48 Hours In Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
There’s no beauty like the kind you’ll find in nature, and Pictured Rocks takes the cake.
After visiting, I honestly can’t believe it took me so long to go to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula! It’s such a special place; after our experience, we even said that we’d like to establish a yearly tradition of visiting the UP with our family. Best, if you’re in Michigan, it’s a quick road trip away!
Pictured Rocks National Park is one of the most beautiful places I’ve been in Michigan. which is saying a lot because you all know how much I adore this state that is filled with so much natural beauty! It’s an outdoor lover’s paradise, and has so much to offer everyone from adventure seekers to families.
Before I dive into my recommendations, I thought it’d be helpful to provide a few tactical details of our trip that may be noteworthy if you’re planning a trip to Pictured Rocks:
- We drove to Pictured Rocks after visiting Mackinac Island. (Here are 10 favorite things to do on Mackinac Island, if you’re interested!) I loved doing both in one trip, as it was a great way to see multiple sights while breaking up the drive. The drive from Mackinac Island to Munising, where Pictured Rocks is located, was about 2 hours.
- While in Munising, we stayed at the AmericInn Hotel. For us, we knew we wouldn’t be in our hotel much, so we were primarily looking for a cost-effective option in the area. I can’t say that this hotel was a 5 star by any means, but it was a great option for being close to the park!
- If I were to go again, I’d like to stay on the water. The Beach Inn Motel would be one I’d consider, or I’d also look into a cabin/house via AirB&B!
Below are some of the things we did while on our trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore that I can’t recommend enough, and also things that we have on our list to do for next time. The area is massive – you could literally spend an entire summer there! – and now that we’ve been we have every intention of becoming regulars!
Top Recommendations After 48 Hours in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
See Pictured Rocks From The Water
This is my number one recommendation! I could not BELIEVE the beauty of the landscape. There were all sorts of colors and unique formations, including some with waterfalls emerging or massive caves. Seeing it all from the water was remarkable. We did a sunset open boat cruise, which was great because they seated half capacity and it was easy to distance. The views from the cruise were breathtaking, and it was really nice to have all the main landmarks of Pictured Rocks pointed out as we cruised along!
I’ve also read that kayaking along the shoreline is a great way to see the rocks! This wasn’t an option for us as we had Beau, Grace and Joey with us the entire time, and they’re all way too young, but I’d do this another time in a heartbeat.
We talked about how we’d love to rent our own boat in the future! It’d be fun to have a full day on the water — jumping into Lake Superior, exploring the coastline, and beach hopping, via your own boat. We tried to do this but were unable to find one available — they all were rented! Next time we’ll plan ahead better, but definitely consider this if you’re going, because I have a feeling it’d be incredible and it’d also be nice to just take your time cruising up and down the coast. (Which is very long and has a TON to see.)
Grab Pizza & Watch The Sunset At Sand Point Beach
Sand Point Beach was recommended by a few websites I found while researching things to do. And I have to say, this was one of my favorite parts! We ordered carry out pizza from Munising’s Pictured Rocks Pizza, headed to the beach, and set up a picnic. We were delightfully surprised that we were some of the only people within miles! The beach was absolutely gorgeous and an ideal place to watch the sunset. We dipped our toes (and then the girls threw off their clothes to go swimming!) in Lake Superior, which was calm like glass, and enjoyed the scenery. This beach was absolutely gorgeous, and one that we’d return to again and again.
Go On Scenic Hikes To Cascading Waterfalls
One of the best things to do in the area is to go hiking. The options are endless for hikes. But since we were with our family and young kids, we focused on easy hikes that had sights at the end. Our strategy was to identify a few waterfalls that we wanted to see and go from there! The two that we hiked to were Munising Falls and Miners Falls. Both were beautiful!
Other waterfalls we didn’t get to see, but would love to another time, are Chapel Falls (Chapel Beach and Chapel Cove were big recommendations also) and Tahquamenon Falls.
Visit Miner’s Castle Rock
THIS VIEW!!!! It’s so, so beautiful. You look out at see Lake Superior for as far as the eye can see, and the rock formation is pretty cool. There’s an overlook from above that you can go to, and it’s well worth the visit!
Pack Food & Spend The Day At Miner’s Beach
After we went to Miner’s Castle Rock, we found a beach nearby called Miners Beach. Which was where we ate food and swam for a few hours. The beach was so beautiful and the perfect place to relax for a while. Here, we all went swimming, the girls played in the sand, and we soaked in the sunshine.
Visit Kitch-iti-kipi – Michigan’s Largest Spring
Alright, so, I need to caveat this by saying Kitch-iti-kipi isn’t in Pictured Rocks. Rather, we made the stop on our way to the park. It’s a great pit stop. you’ll no doubt be amazed at the natural spring, which is Michigan’s largest! You can see so far down, and it’s pretty cool to watch the fish swim around in crystal-clear water.
On Our List That We’ll Do Next Time
48 hours wasn’t nearly enough time to spend at this gorgeous location! Here are some things we didn’t get to do, but are on our “must see” for next time.
- Twelve Mile Beach – An area that was recommended as a great place for camping! You’re basically right on the water, in a remote and gorgeous location. Next time I’d love to camp for a night here.
- Au Sable Lighthouse – Near Twelve Mile Beach, this active lighthouse has been noted to be beautiful! I also have read that it’s a great place to look at the stars. Next time, I’d love to go on a night hike and stargaze at the lighthouse!
- Oswald’s Bear Ranch – When I posted that we were going to the UP on Instagram, I had multiple people recommend this ranch. This seems like it’d be a really cool thing to do with kids!
- Grand Sable Dunes – These dunes were at the opposite end of where we stayed. So we weren’t able to see them, but I’d love to visit this 5 mile stretch of rolling sand!
PS – 10 Favorite Things To Do On Mackinac Island + These Are The 10 Best Restaurants In Detroit Right Now
