If there’s one place we repeatedly heard we must visit while in Michigan, it was Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Sitting on the south shores of Lake Superior and formed by years of wind and water erosion, Pictured Rocks is made up of dense north woods, pristine beaches, brilliant turquoise waters, and of course the colorful sandstone cliffs and formations that made this place famous.
There are many ways to explore this area, from the hundred or so miles of trails that lead to the lakeshore, to kayaking, to boat tours or private boats. In the end, we visited with three other couples we were working with at our campground, and we all chipped in for a pontoon boat rental. We really enjoyed seeing the area this way – we were able to bring coolers of food and drinks to enjoy, we took turns driving the boat, and we could take our time and see the things we wanted to see without having to fight the crowds on a larger tour boat.
We were told the best time to see Pictured Rocks was the afternoon, since the late day sun intensified and highlighted the colors in the cliffs. We had our pontoon boat for five hours, beginning in mid-afternoon, which put us on the lake during prime viewing time.
We began our day with the two hour drive from Mackinaw City to Munising, the closest town to Pictured Rocks. We had reserved a campsite for the night at a cute little campground on Otter Lake, located just a short drive from Munising. Our friends had decided to share a bed and breakfast in town for the night. We each drove up separately, with plans to meet at the boat dock at 2 pm. With extra time on our hands, we got checked into our campsite and took a little time to explore the town of Munising before heading out on the lake.
When we arrived at the dock, our friends Chris and Barb (who arranged for the boat rental) had already arrived and we were ready to receive our familiarization with the boat. We were also given a map of the entire Pictured Rocks area that included approximate distances and how much time to expect it would take to explore each area. We discovered it would take at least a couple of days out on the lake to see all Pictured Rocks has to offer. As a group we decided on a course and set off.
We followed the area’s eastern coastline, which ended up being a great decision. Immediately we were struck by the sheer size of the cliffs, as well as how colorful they are. The water was an incredible turquoise color, something one would expect more from the Caribbean than the Great Lakes. We passed miles and miles of sheer cliffs, carved sandstone formations and expanses of beaches. At one point we were able to land the pontoon boat and step ashore for a while. We saw several of the commercial tour boats, and were really happy with our decision to go with a private boat instead.
We finally reached a beautiful waterfall cascading from the top of the cliffs into Lake Superior. We chose that as a turnaround point, and explored one of the lake’s islands on our way back to the dock.
We arrived back at the dock just as the sun was beginning to set. After a wonderful, relaxing day on the lake with friends, we bid each other farewell and settled into our campsite for a quiet, enjoyable evening. The next morning, we slowly headed back towards Mackinaw City as our weekend drew to a close.
