Blogs from Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Michigan, United States, North America

Pictured Rock National Lakeshore, Munising, Michigan The only way to really see the Pictured Rocks is by boat. Whether a big cruise vessel or a small kayak, the breathtaking forms and colors are best seen from below looking out and up. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t some things to see on top of those bluffs and around the various beaches that make up the Lakeshore. Like all Lakeshores and Seashores we’ve been to so far, they are complex parks with both natural and cultural resources. (There is even a lighthouse in this park.). Of course all we can ever do is sample what a park has to offer, but we learned that there are great experiences here off the boat. At the far eastern end of the park is Great Sable Dunes, a sand dune ... read more

Once again, we were blessed with great weather today. We reached our goal of seeing three of the Great Lakes on this road trip. Today, was Lake Superior. Yesterday, at Mackinac Island, was Lake Huron. And the days at Arcadia were on Lake Michigan. We checked out of the Bicycle Street Inn about 9:00am and caught the 9:30am ferry to St. Ignace. We made a route decision last night that takes us off the original track. We are no longer driving up to Sault Sainte Marie. We discovered that the cruise to visit the Pictured Rock National Lakeshore departs only once per day until June. The departure time is 2:00pm. So, we decided to give up on our plan to visit the city and the local university where my friends, Chris and Cathy Buell, attended. We ... read more

I am constantly amazed to discover that some of the most beautiful locations in the world are some of the most underrated or unadvertised. Pictured Rock National Lakeshore, stretching from Munising to Grand Marais, Michigan is a perfect example of this idea.... read more

We left Michigamme Shores after a fairly leisurely morning. It rained last night and we were hoping the camper would dry. It did, but the carpet didn't and my stove was full of water after being left outside. From Champion through Ishpeming and then Marquette, along the south shore of Lake Superior we drove, to Munising where we found the Visitor Center for Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Pictured Rocks is a park that is best viewed from a boat, but there are overlooks, waterfalls and beaches. We started with Munising Falls, Sand Point, and Miner's Castle on the west side. Then we drove down around to the east side where we stopped at Sable Falls, the Log Slide Overlook with its views of the Grand Sable Dunes (500' high) and the Au Sable Lighthouse, then ... read more

Watching the sunset over Lake Superior the trip slowly starts to feel like it's a reality. The hues of red and orange reflect off the gently lapping surface of the water and slowly shift to warm shades of rose and lavendar as time passes on. The sand feels good between my toes and we sit there until the sun dips below the horizon. This morning we started off with a good roaring fire. Andras drove into Grand Marais to get ice and change while I stayed behind to 'keep camp.' We've come to a lakeshore during the peak of an extremely bad mosquito season and between them and the smoke from the fire it's hard to get a moment to yourself. But apart from the bugs, our only company is the squirels and birds looking for ... read more