Located on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a land of unparalleled beauty. Named for the dramatic sandstone cliffs towering above Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore contains an amazing variety of scenery. Towering sandstone cliffs, pristine beaches, majestic sand dunes, northern forests exploding with fall colors, picturesque waterfalls, and tranquil inland lakes. It’s amazing how much incredible scenery is packed into a single stretch of shoreline.
Established in 1966, Pictured Rocks is 1 of 4 national lakeshores, and encompasses nearly 75,000 acres. Pictured Rocks is a diverse landscape that can be enjoyed on both land and water. Enjoying the park’s eponymous sandstone cliffs is best accomplished from the surface of Lake Superior. Take a cruise along the lakeshore, and it’s impossible not to marvel at the impressive cliff face, towering as high as 200 feet above the lake. While their size is impressive, the Pictured Rocks are best known for their array of colors and interesting formations. No two sections of the cliffs are the same, and each one reveals something new.
After enjoying the views from Lake Superior, a couple hours exploring Pictured Rocks on land reveals an entirely different array of natural wonders. Featuring cascading waterfalls, pristine lakes, and numerous streams, water permeates the park. As an added bonus, fall foliage serves as the backdrop for already picturesque scenery. You might think of New England as the best region to experience fall foliage, but Michigan more than holds its own. Everywhere you look there’s lush northern forests exploding with bright shades of orange, yellow, and red.
I started writing this post a few days ago, but I decided to sit on it for a few days. Why? Because my original thoughts seemed kind of crazy, and I wanted to make sure I wasn’t exaggerating. But after a few days of reflection, I haven’t changed my mind. In the past month I’ve been to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Mammoth Cave, Black Canyon, and Rocky Mountain National Parks. But if I were forced to choose my favorite destination from the last 30 days, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore would be it.
That probably sounds like crazy talk to most people, but it’s the truth. It sounded crazy to me as well, and that’s why I took a few extra days to think about it. I’m supposed to say that Yellowstone National Park was my favorite, or maybe Rocky Mountain National Park, but Pictured Rocks is definitely a contrarian answer. But the more I think about it, maybe it isn’t so crazy. As I’ve espoused before, the designations bestowed upon national park sites, aren’t necessarily indicative of their quality, and Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a great example of that.
Some people assume that because Pictured Rocks doesn’t carry the National Park designation, it must not be as cool. Perhaps the best counter example is Indiana Dunes National Park, which was upgraded from a National Lakeshore to a National Park in 2019. Indiana Dunes is a great landscape, but it’s not on the same level as Pictured Rocks, not even close. Then why is it a National Park? Perhaps it’s because the Vice President in 2019, hailed from Indiana. Always remember that these designations are the result of the political process, they aren’t unbiased indicators of quality.
I’m also comforted by the visitation statistics. In 2020, more than 1.2 million people came to visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. If Pictured Rocks were to become the 64th National Park, it would be on par with parks such as Everglades and Sequoia National Parks in terms of visitation. But perhaps the best relative value indicator I have, is the fact that I was so motivated to write about Pictured Rocks. I’m still sitting on drafts describing my trips to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Rocky Mountain National Parks, and haven’t found time to finish them. Maybe this is the best unbiased indicator of how much I enjoyed Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
For those of you who were intrigued by my previous post on the Soo Locks, Pictured Rocks is an easy 2 hour drive to the west. It’s also just 2 hours from Mackinac Island, which is a can’t miss if you’re visiting the Upper Peninsula. Alternatively, if you’re a football fan, Pictured Rocks is only 3 hours from Green Bay. That’s actually the route I went. I went to the Packers game on Sunday, and explored Pictured Rocks on Monday. Not a bad way to go. But regardless of how you get there, consider taking a trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
https://www.nps.gov/piro/index.htm
https://tripacrossamerica.com/the-soo-locks-linchpin-of-the-great-lakes/
I’m impressed you managed to work in the word “eponymous.”
Sometimes you got to throw the deep ball. Keeps the defense honest.