Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Reviews

Went on the 11 miles hike, was exhausted afterwards, but still worth it. The view from the top is different from how you see it from the boat. next day we went for the Pictured Rocks Boat tour, and I will advice everyone to do both, as you will have a completely different experience looking at the rocks from above, or from when you go down to the beaches compared to the looking from the water. You will recognize all the places, but you will have much better experience and appreciation of what nature had created.
One more advice, if you will go for a hike, make sure that you arrive at the park before 8 am, as parking becomes full very quickly and you will have to park along the narrow road that leads to the park

So beautiful lots to look at! We took the classic cruise at 10 am it was the perfect temp not to hot. We also got there at 8:30 to get first pick on our seats! Definitely pick the top deck!

This cruise was everything I was hoping it would be...and more! My first visit here & I am already planning on returning soon. The crew was excellent!

We only scratched the surface of the park but I managed to see more waterfalls than I have in my entire life--and I feel like I've seen more than the average person! Miner's beach was a great place to relax and play since it was nice and warm.

The views were stunning! We were on a Great Lakes tour and this was our first stop. We found a super quaint Lake Superior beach spot on the other side of pictured rock. There was no one there and the view was beautiful. Pictured Rock did not disappoint! It was not crowded so we got to enjoy the place without crowds.

We visited in July and took a boat tour to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. This tour did not disappoint! The tour will tell you about the formation of the Pictured Rocks, Lake Superior and the Upper Peninsula. We found it to be very informative. Pictures do not do it justice.

How I lived for 61 years in the State of Michigan and never seen the spectacular grandeur of the Pictured Rocks shoreline, I will never know. Thank goodness I finally wised up. The cruise along this magnificent shoreline is not to be missed if your travels take you anywhere near the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Recommend Pictured Rocks Cruises out of Munising.

My adult son and I spent a week at Pictured Rocks in mid October. The crowds (especially on weekends) were crazy. Hikers were inexperienced and rude. It was worth the extra time to scout out less well traveled trails or to hike a bit further to get passed the hordes.

A word about traveling in a motor coach. Avoid Chapel Rock. The gravel road to get to it is extremely slow going. There's only 2 parking spaces with max length of about 30'... And usually occupied by much smaller vehicles with drivers too lazy to park along the road and walk back. Vehicles are parked along one side of road approaching the parking lot making it a single lane road. Get there early or hike from one of the other trailheads.

Very nice place to visit in the summer, a little to cold in the fall. Boat trip was very nice but cool. Worth the money.

Took a 2 hour kayak tour. Had perfect day. Wasn’t really hot and there was no wind. Nice calm waters.

A wonderful park. Several campgrounds. Gorgeous many mile long beach. Great rock hounding. If not camping, stay in Munising or Grand Marais. I prefer Grand Marais. Rent a cabin on VRBO. Lake Superior is usually cold. Swim in Great Sable Lake which has several access sites and has beautiful water. Take the Pictured Rocks boat ride, beautiful scenery. Kayak the shoreline. Hike the trails. Walk in to the waterfalls. Plan several days.

Very scenic area to visit. It was a little busier than I would have guessed. But, overall, it was still peaceful to visit.

Lots to see in the park and many places to visit. We did the short hike to the waterfall by the visitors center and went to Miner's Castle. We were glad we did as we later did a boat ride and it was nice to have seen that area from both the land and the lake.

The best view of the National Lakeshore is from a boat tour from Munising. The day I went, it was cloudy and a bit rainy, and the colors were not the best or brightest, but that is what happens when you travel - sometimes the weather is just not right. Even with less than stellar conditions, the rock formations along the shore were wonderful. There were waterfalls, caves, arches, beaches. There are overlooks that can be driven or hiked to, as well as waterfalls and beaches to be explored by car and on foot. I spent two days there and had an absolutely wonderful time.

The Pictured Rocks are beautiful - but they are at their absolute best in the soft, warm light of a summer sunset. The rocks face NW out toward the lake, and this far north the sun slides slowly below the horizon at an angle, illuminating and enhancing the natural beauty made by these interesting formations that also give us Niagara Falls in NY. We took a 2.5hrs tour that departed at 6pm and it was PERFECT! The crew let the kids walk around and it was a nice time. This is the best natural feature in Upper Michigan.

I can’t believe we haven’t been here sooner. Easily the most amazing place I’ve been to in Michigan. An absolutely must see!

We are novice hikers and had no clue what we were in for, but headed out to make a full circle around the Pictured Rocks that took us over 9 miles and 41/2 hours. The views were spectacular, the trails well groomed but still challenging, and there was a picture opportunity around ever corner! The trail was not super well marked as to where we were on the map, but we didn't get lost. Highly recommend this area and it was fun to hike it instead of ride in a boat!

The Ultimate Kayak tour with Pictured Rocks Kayaking is a MUST in your lifetime!! Incredible 5 hour excursion that drops you off at the main sights to get up close to the most beautiful shoreline you will ever see, you even get to kayak into caves! The entire crew were top notch from start to finish, we had Bobby as a tour guide and he made the trip even better! If it's not on your bucket list, it needs to be!

