Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is comprised of cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, and the forest of Lake Superior’s shoreline. Lake Superior is the largest, deepest, coldest, and most pristine of all the Great Lakes. Hiking, camping, sightseeing, and four season outdoor opportunities are available here! These all beckon to you to come and explore them. 

The park, which at its widest point is only 3 miles in width, hugs the lake shoreline for more than 40 miles. Much of the land is covered with forest, a mixture of northern hardwoods, pine, hemlock, spruce, and fir. Many small lakes, ponds, and streams are also within the park, so there are plenty of places for fishing and boating. Old logging roads and maintained trails give the hiker an almost endless choice when planning a trip.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is the only National Park Service area with an inland buffer zone within its boundary. The State of Michigan, corporations, and private citizens own it. The zone was created to permit sustained yield timber harvest and protect the watershed.

There are seven named waterfalls within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, plus several unnamed falls. From west to east, they are Munising, Bridalveil, Miners, Mosquito, Chapel, Spray, and Sable Falls. The sandstone outcrops of the Pictured Rocks escarpment create the many waterfalls in the area.

Did You Know?

In 1992, the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore began installing photovoltaic powered well pump systems at its drive-in campgrounds. All remote water wells within the lakeshore are now solar-powered!

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State:

Michigan

Acreage:

73,235.83

Category:

National Lakeshore

Established:

10/05/1972

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WHAT DO YOU THINK?

sandisloop

December 17, 2011

This is where I have always wanted to live, and a year ago I FINALLY made it! Were are a very short walk to Lake Superior, and can see Indian Head rock on the shore from the road! I remember when Miners' Castle had 2 rock turrents, and before it was a National Shoreline, infact I remember before the look-out sites were built, and almost fell off Miner's Castle, my brother grabbed my foot to keep from falling into Lake Superior between the turrents. I've seen Pictured Rocks since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, and I am glad the National Parks system wasn't there to protect it, thank you very much, I also remember when we could walk behind Munising Falls... Thank you for working to protect the shoreline and nearby sites. We have people here from all over the world, let alone the country and state! Sandi Rosen, in Munising, MI!!!!

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