An Unforgettable UP North Camping Trip & Summer Guide to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
It was an exceptionally warm week in mid-August and we were squeezing in one last adventure before the end of summer. After searching sites, activities, photos, and places to stay, we took a drive up north for a trip we’d never forget, making incredible memories as a family and capturing beautiful photos along the way.
I can’t believe it has been four years since that unforgettable camping trip in Michigan’s gorgeous upper peninsula. A lot has changed in these four years and my original plan for blogging this trip has changed a lot in that time. While this post is very late and long overdue, everything I’m sharing should still be relevant and I suppose I’m really sharing just for fun anyways. 🙂
It is our plan to make this trip again (maybe even annually), but each summer of these past four years has provided big life changes that have kept us from being able to make the trip again. Two new babies in the following two summers, a big move to a new home the next summer, and a new business this summer have kept us incredibly busy, but in the best ways.
We’re at the end of summer now, but if you plan your summer trips in advance, be sure to look into adding this one to your summer schedule for next year!
Okay… so now that we covered why I’m just now blogging this trip, let’s get to the details of the actual trip! In mid-August 2015, we took a trip over the bridge (the Mackinac Bridge) to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula and camped near Munising, Michigan. Munising is a city on the North side of the Upper Peninsula and is located on the southern shore of Lake Superior.
We hiked to waterfalls, boated around the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, camped and kayaked around a small inland lake, swam in Lake Superior and through sea caves, and lounged on a gorgeous Caribbean-worthy beach. In this post, I’ll be sharing the campground we stayed at and a few links of places you can stay in the area, the sites we visited and how, different ways to see the sights, and more.
We made this trip with our children (only two of them at the time) and my parents. We took a motor home, a tent, and hauled a boat up with us as well. This trip was about a 4-5 hour drive one way for us. Everything that we did on this trip was kept pretty kid friendly for the most part, but some attractions and tours along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore might be more difficult with children. I’ll share a bit of both with you here.
Where to stay:
Otter Lake Campground
We stayed at Otter Lake Campground in Munising, Michigan, which was about 10-15 minutes from town. Otter Lake Campground is located on Otter Lake, a small inland lake, in the Hiawatha National Forest. They have row boats, paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks for rent and the lake offers beautiful views that you’d expect to find in the Upper Peninsula. The campground offers:
- Electric and non electric sites available
- Fire rings and picnic tables at all camp sites
- Newly modernized bath houses with spacious, walk-in showers
- Laundry facilities
- Playground
- Sand Volleyball court
- Octaball
- Basketball
- Sandy beach
- Canoes, row boats & paddle boats available for rent
- Pets welcome, please keep on a leash
- Dog Walk Trail
If camping isn’t your thing, Otter Lake Campground also offers Black Bear Lodge for rent, and with six bedrooms, it accommodates large groups. For more information on that, click here.
Although we didn’t spend a ton of time at the campground, we did enjoy the overall experience there. We took advantage of the boat rentals for a day, the kids swam and played, and I was able to capture some pretty night sky shots. They did offer WiFi, but I really only got signal outside of the office, which was fine as we were up there to unplug anyways.
Knowing we would be far enough north to have a better chance at spotting the northern lights, I had checked the aurora forecast every day for weeks leading up the trip and was so disappointed to see only a Kp-index 2 forecast for the whole length of our trip. With such an incredible trip, it was the one thing the trip was missing. Thankfully, on our last night there, a beautiful pink light show surprised me and lit up the northern sky. The beach at the campground was south-facing, so I stood at the end of the dock to capture the Kp-index 6 aurora borealis over the trees and it was nothing short of amazing! I felt so blessed to have that extra bonus to complete the trip. It was totally a gift from God!
I would definitely stay at Otter Lake Campground again, but there are a lot of options for places to stay in the area, some even closer to Munising.
Other Munising Area Campgrounds:
You can find a list of other Munising area campgrounds here.
Munising Area Lodging:
You can find Munising area hotels and motels here or here and cabins, lodges, and resorts here. We did stay at the Holiday Inn Express Lakeview during another trip and were very happy with our stay there and our beautiful bay view balcony room.
Adventure by Land:
On our first day in Munising, we decided to check things out by land. We hiked to a couple of waterfalls and then to see the Miners Castle overlook. The locations we went to were all accessible by car plus short hikes.
