BLUEBERRY PICKING. The plains in the Paradise area are just full of wild berries. Bring your berry pail and fill it up with delicious fresh berries. The exciting Annual Wild Blueberry Festival will be held August 15, 16, & 17, 2008 at the Whitefish Township Community Center. Enjoy a delicious Blueberry Brunch Friday, Saturday, and Sunday mornings, Blueberry Treats, Arts & Crafts Show, and Unique Entertainment.

BIKING is fun on the many trails or the old logging roads. Take a trip out to Shelldrake Dam or on to the old Vermillion Life Saving Station. Go up to the Lighthouse, the Cranberry Farm, or down to the Tahquamenon Rivermouth State Park where you can have a picnic on the beach or wade in Lake Superior.

BIRDING in the Paradise area is a year round experience. In the Spring and Fall you will be part of the exciting bird migration as the birds pass on their way to and from Canada. In the Summer you might see the Sandhill Cranes out at the Shelldrake River or the rare Piping Plovers. Winter brings birds that migrate to the area from the north.

CAMPING is available at Tahquamenon Lower Falls State Park or at the Tahquamenon Falls Rivermouth Unit. You will find modern campsites located in a beautiful wooded area. The Rivermouth Unit offers modern and rustic campsites. Call 1-800-44-PARKS for reservations. Rustic Camping nearby. Andrus Lake, a state forest campground 6 miles north of Paradise, has 25 rustic wooded sites. Andrus Lake offers fishing, boating and swimming. Shelldrake dam camping area is just 2 miles from Andrus Lake. Shelldrake has 17 wooded campsites, boating, good pike fishing and some rare and unusual birds.

CANOEING on the Tahquamenon River, the Two-Hearted River, or some of the nearby lakes and streams is a wonderful way to spend your day. Canoes & kayaks can be rented at Gene's Tahquamenon General Store by the Lower Falls for trips on the Tahquamenon River, and Rainbow Lodge offers canoe trips on the Two-Hearted River. You can take a canoe trip from a few hours to a few days. You will find several nice camping sites along the shores of the Two-Hearted River.

CENTENNIAL CRANBERRY FARM, Wildcat Road, Paradise, MI. 49768. Phone: 906-492-3314. Cranberry Harvest in Mid-October. The only cranberry farm in the Upper Peninsula is open for tours between the hours of 12 noon and 5 pm every day from Memorial Day Weekend through October 31st. Included in the tour are the cranberry beds, written displays, machinery, antiques, photos, video and other interesting information. Videos and cranberry gifts for sale in the office.

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING There are groomed ski trails in Paradise at the Paradise Pathway, 1 mile west of Paradise on M-123 (Trail Map), and an extensive network of trails at Tahquamenon Falls. Enjoy the peaceful beauty of the forest as you glide across the snow.

FISHING The Paradise area has many places where you can fish from the bank or from the Lake Superior Fishing Pier. Fish are plentiful. Try your luck and catch that big one for dinner. You will find Perch, Pike, Muskie, Walleye, Steel-head, Brown Trout, Salmon and many other fish in the waters around Paradise. Fishermen might enjoy this article in Outdoor Life, "Hunting Hemingway's Trout"

ICE FISHING Winter is a good time to get out and see what you can catch. Fish on Whitefish Bay or drop your line in some of the nearby waters.

HIAWATHA NATIONAL FOREST, located south east of Paradise on Lakeshore Drive (Curly Lewis Memorial Highway), offers many recreational activities. The scenic panorama of Lake Superior at the Mission Hills/Spectacle Lake Overlook is outstanding. You can even see the Laurentian Hills of Canada in the distance. Monocle Lake Park has a 2 mile hiking trail that leads through hardwoods and across a boardwalk that crosses a wetland. There is a beaver dam by the boardwalk and you can watch the beavers as they work. The campground offers 39 rustic sites. The Big Pine Picnic Area is located along the beach amid good-sized pines. There's a sandy beach and rock picking. Take your lunch and have a picnic along the shores of Lake Superior. Tables, grills, and benches are available.

