You can look at pictures of Pictured Rocks and think, "Wow, that's beautiful," but seeing it in…read moreperson is a completely different experience. It honestly makes you wonder how nature created something like this. The cliffs and colors are absolutely mind-blowing, and learning about the geology behind the different rock colors makes it even more fascinating. There are so many ways to experience this place. You can take a boat cruise, kayak along the cliffs, hike, relax on the beach, or even ice climb in the winter. The nearby towns are fun to explore too, so it's easy to make an entire trip out of it. This is one of those places that sticks with you long after you leave.

We planned a weekend trip to enjoy the Upper Peninsula and this was one of our stops. The scenery…read moreis worth hiking the trail. This was our longest hike with 6 miles but we did it! Make sure you bring supplies for mosquito and tick repellent. You also need hydration and snacks. Most of us have mosquito nets for our faces. They are needed leading up to the lake. There was plenty of parking available. However, because it is not a state park their restroom facilities are basically out houses. Come prepared!

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.

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...

Grand Island offers a bus tour! For those of us long past strenuous hiking or mountain biking but…read morestill wanting to explore Grand Island, there's a bus tour for day trippers! Experience and explore the highlights of Grand Island without worrying about mobility. The bus has a lift for mobility aides. Most walkways are plank board or firm gravel. Viewing area have plenty of room. The driver adjusts to the needs of the group. You get all the best of " pure Michigan " and then some. Yes, I'm talking about flies, mosquitoes, and no-see-in's. Dress accordingly and bring bug spray. Learn a bit of the fascinating history of Grand Island without over exerting yourself. Some of the nicest people you'll ever meet are in the main office. Surprise! They're also your ferry captain and 1st mate. Rich, the bus guide, is a lifelong local who loves the area and especially Grand Island. Ask him anything. He tells great stories. You'll see some fauna and a lot of flora. Overall, a most enjoyable excursion in Munising.

Based on other reviews we got lucky when it came to bugs...I do't recall even using our bug spray…read moreand we didn't have any issues. We visited the first week of September, so maybe we just got lucky. My husband talked me into biking the west rim, then cutting down the middle of the island back to the ferry. Around 20 miles. Our rental bikes were a bit tough to use with not much padding on the seat and gears that were difficult to use. My husband's chain came off at one point. The good news is that we made it in just over four hours - I was so worried about missing the last ferry at 6pm, but we actually caught the 5pm ferry. I would love to visit the island again and stay over night so we don't have to race a clock. The bike trails are tough! I'm a decent bike rider, but trail riding is tough for me. I actually was okay for the first 12 miles, but my legs and rear became sore, making the last eight miles tough. I'm super glad that I was able to complete the ride, and once again had we gotten an earlier start and didn't have to worry about catching the ferry back I think I could have relaxed and not been as worried about having to push my bike up and down some tough and washed out trails. The views on the west rim were amazing! I actually wish we would have just turned around and retraced our steps instead of going down the middle of the island to get back, which is mainly a dirt road for atvs. We will be back to explore some more and work on our bike skills!

Alger Falls is a quick 5-minute roadside stop convenient for checking off another waterfall here in…read moreMunising, Michigan. I tell ya...I can't get over how cool of a town Munising, Michigan is. Situated at one end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, you can spend an entire day simply stopping at all the waterfalls within the area. And funny, once you visit and get a picture of one waterfall, it then becomes an obsession. Like some sort of mission to officially announce that you've been to them all, lol, at least that's from my view, hehehe. But...in the big picture around Munising, this Alger Falls is definitely the easiest of all the waterfalls to stop at and grab a fast picture of. It's a no-nonsense pullover, which can often be easily overlooked among the more commonly well-known waterfalls of Munising. In fact, the sign for Alger Falls is so small, it can definitely be missed while driving. But...good thing around town, cell phone reception works perfectly so you can just plug Alger Falls into Google Maps and find your way here. Again...be careful while driving you can easily pass this waterfall. I'd advise to go slowly. Then, pull over your car to the shoulder and that's it. You don't even need to hike anywhere. Alger Falls may not be statuesque or stunning in appearance, but for when I was here in late afternoon, the sun was at my back which reflected well onto the falls. I found the setting to be pretty pleasant. I took a few pictures and then went on my way. It was so simple and because of the time of day and accessibility, I enjoyed coming here. And that's it, a brief moment is all you need to check this waterfall off your To-Do-List without any hassles. Following here at Alger Falls, the next morning I visited Chapel Falls, Mosquito Falls and Horseshoe Falls. Like I said...the town of Munising is "waterfall central" within the UP - Upper Peninsula of Michigan!

