The Munising Falls are about 800 feet from the visitor center. The main path is paved with some…read morewooden bridge areas, but overall it's a smooth trail, definitely family friendly. It follows the stream so you can hear and admire the pretty tannin-stained water. There's a trail to the lower falls which takes you to the level of the plunge pool (and then stairs from that point to a middle vantage point), but also branches to stairs to the upper falls if you want to get another viewpoint. The upper falls trail also winds close to the sandstone cliffs, some of which have been unfortunately defaced by graffiti. Overall this can be a quick stop if you're in a hurry, or you can spend longer if you take some time to absorb your surroundings. Make sure to bring bug repellent since there's plenty of mosquitoes around!

Munising Falls used to be an amazing place you could take the kids and family, now it is pay to…read moreenter, they over charge familys, and is now closed from a storm, honestly you need to make it donation and allow people to enter free of charge again, making locals pay the same as others is neglecting the locals and you take advantage of the people, also the money is not being used to fix it or they would of had it reopen already, Munising falls used to be a dream come true for me as a kid, now it is nothing more then a cash grab slowly sinking into ruins. Do not get your hopes high for this ! used to be so amazing thou...

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.

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.

Established in 1907, the Munising Rear Range Light was placed to work in combination with the…read moreMunising Front Range Light and is southwest of the front light. The rear light is on the hillside at the south end of Hemlock Street in Munising. Both lights feature a continuous red light. The rear range light is just over 30 feet tall, and with the style of window it had, it reminded me of something from an old space movie. The site, owned by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, is open to the public, but the tower is closed.

Established in 1907 along with the rear light, this active light features a continuous red light…read more The Munising Front Range Lighthouse is steel and stands 58 feet tall. By lining up the this light with the rear range light, mariners may navigate within the channel. In late 2011, work began to restore the keepers building to its original 1900s appearance. The site, owned by the National Park Service, is open, but the tower itself is closed to the public.

easy to see but odd to have it so far from the water and seemed to be in someones yard with shed in…read morefront of it.

Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Light's steel tower was erected in 1913 and was originally painted…read moreblack except for the front half of the upper portion of the tower (also known as Bay Furnace Light), which was painted white. It was first lit in 1914. We almost missed it on our trip because it is fairly well hidden by trees and sits on the opposite side of the road from the water. The range lights in Grand Harbor were electrified in 1941 and equipped with 25-watt, 110-volt lamps., however they are both now inactive. This tower is now managed by Hiawatha National Forest, and tours are given occasionally.

Awesome boat ride ! Amazing views ! Fast tour of the picturesque rocks . Very fun . We got wet .read more

the ride was great and totally deserved a five star and the people were very nice and friendly and…read morereally informative too about the picture rocks which were truly beautiful we also saw to bald eagles and were told black bears could be seen the island but rarely yet the biggest problem was they refused to let my little brother in and it does not say anything about the people on the boat needing to be above ten and I consider this an outrage but we also did get a bit wet but it was generally awesome but the one part was the tiniest bit bad bad but other then that it was awsome. But the best part was how skilled the captain was so he was so awesome and nice it also very cheap

We did the long tour with Emily, and she took us to so many spots, it was magical and she gave us a…read morebunch of fun stories and jokes. She even took photos of us and air-dropped them to us afterward. It rained in the morning but the water was calm. So cool launching kayaks from the boat.

-- A Bucket-List Experience That Photos Can't Capture Date…read moreof Visit: July 21, 2025 If you're even thinking about visiting Munising, MI or the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore -- stop thinking and book with Pictured Rocks Kayaking (@picturedrockskayaking). Our family (my wife, our 15-year-old daughter, and me) did the boat-assisted morning tour on a calm July day, and it was one of the most unforgettable outdoor experiences we've ever had. We've kayaked before (including at Acadia National Park), but nothing compares to this. From Chapel Rock and Lover's Leap to the hidden sea caves, every bend of shoreline revealed a new natural wonder. Photos don't do this place justice -- it's something you truly have to experience firsthand from the seat of a kayak. And our guide? Julia Illy (@JuliaIlly) was phenomenal. She struck the perfect balance between safety-first leadership and fun, filling the journey with geological insights, local history, and witty humor that made the paddle fly by. You can tell she loves what she does and cares about giving people a meaningful, memorable trip. The whole operation is smooth and professional -- from the boat ride out (big energy saver!) to the gear, support team, and route design. Whether you're new to kayaking or a seasoned paddler, this is a can't-miss Michigan adventure. We'll remember this day forever. Huge thanks to the team -- and to Julia, who truly rocks (in every sense of the word ).