Miners Falls:
The walk from the parking area at Miners Falls to the waterfall is 1.2 miles round-trip down a wooded gravel path. There are 64 steps down to the lower viewing platform at the falls and the view was beautiful. The Miners River drops about 50 feet over a sandstone outcrop, creating the park’s most powerful waterfall. You can find more information about Miners Falls and other Munising area waterfalls here.
Teddy and I left the kids with their grandparents for a few minutes and climbed down to get a closer look. The climb down is a little steep, so approach carefully. It was safe at the time we were there with the water being fairly low and we made the judgement to climb down based on that and the number of people that were already down there, but please be safe and use your best judgement before making the decision to climb down off the intended trail and viewing areas.
Area Waterfalls:
There are several waterfalls to explore in the Munising area and along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. You can find more information on these waterfalls complete with maps and directions [HERE], [HERE], and [HERE].
Miners Castle Overlook:
The Miners Castle overlook offers breathtaking views from high above the water and it is one of the most famous landmarks along the Pictured Rocks shoreline. It is also the only cliff area in the park accessible by vehicle. While at this location, we spotted a bald eagle flying over Miners Castle, several swimmers and kayaks below, and stunning views of Lake Superior and the Pictured Rocks. You can learn more about Miners Castle here.
Area Beaches:
Because we explored the Pictured Rocks by boat, we were able to explore multiple beaches by boat. If you’d like to explore the beaches by land, you can find information on the area beaches [HERE].
Grand Island:
Technically, getting to Grand Island requires a little bit of water travel, but once you’re there, there is plenty to explore by land. Grand Island is a 13,500 acre addition to the Hiawatha National Forest that offers lots of hiking, biking, fishing, beaches, and exploring. Visitors can get to the island via passenger ferry or private watercraft. “The ferry departs from Grand Island Landing on the mainland, located on M28 about 2 1/2 miles west of Munising’s blinking light. Look for the Grand Island National Recreation Area sign.” While on the island, you can also catch a 2 1/2-3 hour narrated bus tour exploring nine stops along the way and so much of Grand Island’s beauty. For more information on the bus tour and the ferry ride to get to the island, click [HERE].
Grand Island is a National Recreational Area with artesian wells, unnamed waterfalls, historical cabins, a lighthouse, and more. Find more information about Grand Island [HERE].
Other Attractions by Land:
If you’re looking for more to do and see in the area by land, you could check out some of the gorgeous lighthouses in the area and even take a lighthouse tour. Find more information on area lighthouses [HERE].
If hiking is your desired choice of exploring, there are 100 miles of trails along 42 miles of Lake Superior’s Shore. You can find all the details [HERE].
Adventure by Water:
There are a few different ways to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore by water, and all provide spectacular views and experiences.
Boat Tours:
There are multiple options for a fun packed boat tour of the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore:
- Relax in comfort and enjoy the views from a Pictured Rocks Cruises tour boat.
- Take a shipwreck tour, glass bottom boat tour, or dive in a Lake Superior shipwreck with Shipwreck Tours. This is the only place in the United States that you can see real shipwrecks aboard a Glass Bottom Boat.
- See the views and explore your more adventurous side with Riptide Ride. ” 25 miles of cliffs, 360 degree spins, countless smiles. Experience the excitement of riding on a Navy Seal vessel! Feel the breeze and hear the waves. The Riptide Ride combines the ultimate package of fun and beautiful scenery.”
- Enjoy the views and a meal from a smaller boat tour with a lunch or dinner cruise with Paddling Michigan.
Kayaking Tours:
One of the coolest ways to experience and see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is by kayaking tour. We have not actually taken one of these tours, but we passed by several groups on our trip in our personal watercraft and it is definitely on my bucket list to do!
NOTE: You can take your own personal kayak outside of a tour, but Lake Superior can be extremely dangerous. You must have a sea kayak (no recreational kayaks or canoes are allowed) to do this and exercise extreme caution, navigating, checking weather and water conditions, etc. I would highly recommend doing a tour vs. going it on your own unless you are very experienced kayaking in this area. A tour is a great way to get to enjoy the experience of kayaking the Pictured Rocks and Lake Superior with the help and assistance of experienced professionals. Some questions to ask yourself before heading out on your own: Do I have a sea kayak? Do I have a life jacket? Do I know the marine forecast? Am I completely prepared for the conditions? Did I tell others where I’m going? Can I save myself (and get back in my kayak from the water)? Find more information on kayaking the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore [HERE].
