The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located along Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It makes for a great getaway filled with hiking, boat rides, windswept beach views, lighthouses, and small town charm. Within this article, I will provide ideas for things to do and a sample itinerary for the Pictured Rocks in 5 days. If you are short on time or don’t enjoy hiking, you can easily cut down your trip to 3-4 days.
If you are looking to explore more of Michigan, check out my Mackinac Island and Charlevoix guides.
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When to visit the Pictured Rocks
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is known for being cold and the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is no exception. This region can be a snowmobiler’s delight in winter, but the activities mentioned in this guide would be best done between May – September. Maximum summertime temperatures in this region are typically in the 70s. I visited at the end August and it was in the 50s and rainy most of our trip, making it reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest! For comparison, it was 85-90 degrees in Chicago at the time. Bottom line, go in the summer, dress in layers, and be prepared for rain.
Where to stay near the Pictured Rocks
Your main choices of where to stay depend upon if you want camp or stay in a hotel. If you want to camp use NPS resources to plan your stay.
If you prefer to stay in a hotel, Munising, MI is a great home base for your Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore itinerary. This cute town is only 30 minutes drive to the Pictured Rocks. There are a few hotels in the area including a Comfort Inn & Suites and a Holiday Inn Express. Alternatively, you could do what my family did and get a vacation rental property. We stayed at Stutts Creek Retreat about 20 min from Munising in the forest, mostly because it was one of the few options that was dog friendly.
Things to do
Pictured Rocks Cruises
A Pictured Rocks cruise will be the highlight of your itinerary! Several cruise options are available that are 2.5 – 3 hours in length. These include the Classic Cruise that will bring you past sites like the East Channel Lighthouse, Miner’s Castle, and Chapel Rock. Alternatively, the Spray Falls cruise brings you further down the shoreline to see Spray Falls cascading into Lake Superior. Both of these cruises also have a sunset option. I recommend booking your cruise early in your trip because they can get canceled due to inclement weather. You would have a better chance of getting rescheduled if you still have a few days left on your itinerary.
Kayak Tours
If you want to get closer to the Pictured Rocks, a kayaking tour is a great option. There are several vendors authorized to offer guided tours of the national lakeshore by NPS. One option is Picture Rocks Kayaking which offers an off-shore launch from their boat so you don’t have to paddle as far. You will still kayak for about 1-2 hours right along the Pictured Rocks depending upon which tour you choose.
Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tour
Did you know there are at least 30 shipwrecks around the Pictured Rocks area? Extreme weather conditions and storms are the main culprit for these wrecks which are preserved by the ice cold waters of Lake Superior. You can take a 2 hour tour on a glass bottom boat and see 2 different wrecks while cruising around Grand Island. Although not officially part of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, you will see similar rock formations. Grand Island is in Munising’s Bay and protected from some of the tall waves that can cause cancelations of cruises along the Pictured Rocks.
Munising Falls
An easy waterfall to visit within the city limits of Munising. Walk approximately 1/4 mile along a paved path to see the falls.
Miner’s Overlook/Castle Rock
This is the only cliff area of the park accessible by vehicle. Park your car and take a short walk (with stairs) to an overlook to see the icon Miner’s Castle rock formation and the beautiful blue-green water that will almost have you convinced you are in the Caribbean.
Miner’s Beach
From the Miner’s Overlook area you can continue along a 1 mile hike to Miner’s Beach.
Log Slide Overlook
A short walk from the parking lot will provide great views of Lake Superior and the Grand Sable Sand Dunes. Historically, this area used to have a wooden chute so that logs could be rolled into Lake Superior and floated to the saw mills. The chute is no longer here, but the views remain!
Hiking
Miner’s Beach
From the Miner’s Overlook area you can continue along a 1 mile hike to Miner’s Beach.
Miner’s Falls
This is an easy 1.2 mile hike that brings to you through the forest and to an impressive waterfall.
Chapel Basin / Mosquito Area.
This are several hiking trails in the Chapel Basin / Mosquito Area. Fist, you can hike to Chapel Falls and then keep going to reach Chapel Rock (you’ll know you’ve reached it because you’ll see a tree growing out the top of a rock right above Lake Superior. You can’t miss it!). If you turn around at this point you will complete a 6.2 mile hike.
Chapel Loop
Instead of turning around at Chapel Rock, you can complete the 10.5 mile loop and continue to Chapel Beach, Mosquito Beach, and Mosquito Falls.
Au Sable Light Station
Park at the Hurricane River Campground and hike 3 miles (roundtrip) to see the Au Sable Light Station. Along the way, look past the beach below the trail for exposed shipwreck remains.
How to get to the Pictured Rocks
Sawyer International Airport has direct flights daily from Chicago and Detroit and is about 45 minutes from downtown Munising, MI. Once you land, you will need to rent a car to explore the area. Munising is also drivable from several cities in the Midwest including Chicago (6 hours), Milwaukee (4.5 hours), Green Bay (3 hours), and Detroit (6 hours).
Sample Itinerary for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Here is a sample 5 day itinerary for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I think this is the perfect amount of time to see the region and sample the different activities. If you don’t like to hike, you could cut this trip down by 1-2 days.
Due to the potential for inclement weather, I recommend having some backup activities planned. For example, it was stormy during our visit and our sunset cruise to the Pictured Rocks was canceled due to unsafe conditions on the lake. While this was a major disappointment since the company couldn’t reschedule us during the remainder on our trip, instead I was able to book an afternoon shipwreck boat tour when the lake had calmed down.
Day 1
Arrive and eat dinner in Munising, MI. Head to your hotel and settle in.
Day 2
Start your day with an easy hike to Miner’s Falls. Then head to Miner’s Overlook for a great view of the Pictured Rocks. Hike to Miner’s Beach then head back to your car. Drive to Munising for lunch and check out the town. Stop at Munising Falls on the way back to your hotel to rest. Then, take a Pictured Rocks sunset cruise in the evening.
Day 3
Start your day with either a longer hike in the Chapel Basin / Mosquito Area or take a kayaking tour of the Pictured Rocks. Afterwards, you may wish to rest or spend some time in Munising.
Day 4
Drive to Hurricane River Campground and hike to the Au Sable Light Station. Afterwards, drive to the Log Slide Overlook. Return to Munising for a Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tour. Enjoy dinner in Munising.
Day 5
Depart and travel home.
There you have it! A perfect 5 day itinerary for the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan.
If you are looking for more things to do in Michigan, check out my Mackinac Island and Charlevoix guides.
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