The second stop on our "National Parks of Michigan" tour was Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We stayed at the Bay Furnace campground that was part of Hiawatha National Forest. We tried all the usual recreation.gov tricks but were still unable to get a campsite at the desired Twelvemile Beach or Hurricane River campgrounds. However, not to worry if you are in the same situation. Pictured Rocks is surrounded by state and federal land- Hiawatha National Forest and Lake Super State Forest surround the little national lakeshore so you can utilize the campsites there instead. Bay Furnace was just west of the park past Munising- the farthest eastern end of the park was about an hour away. The campground was nice with large wooded sites, some on the water. Very good place to stay. Here are the things we did as well as some recommendations if you have more time.
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1. Paddling Pictured Rocks
The plan was to take a boat out a few miles to the heart of Pictured rocks- to the sea caves, the arches, and the most breathtaking scenery- and then get out and do a 5 mile one way paddle right next to these amazing natural features. However, the waves were crazy and definitely unsafe for kayaking so we instead took in the scenery of Pictured Rocks proper from the boat then head over the Washington Island's Trout Bay and paddled there instead. I definitely recommend the tour company we used
Pictured Rocks Kayaking. They did a great job in general and in particular on this rough weather day and were very fair in how the handled the money since they had to make a safety related trip adjustment. The paddle was still lovely and we were able to go through one small sea cave/arch. I would definitely try for the full trip in the future if we are up this way again. Zooey gave it 1 and a half thumbs up which is high praise from her.
2. Au Sable Light Station Trail
This is a lovely easy walk right along Lake Superior. You can either walk on the beach or take the service road trail that is flat, wide, shaded and with constant lake views. We chose the latter. We took this hike to see the shipwreck debris and didn't go all the way to the light station. There are two wooden signs that say 'shipwreck' and point to the beach. Skip the first (which is right near the start of the trail) and go to the 2nd which is about 200 yards from the first clearly visible shipwreck. The wrecks are right on the beach so you can definitely see and touch the pieces which is unique and interesting.
3. Chapel Falls and/or Mosquito Beach
Both of these trails are in the same area down a partially improved dirt road. Getting there is part of the adventure. We walked to Chapel Falls which was a lovely shaded route perfect for a hot day. The falls are pretty. There is a nice creek the kids could play in at the falls as well. We did not go to Mosquito Beach but I include this here because the ranger stated (after we had returned from Chapel) this is a very cool beach with a rock floor. One can walk out about 30 yards in shallow water on the rock ledge before there is a steep 30 foot drop off. Sounds unique and interesting! We were able to see a lot of this rock lakebed while kayaking but it would be fun to walk on it directly as well.
4. Marsh Trail by Sand Point
This was a unique 1 mile boardwalk trail through a marshland. We really enjoyed examining the plants and the muddy marshy goop they were growing in.
5. Miner's Castle Scenic overlook
This is a short stroll to viewing areas where you can see the colored striations in the rock (the "pictured rocks") from land. They are otherwise only viewable by boat. There are also maps and brochures on display here that show hikes etc so is a good first stop especially if you set out before the visitor's center is open. We were able to plan the rest of our day just by stopping here.
Overall, I would recommend this national lakeshore. It was not too busy, it was beautiful, and there are multiple nice campground options. I highly recommend getting out on the water!
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