UPPER PENINSULA - Michigan's Upper Peninsula is dotted with hundreds of picturesque waterfalls. They can range from a thin trickle to a thunderous cascade, depending on the season and recent rainfall.

Their unique features are what draws thousands of visitors from across the country to the U.P. each year, said Tom Paquin, eastern U.P. parks and recreation district supervisor for the Department of Natural Resources.

Tahquamenon Falls, located in Paradise, is the area's most popular waterfall attraction, Paquin said. It draws more than 600,000 visitors a year.

But that's not where the interest ends.

"No one waterfall is the same," Paquin said. "You can spend days and days just visiting the falls."

While U.P. travel experts say there are more than 300 waterfalls across that region, enthusiasts put the number at more than 500.

Brenda Kelley, owner of Explore Munising, a guiding site for tourism, said waterfalls attract tourists year-round. Many visit them during the spring melt to see them at full capacity. Others love to see them frozen into stillness in the winter months.

"Of course, once school gets out, then we see a spike in our visitors -- mostly in July and August," Kelley said, adding that many of the tourists she sees come from the Grand Rapids area.

It's a mixture of adventure and the sheer beauty of each different fall that has been drawing Cadillac resident Phil Stagg to waterfalls multiple times a year.

Stagg, who has been working on a guide series to Michigan waterfalls for the past six years, said he has identified about 550 drops.

"There are some little ones that are fun -- lesser-known ones," Stagg said.

His favorite aspect of waterfalls -- what separates them from rivers for him -- is the "three dimensional nature."

"It's very vitalizing and you see it splashing down, instead of it just being this flat subject," Stagg said.

If your goal is to see many waterfalls in one trip, Stagg said to be ready to drive because they are spaced out across the region. And many require a hike to reach them.

"Prepare to enjoy the amazing scenery as you go along," Stagg said. "Be able to enjoy the time of getting from one place to another."

Stagg also recommended bringing a GPS along, as well as bug spray to ward off mosquitoes and ticks.

That's especially crucial this summer as the mosquitoes are worse than normal this year, Paquin said.

But Stagg doesn't think buggy months should dissuade anyone.

"Go when you can. Get out there and enjoy it," he said.

For more of Stagg's images and commentary, see his Waterfalls of Michigan page on Facebook.

Here are just a few of Stagg's recommendations for which waterfalls should make your summer trip list:

• For families: Tahquamenon Falls, Scott Falls, Bonanza Falls, Potawatomi Falls

• For extreme hikers: Sturgeon Falls, Shining Cloud Falls, Chapel Falls

• Falls that can be viewed from a car: Alger Falls and Fumee Falls