HIKING is at it's best around Paradise. You can take that walk along the sandy beach or through the woods. Tahquamenon State Park offers an extensive system of trails throughout the Park. Join up with the North Country Trail or hike from the Upper Falls to the mouth of the Tahquamenon River where it empties into Whitefish Bay. Take a walk over to Clark Lake and the Nature Area. Trail Maps are available at the Park.

MARDI GRAS DE SNOW, February 20 & 21, 2009. This popular winter event is returning for this winter. Snowmobile Races & Games for the whole family. Awards Banquet and dancing Saturday evening 2/23/08. Fun for Everyone!  E-mail nightrider@paradiseareanightriders.com for additional information.

MORELS Mid-May brings the Mushrooms into view and this is a good time for picking.

ROCK COLLECTING & BEACH COMBING Start at Whitefish Point and walk west along the beach. Agates and other interesting rocks are plentiful and you might find one of the unusual banded agates.

SCUBA DIVING in the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve. Here you will find many wrecks in the "Graveyard of Ships". Some of these wrecks are in very deep water so dive with extreme caution. Information on the wrecks can be obtained from Captain Cook's Dive Charters. (906) 492-3661. E-mail: captaincook@jamadots.com

SNOWSHOEING is really fun as you walk through the new unbroken snow on your "big feet" or travel along one of the many trails. Snowshoe rentals available at the Travelers Motel. (906)492-3362.

SNOWMOBILING is one of our exciting winter activities. We can hardly wait for the first flakes so we can get out on the hundreds of miles of groomed trails. Our trail system connects to the thousands of miles of groomed trails that cross the entire Upper Peninsula. Our snow starts early and lasts well into March. Snowmobiles can be rented nearby.

SNOWMOBILING: Mardi Gras de Snow returns to Paradise in February 20 & 21, 2009. Snowmobile Races & Awards Banquet. Fun for the Whole Family. For information phone (906)492-3538; E-mail: nightrider@paradiseareanightriders.com; or visit www.paradiseareanightriders.com/

• BLESSING of the SNOWMOBILES, January 24, 2009
  A new event in downtown Paradise.11 am. Just west of the blinking light. Bring your snowmobile to have it Blessed for the 2008 riding season. We will have ordained ministers here to perform the ceremony along with other special events, too!You may pre-register. Please include your name, address, and make of sled. For information phone (906)492-3538; E-mail: nightrider@paradiseareanightriders.com or visit our web site at www.paradiseareanightriders.com/

Snowmobile Trail Map for the Paradise Area and Local "Rules of the Road".

Snowmobile Trail Report

TAHQUAMENON FALLS. The Upper Falls is one of the largest Waterfalls east of the Mississippi River. The only larger falls is Niagara. Tahquamenon has a drop of nearly 50 feet and is more than 200 feet across. A maximum flow of 50,000 gallons of water per second has been recorded cascading over these falls. The Tahquamenon River drains the watershed of an area more than 790 square miles. Paradise is the closest town to Tahquamenon Falls.

TAHQUAMENON TRAIL RUN. August 23, 2008. This 25K & 8K run will run from the Tahquamenon Rivermouth to the Upper Tahquamenon Falls  along the North Country Trail. Special 2K kid's race on Friday. Event sponsored by Great Lakes Endurance and hosted by the Tahquamenon Falls State Park.  To get more information or to volunteer, contact Jeff Crumbaugh at (715) 460-0426 or www.greatlakesendurance.com

WATCHING THE FREIGHTERS You may be able to see some of the "Lakers'' and "Salties" (ocean going ships) as they travel to and from the locks at the Soo. You can sit in your beach chair, relax, and enjoy the superb view. At night you can watch the lights on the ships going to or from the locks.

WILDFLOWERS The woods and plains are filled with wildflowers for you to enjoy as you vacation in Paradise.

Photo of snowshoeing by Travis Parak 

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