You can find more information on kayak tours, times, rates, etc. from the following kayak tours:
- Choose from several kayaking tours with Paddling Michigan, including the option to kayak and hike. Tours range from 2 to 8 hours, some including lunch, and all including gorgeous views.
- Book a full or half day expert guided kayak tour with Northern Waters. Northern Waters boasts a perfect safety record while ensuring a one of a kind experience on the great Lake Superior. (Pack your own lunch, drinks, and snacks for these tours).
- See more with an off-shore launch kayak tour with Pictured Rocks Kayaking. Cruise aboard their 56-foot passenger vessel and launch your kayak right where the most notable scenery begins. Their boat follows you, making it more safe and convenient for varied ages and abilities (still not recommended for small children). Trips range from 4-5 hours.
- Enjoy a more relaxing kayak or canoe trip on the Au Train river with Northwoods Canoe & Kayak Rentals.
Personal Watercraft:
Exploring Grand Island and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore by personal watercraft was a pretty magical experience (and maybe a little scary at times). We had beautiful calm weather, but catching the large waves from the tour boats called for a rough ride in spots and I can only imagine how scary it can be on a rough weather day. Just like any other method of exploring Lake Superior, you must be well prepared and exercise caution before heading out on to Lake Superior in a personal watercraft. Before you venture out, check the marine weather forecast. Watch the weather carefully while on the lake. The weather can change suddenly and unexpectedly. Just because it’s calm in Munising Bay or Grand Marais Harbor does not mean it is calm along the more distant shores. Find more information about safely boating Lake Superior [HERE].
Boat Rentals:
We brought our own personal watercraft up for this trip because we were only a four hour drive away, but you can rent boats to explore the Pictured Rocks as well. Here are a couple boat rental places to check out:
Our Boating Adventures:
Day 1 | Pictured Rocks
Our first day boating Lake Superior was a trip along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, taking in views of all the popular sites up to Spray Falls. Below is a map I found on Google images of a lot of the popular attractions along the lakeshore.
Every inch along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was stunningly gorgeous and it was almost hard to believe that we were still in Michigan. I couldn’t help but take endless photos of all the gorgeous sights.
The view from the water of Miners Castle was a little different than the view from the overlook and we could see some of the sea caves that weren’t really visible from above.
I believe these next shots were all along the painted coves, which were really interesting and beautiful.
After the painted coves, we began approaching Lovers Leap, also known as Petit Portal arch.
Just before Lovers Leap, we passed the Caves of all Colors.
I remember reading the Native American legend of Lovers Leap before we took our trip, but I couldn’t find much on it when searching to share it here… However, I did find this little snippet from another blog:
Chapel Rock was another gorgeous formation to see along the Pictured Rocks.
We stopped somewhere after Chapel Rock and swam a bit in the icy cold water.
Spray Falls was as far as we traveled heading East along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and it did not disappoint. We definitely checked some items off our bucket list with this one.
After exploring the amazing Spray Falls, we headed back towards Munising, stopping for a little bit at Miners Beach.
After a full day of exploring and and sightseeing, we headed back to the campground for the night to rest up for another boating adventure the next day.
Day 2 | Grand Island
On our second day of boating, we took a more relaxed cruise around Grand Island enjoying more amazing sights of sandstone cliffs, sea caves, waterfalls, beaches, and more.
Right across the bay from Munising is Grand Island East Channel Light, which is an 1868 wooden lighthouse that was intended to lead boats from Lake Superior through the channel east of Grand Island into the Munising Harbor, but was removed from service sometime between 1908 and 1913.
After boating a distance around Grand Island, we made it to North Beach, where we swam, relaxed, and explored one of the most gorgeous beaches I’ve ever seen. These views could definitely rival beaches in the Caribbean.
After chilling and exploring North Beach, we hopped back in the boat and went just a little further beyond the beach to check out one more arch formation and to swim through some sea caves before heading back to camp.
A trip to Munising, Grand Island, and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore should definitely be on your bucket list! With so much to do, so much to see, and the most spectacular sights, you just might forget that you’re not lounging in the Caribbean. If you’re lucky enough for the Northern Lights to show up, you’ll have a stunning reminder just how far North you really are. If you take a trip to this gorgeous area, hashtag #CharmingNorthTravel on Instagram to share your story and photos.