On our road trip around the Great Lakes from Philly, we made a stop at this incredible spot -- and…read moredon't ask me to pronounce the name! Located inside Palms Book State Park, this natural spring was one of the most unique and beautiful places we visited. The water is crystal clear all the way to the bottom, and you can easily see fish swimming below. You hop onto a self-operated raft that you pull across the water to the middle of the spring, where there's an opening in the center to look straight down. It gives you a perfect view of the vibrant underwater world -- it's honestly mesmerizing. It's a quick stop, but totally worth it. And the best part? It's dog-friendly! Definitely add this to your list if you're exploring the Upper Peninsula.

This is such a unique place. I'm so glad we stopped. We were on a road trip from Mackinaw City to…read moreMilwaukee and wanted to break up the trip a bit so we saw this diversion and decided to check it out. Clear blue water, bubbling sand, never ending springs, a tow boat, and lots of trout are the wonders to see. Everyone gets on the boat and someone (well a few people over the course of the trip) step up to the wheel to tow the boat across the water. The water is mesmerizing. I couldn't take my eyes off the water. Many people can fit on the boat so the wait is not too long. A day pass is $11. Definitely make this stop if you are in the area.

In a whim, we decided to stay one night here to tour the historical landmark town. So glad we did…read more We got a site, #18, in a Thursday night, by making a request on the website. We have had luck with all the parks finding openings within a week or two of our travel (thought we tend to travel during the weekdays in the summer) The historical iron smelting village is fascinating. The state has done a wonderful job preserving the various community buildings, the iron smelting factory and some of the homes in the community. It is truly a loving, outdoor museum. Great information on signs and plaques throughout. We visited about two-hours before sunset on a Thursday evening. We rode to the historical village and were able to ride our back to the campground , after sunset. The village is bikable which is a great if mobility is an issue. There's a lot to see and it's spread out. Excellent photo ops around sunset. The sun sets behind the community area and the buildings can be nice "props". The sun also reflects off the rocks of the Niagara Escarpment which makes for a pretty photo. We biked the handicap road back to the campground. It's an easy and direct route between the two areas. There are clearings among the trees to get a wonderful, private view of the sunset. The trip is worth it simply to check out the historical community. What a gem in the UP. The campground was fun, yet busy and crowded for our tastes. Site 18 is good for a tent with some fairly flat grassy areas around it. The bro G bird behind and to one side of had RV's and were flexible about letting us spread into their site to find a good place for our tent. Similarly, the neighbors to our right, #20, camped in the bed of their truck. They struggled to find a level space and were concerned about mid with possible space. They parked partially on our site. It all worked out; we had great neighbors, but it was a bit of juggling. The fire rings can also be closer to a tent than we prefer. The washroom was close by and was clean. Small number of shower stalls to share with lots of people. Other sites looked larger and might have offered more privacy. The star of the show is accessibility to Lake Michigan. Wonderful sandy beaches. Lots of good walking, hiking. We would return to have more time to check out the peninsula. We had dinner at a fun restaurant in the water, not far from the campground (10-minutes): The Dock Grill & Bar. Nice people. Beautiful patio view of the water and good "bar food" options. The Shell gas station also has a mini mart with good meat and deli items, some grocery selections and frozen food.

Almost didn't go here as it was a little off our travel path. So glad we did tho. This place is…read moreamazing, old village with buildings intact and a great historical story. You can see the past while you're here. Great photo ops here as well. If you need to use a wheelchair, they have a wheelchair equipped for terrain that you can use, I thought this was amazing!

Camped at Indian Lake State Park at the start of July and had a great time! This campground is…read morelovely and our specific campsite was incredible! We had our picnic table and fire pit up on the hill at the back half of our site, overlooking the water, and flat ground at the front where we could set up our tent. Absolutely loved it and would definitely book this same exact site probably again if I could in the future. There are a ton with a view overlooking the lake as well, but regardless of which campsite you get, you'll need to take the public access stairs down to the lake, stationed every few campsites throughout the campground. Great entry points for swimming, but not much of any beach space at these spots. The proximity of Indian Lake to Palms Book State Park was also a big reason why we reserved a campground here. Indian Lake SP is on the south side of the lake, while Palms Book SP is on the west side. Palms Book SP also is where Kitch-iti-kipi is, which is a Michigan gem that I have never visited...until now! The two state parks are under 15 minutes away from one another! Indian Lake SP also has a ton of access to the shoreline. The days we were camping didn't have the best weather, but there is plenty of access to the water to swim. There is not a lot of beach area, most areas we saw that were within the state park were 2-3 feet of beach max, so it isn't ideal for laying out. Plenty of boat launch sites as well! Other things to note: - The speed limit within the campground is 5 mph and strictly enforced. - Nearby town of Manistique for restaurants/stores/downtown shopping. - Also nearby, but more of a 30-45 minute drive is Fayette Historic State Park, which is a very unique state park to check out if your schedule allows. I wasn't able to make it out there, but it came highly recommended by a lot of UP friends!

This is one of my most favorite campgrounds. The view of Indian lake is quite beautiful. The water…read moreis amazingly clean, clear, and beautiful. The park is super clean, and it is very close to Kitch-iti-kipi, which is an amazing thing to check out. Very close to Lake Michigan as well if you want to jog over there. Love it!!!

Beautiful Place - Easy to get to and not a very long walk. There are stairs, but it's not…read moredifficult. Views were gorgeous. It was a nice day but there were not a lot of people here.