Just outside Munising in the lovely Upper Peninsula of Michigan we happened upon this water fall…read moreon the way to our Holiday Inn Hotel. the falls are visible from the road. Nice to not have a hike or stairs to see a water fall. There was some area for cars to pull over. this was our visit time to the Upper P. a lovely trip.

I did the 6-hour and the 8-hour kayak trips, both were absolutely stunning. The two guides I went…read morewith (Merideth and Adin (hopefully I spelled that correctly)) were very wonderful people and definitely made the trip a lot more enjoyable. Thank you, Uncle Ducky's for the absolutely amazing adventure

I purchased a kayaking excursion voucher through Uncle Ducky's / Paddling Michigan during a holiday…read morepromotion and later traveled from out of town specifically for this experience, spending additional money on lodging, gas, food, and travel expenses in order to participate. Unfortunately, the experience was extremely disorganized and unprofessional from the moment I arrived. The building was locked, no guide or management staff were present, there was no organized check-in process, and there was absolutely no communication regarding what was happening. Multiple guests were left outside confused and attempting to determine whether the tour was even operating. Company-associated staff eventually arrived but provided no meaningful information until directly prompted. At that point, they stated they were only shuttle drivers and that they had to "figure out what was going on" after the scheduled rendezvous time had already passed. At no point within the first 20 minutes of our rendezvous was there was any clear communication, leadership, organization, or professionalism demonstrated by the company. Considering they're responsible for guiding customers onto Lake Superior, I no longer felt comfortable or safe participating in the excursion and chose not to proceed with 10 minutes remaining until the a scheduled launch time. I attempted to resolve this directly via email since management wasn't present during working hours and present staff couldn't provide a direct way to contact management; however, they refused to issue a refund. The owner instead responded publicly to a review in a defensive manner while claiming an emergency situation had occurred. He even blamed my inability to adapt over his employees vague and unprofessional verbal responses and despite three shuttle drivers being present and not shuttling us to our launch. The issue is the complete lack of communication, organization, professionalism, and reasonable resolution afterward.

When you have a option to go on a cruise, take it! Our time in the upper peninsula was refreshing…read more Being out on the water for a sunset cruise made it even better. It was beautiful! Please keep in mind that Lake Superior is the coldest of the Great Lakes, so once the sun sets it gets cold! There is an option to be on the bottom deck, which is enclosed. Part of the middle deck also has windows to shield the air. If you want to remain in the open air, you'll need a blanket and coat! Happy cruising. Also check out the store. They have many cool items for sale.

This company provides a great way to experience both a boat and kayak tour. They're very organized…read moreand helpful, and they strongly emphasize safety. I called ahead to get advice on which tour to book, and they provided excellent information ahead of time so felt very prepared. My husband and I did the Spray Falls tour, which was was amazing. Our tour guide Zach provided excellent information on the history and geology of Pictured Rocks. He answered every question and told funny dad jokes - even though he's only in collage! We loved every aspect of this boat tour and hope to do it again

This was an awesome way to see Grand Island. Part tour and part thrill ride in a jet boat. Staff…read morewas very friendly and guide was very knowledgeable.

We had an amazing time with our captain Tim. He was informative, witty and gave us an awesome ride…read more Not your everyday boat tour! Chilly but oh, so much fun!!

This was a great excursion! We highly recommend it to those traveling to Munising and looking for…read moresomething fun to do. We learned so much on this tour and was able to really see the ships so well! Our guide and captain of the ship were both amazing! Thank You Shipwreck Tours for making my birthday such a great day!

The Captain and crew made sure everyone had a chance to view the shipwrecks from multiple angles…read more The information narration was really interesting. The view was awesome.

I really enjoyed our kayak tour! I was unsure on choosing a half day or a full day, but eventually…read moredecided to do the half. It was the perfect length and I felt we saw so many beautiful views. The staff at the office and the tour guides on the water were so friendly and helpful. Facilities and equipment was clean and organized. We kayaked with a group of 6 with various skill-levels. It's an great way to spend part of the day for anyone. Side note: When we returned to the office, I realized my car battery was dead. Staff quickly jumped into action and helped jump it! Thank you!

Great guides. Fun trip. Would recommend the sunset tour. Rocks LoL different going out and coming…read moreback.