Harmon's Birchwood Resort On Whitefish Bay, Lake Superior 8442 N. Whitefish Point Road Paradise, MI 49768 906-492-3320 Your Host is Steve Harmon

Yes, Folks, there is a "Paradise" and it's located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on Whitefish Bay of Lake Superior. This quaint and picturesque village is a four seasons resort community and has been featured in many tourist and resort guides thru the years.

Birchwood Resort, nicely wooded with birch and a handful of stately pines, is located 1000' from downtown Paradise. A resort road leads down to a bluff with cabins on both sides of the road. The foothills or mountains of Canada, 25 miles distant, can be seen across the waters of Whitefish Bay.

The protected waters of Whitefish Bay of Lake Superior provide for much earlier swimming than what you may have thought. Water temperatures in the shallow resort waters are not to be confused with that of Lake Superior's south shoreline and its unprotected northern exposure. The lake has an easy-on-the-feet sand bottom and you can easily walk out a 100' from shore and be in a 4' of crystal clear Lake Superior water. Take out one of our inner tubes for a lazy sun-warmed float.

Each cabin has its own picnic table, fire pit, and charcoal-burning grill. You provide your own charcoal and starter fluid. We normally provide bonfire wood for sale at the resort and wood can also be purchased from local vendors.

For outside summer activities we have a badminton/volley ball court, a tetherball, basketball net, and a swing set for small kids.

Paradise recently was designated by the State to be the "Blueberry Capital of Michigan". This is where you go to pick blueberries and we'll point out some "hot spots" for you. Our Blueberry Festival in August draws large crowds. Whitefish Point has also been acknowledged by the state to be the "Cranberry Capital of Michigan". A cranberry farm at the Point continues to operate and offers tours to the public.

The Tahquamenon River empties in Lake Superior 3 miles south of Paradise. This is a Walleye, Pike, and Musky River. An interesting river, it has virtually no current. The musky pictured below was caught in the Tahquamenon River below the Lower Falls. A canoe trip from the Lower Falls to the River mouth is 17 miles. Allow for a minimum of 6 hours on the River.

Lower Tahquamenon Falls

Paradise and the Tahquamenon Falls Area are most noted as being a beautiful natural area. Commercial attractions to compare with any area. . . Yes. . . But miles of hiking trails for those wishing to work up a sweat. If you're not a trail person, there are endless miles of lovely Lake Superior shoreline for you to explore. And if you are into lighthouses, we have 3 within 50 miles of the Resort.

A local charter boat captain is available for skilled scuba divers in search of shipwrecks in the Whitefish Underwater Preserve. Please make your reservations far in advance.

Paradise has something special to offer for each of the 4 seasons. The early spring gives us one of the countries major bird migrations at Whitefish Point, only 10 miles north of the resort. The break-up of the shoreline ice at the point exposes the year's first agates and for many, spring fishing is the best.

The summer of course remains prime time. All the commercial attractions are open. It's swimming, fishing, campfires, and serious grilling time.

But then, all too soon the leaves start changing color and we find ourselves in autumn. The crowds are gone and the nights get cooler. Autumn in Michigan's U.P. is a very special time. The hardwoods come alive in color. Even the evergreens appear to take a bow. Tahquamenon Falls is it's most breathtaking. Cameras are a must for a fall visit.

And then comes winter, Deep and long lasting snow. One of the countries premier snow belts is that of the south shore of Lake Superior. Paradise is in the eastern section of that belt. The Paradise Chamber of Commerce consistently ranks near the top of the state for trail grooming hours. Call for honest trail conditions and fair winter rates.

All cabins come with fully furnished kitchens. We have newer refrigerators and gas ranges. There are microwaves, automatic coffee pots, and toasters. We provide a generous amount of cookware, dishes, etc. All you bring are your groceries and a promise to do your dishes. All units have limited satellite TV with combination VCR/DVD players. We have a VHS library with free tape rentals.

All beds are set up with linens, blankets, and there are electric blankets on most beds in winter. As of April 1, 2012 we will no longer furnish bath or kitchen towels for our cabins.  With no laundry facilities available at the resort or in Paradise, we encourage our guests to take their laundry with them on their sightseeing trips. We will continue to supply our guests who come in off the road with no knowledge of our towel policy.

