(upbeat music begins) - There's something for everyone in the upper peninsula.

If you are looking to enjoy the outdoors, if you are looking to check out all the lighthouses, if you like Great lakes, inland lakes, rivers, if you like to hike long trails, short trails, I just think the UP is a great place to visit.

- [Adam] I couldn't agree more.

Heading out to explore the natural beauty of the UP is a great way to awake the adventurous spirit, especially the waterfalls.

- [Adonia] I am kind of a waterfall girl.

I like to just get out and be in the nature and do a little hiking in and out of different waterfalls.

And since we have over 300, I have lots of choices.

- [Adam] Over 300 waterfalls, that sparks my curiosity.

Why is the upper peninsula of Michigan such a prime location for these natural wonders?

So I paid a visit to our friend, professor Larry Lemke, at Central Michigan University.

- Waterfalls are wonderful, they're a natural thing.

They're really useful for aerating the water, because as the the water cascades over the top of the waterfall, it mixes with the air and picks up oxygen.

That's really good for feeding fish and other aquatic life, but it's also part of the natural process of landscape evolution.

Erosion is a natural thing.

To understand why there are so many waterfalls in the UP, we really have to understand three things.

The first is that the state of Michigan was formed by glaciers.

And the second is, as those glaciers moved across the northern part of the state, they eroded, and picked up sediment, and brought it down to the lower peninsula and dumped it here.

If you could take a giant bulldozer and scrape off all of those surface sediments, then you'd get to the bedrock.

The difference between the lower peninsula and the upper peninsula is, in the lower peninsula, we're living on hundreds of feet of sand and gravel that the glaciers left behind.

In the UP, the bedrock is exposed, and that's why we have the opportunity to find so many waterfalls up there.

The third thing that you need to understand is that the geology, the rock types that are exposed in the upper peninsula are of the type that are conducive to making waterfalls.

Because in the eastern part, at least, most of those rocks are sedimentary, which means they're relatively soft, and they can be eroded away and form those little cliffs and ledges that make the waterfalls so attractive to us.

- [Adam] As I visited with Professor Lemke, my knowledge of waterfalls grew.

So did my desire to go on another adventure, to explore more of the wonders of the UP.

But as he pointed out, waterfalls are constantly changing.

So maybe a revisit, and this time in a different season.

- [Adonia] If you've seen Bon Falls in the summer, it is majestic and beautiful.

Winter, it's beautiful and white, and has that winter wonderland look to it, although those walkways are cleared.

So it still makes it easy for people to get in and out.

There's actually two ways to access Bon Falls.

The last time I went there, I chose to take the upper route.

There's a small trail that takes you along the river, very scenic with tiny drops.

For me that was a great place to take pictures.

There's just the backdrop of the trees covered in snow and the crunchiness under your boots, or if you're wearing snow shoes, makes that a very easy trek to get to where the top of the falls are.

From there, there's steps that take you down.

Once you get down to the bottom, you've got 360 degree views of just an amazing, beautiful winter scene.

(gentle music continues) - [Adam] I consider myself lucky.

I get to visit waterfalls as part of "Destination Michigan," and I know each one offers up a new adventure and experience.

I have visited Tahquamenon at sunrise.

I had the upper falls all to myself.

I ended that day splashing around in the lower falls with my son.

That'll be a day I won't soon forget.

I have explored waterfalls in all the seasons.

The hike in the snow along the Black River to Gorge Falls was a challenge, but seeing the water flow through the snow and ice was worth it.

Visiting Canyon Falls on a beautiful autumn day, just as the leaves are starting to change, hiking the trail, soaking in the last few hours of the warm sun was a perfect afternoon.

And at the end of the trail, the Grand Canyon of Michigan, the nickname the Waterfall has earned.

Trust me when I say I know firsthand the joy that an adventure through the UP can bring.

- [Adonia] It's almost like a reset to go out and explore all the things that there are to see and do.

Getting on a hiking trail, and walking through, and hearing the trees and smelling the woods.

It's just, it's unique, it's different.

Our visitor experience is improving all the time, yet we are mindful to respect that we have a great nature area and don't want to take away too much of that, 'cause that's, I think, the best thing about the upper peninsula.

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