Living in munising for over 20 years I have a lot to say, however I will keep it as simple and…read moreshort as I can. So we will make it a game for all of you to sum up my review. :) we are at 5 stars and we will take away a star whenever something is neglected. 5 Star?- Munising is Gorgeous, it is one of the most pretty places on earth, however City Members and over priced Business make this a very demanding place not just for locals. You can have a pretty face, however what is the point if your ugly on the inside. for that reason it loses a star 4 star? The people overall are okay as far as people go, however the cost of food makes it hard for people to live in munising, people who pass by will be spending way more money also, however munising does not grant any special local discounts making it very hard to enjoy life in this town. Overall this town is too focused on money, rather then proper expansion and comfort with locals and business, example we have over 8+ coffee business in a town of 4000. 3 star? Now I do not hate this town, there is so many amazing things to see, however there is no entertainment what so ever, no theater, the bowling center is always on its own, no arcade, no real goat carts, not even a lazer tag anymore, looking at trees and lakes are wonderful however family and loved ones might want a step back and enjoy that indoor activity once in awhile. No indoor pool, no YMCA, they do have a gym however, sorry about your window, they are nice enough thou :) 2 Star? Wow we already are at 2 stars, they could of been better, however there is no Uber, Door dash, the bus system is okay, schools are great, however with the lack of support from the city many locals are forced to just endure, many places are closed for winter, making it very boring and hard to enjoy life in munising, even the bus has hard time finding workers for children to be picked up after school. Sometimes even needing the public transports help. There is no support for food delivery which would help older people and the sick and disabled. So that is a huge loss. 1 Star? I do not think it is a 1 star , honestly even due to the bad drug out break, it has got a bit better, however the locals are not the only one to blame , it is the city and the lack of attention to the above things I mentioned, I truly think if they just took the time to expand business , add entertainment, discount locals, add food delivery for Locals, organize business, (8+ coffee shops be crazy XD) they would start seeing a change for the better , however with how things stand this city is not a nice place to live, and is very expensive to visit . (Why do I still live in it then? because my family is here and I go where they go) Enjoy your stay and always beware the cash grab places... Enjoy the sites !

If staying in the Upper P .. Munising is a great place to stay a couple days. .. has alot of stuff…read morein or nearby to check out. Very close to castle rock, boat tour .. we did the riptide and loved it .. water falls, some free street art.. some restaurants .. free nature sancturary. huge sand cranes were walking beside the road .. they are huge. I guess they mate for life. check out muldoon for the local fav ... Pasties .. it's like a pot pie. very filling and the dessert ones are yum.

Miners Falls is another great, relatively easy hike that can be done by all skill levels and I…read morewould highly recommend it as well during your Pictured Rocks trip, either before or after you make a stop at Miners Castle as well. Clocking it at 1.2 miles, it takes about half an hour to complete out and back. Miners Falls is way bigger and grander than Munising Falls, so it's definitely impressive and worth the hike out. You aren't able to get as close to it as you do to Munising Falls, you view it from 2 different viewing platforms across a wide river, but it's still impressive just the same. The hike is more intensive. It's mostly shallow, sometimes steeper in areas decline through forest on the way there, but that just means that you know the way back is going to be a constant uphill, which is a bit killer. Total elevation gain here is about 150 feet. Great part about this hike is that the trail is so WIDE, tons of space to walk and be distant from other people, not that this trail was even all that heavily trafficked by any means. When you get to the falls, the first viewpoint you get to really doesn't give you a good view. For both viewpoints, you are already looking down at the falls, and the first viewpoint, which is much higher up, is blocked by trees and at too high of an angle for you to appreciate much of anything. So it's imperative that you head to viewpoint #2, which is down one final series of steep stairs. From this viewing platform, you get a great, impressive view of the falls, get a moment to take pictures, catch your breath, before you embark on the not-so-long-but-sort-of-feels-long-because-it's-all-uphill journey back up to the parking lot. I was definitely breathing hard by the time I got to the parking lot, but it was a great, short hike to do! It really didn't hurt either that there was gorgeous fall foliage all along the road leading into the Miners Falls parking lot and spots of color along the entire hike as well. Can't be anything but happy when looking at fall rolling in! :)

