our friends at Thunder Bay Golf Resort (where we are currently parked) provided us with some great ideas for day tripping and tips on scenic places to visit during our stay. One of her suggestions was to see the Ocqueoc Falls (pronounced Ah-key-ock) in Presque Isle County. The falls are located along the 34-mile long Ocqueoc River (ocqueoc is a French word meaning "crooked waters") and are the largest waterfalls in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan - with a drop of about five feet. Coming from California, a state that abounds in waterfalls, with some having bragging rights of being the tallest in North America (think: Yosemite), I have to admit, I was chuckling a little at a five foot waterfall being the largest in this region. To me, this seemed more like a "rapids" than a waterfall; however, if that is all you have, that is all you have, and call it a falls, or call it a rapid, the beautiful Ocqueoc Falls Bicentennial Pathway is a wonderful place to spend an afternoon, boasting 6-miles of picturesque hiking trails set amongst a forest of towering pines and hardwood trees. If it had been a hot summer day, I likely would have found myself splashing around in the falls - now how many waterfalls in California can you actually wade right into? Here are some pictures of our afternoon along the "crooked waters".