We do not provide maid service. . . . you will be the only ones in your cabin. All cabins obviously are winterized and have furnaces for our cold weather guests and the seasonable cool evening hours. All cabins are carpeted and have comfortable living room furniture. Bathrooms have fiberglass showers with glass doors.

The two lakefront cabins have real wood burning stone fireplaces. They are not to be confused with the "artificial" gas fireplaces. Seasoned firewood is available to purchase at the resort. The wood is also available for the fire pits. Do remember you may not bring firewood into the Upper Peninsula. This is due to the many harmful bugs we find in our woods today and the states attempt to control their introduction into our forest.

How You Find Us
We are so easy to get to. You already know if you are coming from the south that you're crossing a major attraction in itself, the Mackinac Bridge. After crossing the Bridge, you will exit off I-75 at exit 352 onto Highway M-123, which will bring you into Paradise. To prevent confusion, we put up just one traffic light in town. Go straight through that blinking light. The road is Whitefish Point Road. We are 1/8 mile from that light.

If you are coming from the west, you will take M-123 north out of Newberry. You will come to that same light. Turn left of course on Whitefish Pointe Road. (Map)

Birchwood Resort in Paradise is a great family resort. Generations have continued to return and spend quality time with us. Whether it's a family holding their reunions here, honeymooners, or whatever. We are available for you. We take pride in our resort and understand the importance of your well-deserved vacation. The same owner since 1981 knows his area and can get you off the "Beaten Path" With the completing of the renovation of cabins #10, #11, & #12 we have 11 cabins available for rent. We are the areas largest resort with cabins.

As of this March, 2012 web site update, we find out country going through difficult and challenging economic times. During this time families will be discussing whether or not they can afford to take a vacation. No one works harder than the American worker and one of the objectives of that effort is to take a satisfying vacation on enjoy a couple of recharging get-a-ways. It's why, in part, as to why we work

One of the obvious considerations of a proposed trip will be "How much will it cost us"? Trust us, we at the resort understand that completely. To get your business, we have to price ourselves, accordingly. We anguish over rate increases and make adjustments only every 3-4 years. As slow as we are to raise our rates, our vendors and suppliers don't share that concern. Our propane, gas, electricity, insurance, credit card processing fees, laundry, cleaning supplies, and trips to our building supply centers can be real eye-openers.

The cost of preparing a cabin for rental can be expensive. Setting up a multiple-room cabin with full kitchen facilities cannot be compared to servicing a motel room. The cost of commercially laundering as many as 4 sets of sheets & throw rugs, and paying for housekeeping labor can add up. Cleaning the lakefront cabins with their wood-burning fireplaces can be very time consuming. This also assumes everyone is going to leave us a clean kitchen. For these reasons, we obviously prefer the longer multiple night reservations.

As we close out our books for 2011, we find it to be our best year ever. A great summer and extremely busy fall surpassed all our expectations. We are elated to see old friends and faces come back again and again. Even more satisfying is to meet the new folks they have referred to us. It makes what we do so gratifying,

As of early March, 2012 we find reservations for the summer running far ahead of the prior years at this time. With the exception of a couple of weeks, our lakefronts are booked solid for July and August.

We find that for 2012 we must now face the reality that we must make some rate adjustments. Some rates, April 7th to May 19th and our fall rates, September 8th to January 1st, 2013 will not increase. Our late spring and summer rates will reflect modest increases on some cabins on some dates. Some rates for 2012 have actually come down.
Once again, Call for Current Rates.

Having said that, we remain committed to being your best choice for value and price. Spotless clean cabins and easy everyday access to the owner of 31 years should be of prime consideration in your selection process.

Eating every meal out for a family on a weeks vacation must be incredibly expensive. Staying in one of our well-furnished cabins with its kitchens saves big bucks. After a busy sight-seeing day, throw some burgers and hotdogs on your grill, eat at your beautiful park-like picnic table and start a campfire in your fire pit.

We would love to hear from you. We do prefer the more personal contact with the telephone. Call with questions, rate information, and reservations. We do extend our sincere apologies to our e-mail friends.

Steve Harmon
March, 2012

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Photos: Birchwood Resort

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