This was our second visit…read more Our first was during peak season and it was PACKED, hot & thick with mosquitoes. There were a lot of unhappy children that weren't shy about vocalizing their displeasure. This time, it was cool out with light rain, empty of people & not a mosquito in site. The lower falls may make you question why you're here. The upper falls should help you remember. We trekked all over & enjoyed it. (After hours on a bike, the body was itching to be in motion.) The walkways are user friendly & I'd call it more of a stroll than a hike. No scrambles here. I'm not sure you could pay me to come back when it's busy but I would certainly come back around the end of September/beginning of October. The colors were just starting, too. So, if you're looking for that, it should be ready around the 1st week of October (?)

Miner's Castle is a nice gentle hike for folks who aren't big hikers, with an upper viewing (in my…read moreopinion the better of the two), and a lower viewing point. Parking is limited, so we circled until someone left; bathrooms were more plentiful at the Miner's Castle than at National Lakeshore, but they did have some there as well. We loved the beach at the National Lakeshore; clean sand and the beautiful, Caribbean-like waters you expect from Lake Superior. Water is cold, but was so refreshing after a day of hiking and sun! Miner's Castle is a one and done spot for us, but we will definitely be back to the beach at the National Lakeshore!

I didn't visit Miners Beach, but Miners Castle is a must-see! Finally, I got to see in person the…read moreview that the vast majority of Pictured Rocks photos are of and it definitely didn't disappoint! You can view Miners Castle from an upper viewing deck and a lower one. The upper deck is only 250 feet away from the parking lot, the lower deck is about 1000 feet further and all downhill, meaning a pretty extensive uphill trek on your way back up that definitely gets the heart pumping. Both are highly worth it since the lower deck gets you literally a few feet away (you could say...a *stone's* throw away...heh) from the Miners Castle rock formation, which is very cool, but the best view - the classic view - is from the upper deck. Loved it! Very cool-looking bathroom set of buildings as well in the parking lot, alas they were closed so I wasn't able to see how they were inside haha.

This rustic state park is one of our favorites. The scenery is gorgeous, with miles of sandy and…read morerocky beachfront, walking trails, 5-mile road for biking and spacious wooded lots and a prized few water front lots. There is firewood and ice at the check-in station which is very convenient. T h e grounds are well maintained and the vault toilet stalls are mostly clean (though can become odiferous when the park is full). It is usually the case that visitors to the rustic parks are more respectful of the quiet. We are bird watchers and always love spying the eagles and variety of other birds in the area. Close to the town of Charlevoix, there are plenty of options for sight seeing, eating and finding supplies. Beautiful area of our state.

If you love collecting Michigan rocks, come to this lovely state park. You can take the short trail…read moredown to the water, where you will find rocks om the sand. The park is secluded, and we only saw about 5 others there during the duration of our stay. It appears that because this location is not so heabily populated, you can find some Charlevoix and Petoskey rocks in the water as wel as on the rock bed. You just have to know what to look for. I suggest finding a walking stick for the water. It helps guide you, and it helps you move some rocks. The next time I come here I definitely want to bring a sifter because I saw so many cute tiny ones with the rock pile. My twchnique was to pull the ones near the water down, and I found quite a bit this way. James used the stick to look in the water, where you will find medium to large rocks. Overall the secluded atmosphere is soothing and relaxing.

Unlike any other place on Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks offers the opportunity to explore miles of…read morepristine beaches, hike over 100 miles of trails, and experience the serenity of the northern hardwood forest. In the spring, a new world appears along trails carpeted with the soft beauty of wildflowers. Summer gives way to warm basking days. Blinking lights of orange, red, and yellow signal the wonder of change in autumn. In the winter, the raw windy beauty of snow frequents the days though periodically the snow blazes forth with sunlight. We visited in September and the weather was gorgeous. There is a nice visitor center where you can get all the information about the park from the Rangers at the desk. We drove out to see some of the views that were close and then we took the boat tour and it was outstanding. There are several cruises so you need to visit the cruise boat site and pick the one that works for you. It is a must to go on a sunny day. The ride is smooth but, chilly after summer.

We love this spot for a bit of a view and some great stairs! You can also choose to go the 'back…read moreway' and hike through the woods to get to the overview which is what we do! I prefer going down stairs than up them so that is my secret hiking too! Always a lovely time to hike here as there is quiet and lots of tree cover so it is cooler and restful. The hike is not too strenuous but also not just a walk which is perfect. We didn't get many bugs which was also nice and could go without a walking stick too. I love that they have separate trails for biking and hiking as well as a disc golf course that meanders through the woods. We are usually almost alone when hiking which is perfect if you want to just focus on nature. The overview tends to be a bit busier so we did meet up with more people toward the end, but everyone is very kind and friendly. Love this spot and we go as often as we can!

The hike starts off rough if you're unable to walk up 450+ steps. It definitely makes you wonder…read morehow good of shape you're in. There's plenty of benches along the large staircase to assist your travels. The overlook at the end of the stairs makes it worth it. Absolutely stunning. The view of all the house, trees, and lake blew me away. I could sit up there for hours. Once you reach the overlook, the hikes starts. It's a beautiful 2+ miles hike. Plenty of trees, animals, and plants to keep you company on the walk. I would live in the woods here If I was able.

The trail if you are up for it, is good. It's lengthy and windy and many ups and down…read more Definitely good for sneakers or hiking boots, maybe even a hiking stick for some leverage on the inclines. Make sure as with any walks or hikes, bring water to keep yourself hydrated. As the walk will leave you parched as you go up and down small hills. It's good either way to get some fresh air, not the urban air either. Happy hiking and see cool stuff! You can drive close to by the Sand Point, Miners Castle other stops along the shore.

One of the most beautiful places in Michigan, I highly recommend both the shorter hike to Miners…read morefalls and the longer hike on Chapel loop. If you don't hike, I recommend driving to Miners castle. I am a local and I hike the Chapel loop twice a year because the views never get old. I go in early Spring and late Fall because it isn't as crowded then.