Okay so here is another decent/worthwhile waterfall to visit within Pictured Rocks National…read moreLakeshore. This is Miners Falls. And...it's really easy to find and hike to. From the trailhead it's a 0.6 mile walk along a gravel path. And the 0.6-mile stroll to Miners Falls takes you throughout an incredibly pleasant and tranquil forest setting. Even before I arrived at the falls, I was grabbing pictures on the walk being immersed in lush green trees and vegetations of the woodsy outdoors. Miners Falls is about a 50-foot waterfall that's one of the more majestic flowing falls you'll find in the small town of Munising, Michigan...and Munising is sort of the host town of Pictured Rocks NL. In Munising, you'll discover a bunch of other scenic waterfalls like Alger Falls, Chapel Falls, Munising Falls, Mosquito Falls and Horseshoe Falls to name a few. You can plug all these waterfalls into Google Maps on your phone to specifically locate them. Cell phone reception in Munising works just fine. Now, one of my issues with this Miners Falls and I know I'm nitpicking...is that once walk the 0.6 mile...you can only view the falls from an observation deck. And...this overlook platform had guardrails installed as high up as your waste. So...when trying to take optimal photos of Miners Falls for yourself and or family...you're sort of held hostage to these guardrails. It's sort of like you're being photobombed by a stranger but instead it's really the tiny platform and guardrails that taint the experience. Most visitors here at the overlook were taking selfie pics, which for myself...isn't worth the time. So, I gladly took a picture or two of Miners Falls before returning back towards the trailhead. I guess just in the end I'm a narcissistic person and I want myself in every picture to officially claim that I've "been there, done that", lol. Oh well, this miniscule platform vista point and the guardrails were out of my control. Here was another frustrating aspect... I was visiting back at the end of May 2021 and the parking lot and hike to the falls were pretty busy. In fact, it was congested enough to the point that there was a crowded line of people just waiting to step onto the observation area. And because the platform barely allowed tourists to step foot on it together at one time, the wait was about 10 minutes to get that photographic memory. Wow I thought to myself...this is a popular part to the Pictured Rocks NL area. And just a side note...when I was here this past summer, it was free to explore and hike to all the waterfalls. But for the 2022 travel season, starting on March 1, there'll be a $10 fee for visitors which will eventually over time get raised to $25. So, yes...people are coming. National parks, monuments, lakeshores, state parks, hikes and trails are all getting busier each year. Be prepared for maybe eventually losing that true essence for being outside in the heart of nature. Tourists are coming in droves and it's not stopping anytime soon. Anyways...finally, I got my time at the overlook deck for a quick couple of photos before yielding to the people behind me. Miners Falls was pretty impressive when looking down upon it. I just wished that the hiking path continued down towards the base of the falls because in my opinion...there's nothing like looking up at a scenic waterfall as the prime attraction within a scenic backdrop. Welp...lol, sorry for all my venting. From here at Miners Falls, I continued onto Munising Falls, about a 9-mile drive away. And yeah...once again, Munising Falls was simply a 0.5 mile walk each way to and from an observation deck, but at least the platform there allowed more space to accommodate tourists. Lastly, although I never found true fulfillment from the viewing platform looking down at Miners Falls, I still enjoyed the hike through the forest and simply getting a chance to witness another waterfall here at Pictured Rocks Lakeshore in the UP - Upper Peninsula of Michigan.