Fascinating formations that are beautiful from all angles. Suggest both the hike along the rim and watercraft of some kind.

We drove through the entire lakeshore following the map from visitor center..the cruise was not possible as we went during late Fall..We saw awesome Fall color and viewpoints were great..if you don't want to or can't hike, Not too much walking is involved at the major viewpoints

This place is amazing. From the cruise to the hikes it was wonderful. There were plenty of different hikes, waterfalls, etc.. This place is a gem and would recommend.

The National Park campgrounds at Twelvemile beach are rustic and beautiful! They offer rustic campsites for both RV and tent camping. Vault toilets and potable water sites are available. Each site is equipped with a gravel pad for staking your tent, fire ring, picnic tables and lantern hooks. Sizes of pads vary with each site so if you have a large tent like we do you might not fit on the pads provided at all sites. A short trek through the woods offers the beautiful, pristine beaches of Lake Superior where you frequently will have the entire shore to yourself.

Plenty of trails to hike on through the park and you’re a short drive to Munising if you’re interested in Pictures Rocks tours, Sable Falls, Log Slide and Au Sable Light Station and Grand Marais.

*Word of warning! If you are there when there is a south wind (or summer in this case) the biting flies and mosquitoes are horrendous! Bring everything you can to deter both! Repellents don’t work for flies so come equipped with long thick pants and long sleeved shirts. They will bite you through thin clothing and your socks! A mosquito net hat would not be out of line.

Take water and snacks, we did the 10 mile loop up to Chapel hill, down to Mosquito river and back. Pretty flat trail.

Pictured Rocks shoreline is absolutely gorgeous! A must see if you are visiting Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Unfortunately, Munising is a very small town with not much to offer when it comes to lodging and restaurants. We stayed at an area vrbo and travelled to various attractions from there.

You can...and we did...hike this. It is the Chapel Loop and is 10 miles. It was SUPER muddy and would recommend shoes you do not mind throwing out when done! However, so worth the hike! We saw Pictured Rocks and Chapel Rock. Would do again. It did take us several hours and we are pretty in shape. The mud slowed us down, but there were only a few people on the trails. Would do it again! Oh...wear lots of Off with 40% DEET and full clothes...mosquitoes and biting flies!

Wanted to do some hiking in Pictured Rocks. Very cold and windy but sunny. Seemed very appropriate for the setting.

Gorgeous views and the facilities and trails were well kept.

This is beautiful, especially in the fall when the leaves are turning. The trails vary from easy to leaves you breathless, the rangers are incredibly friendly and helpful, and it's a chance to see our own "in-land ocean".

This park is awesome! We happily spent the whole week hiking and sightseeing there. Great trails, waterfalls, sandy beaches (looks almost like Caribbean in the sunny weather), dunes, history... And did I mention the scenery? Parking can be a challenge by the most popular hike trailhead, but not insurmountable - you can just park on the dirt road, it may be ~half a mile away. Weather was great in mid-August: 60s-70s, dry and sunny, almost no bugs.

Absolutely take a sunset cruise to get the best views of the rocks. Visitor center at Munising wasn't the greatest but there is a nice short little waterfall hike there. We didn't make it to the other end. Miners Castle is the easiest overlook to reach.

We really enjoyed our time at Pictured Rocks. We spent 4 days there and was able to see everything we wanted to see. We are very ambitious travelers though. Did the nine+ mile Chapel Loom trail. Very buggy, BEWARE! Long sleeves & long pants are highly recommended. We also did the Picture Rocks Kayaking. Nice trip, but the surprise highlight of the trip was a boat tour of Grand Island with Riptide Ride. They do tours of Pictured Rocks too. But that was so much fun. I hadn't ridden in a jet boat before and I can highly recommend it. Not for small kids though!

We had been to pictured rocks national Lakeshore previously, but this time decided to take the pictured rocks cruise which added another dimension to our appreciation of this beautiful national treasure. Well worth a visit of several days there are waterfalls, beaches, rocks and hikes galore.

Wow. Stunning scenery, great hiking, beautiful waterfalls, lovely beaches. I’m so shocked this is in Michigan! So beautiful.

Because our time was limited, we didn't do/see nearly as much as we would've liked. However, what we did see was incredibly beautiful, & we left with a promise to return to see it all. We walked the short trail to Munising Falls from the Visitor Center (which is currently a temporary building with no store & a tent for information from a Ranger). Then we drove to the Miners Castle area, where we walked the trail to Miners Falls & wandered the trail to the upper & lower observation platforms for Miners Castle & the shoreline. So much beauty everywhere you turn! It's now a bucket list item to return here & do the shoreline boat tour & see the Au Sable Lighthouse. We are SO glad we did what we could, while we could, instead of waiting until we could do it all.

We had a wonderful 4 day trip, stayed in a raised platform tent so we were 'glamping' compared to our usual camping. The Pictured Rocks have been something I've been wanting to see tup close for years. When I was a kid we went to Honor to camp before the camp ground became a National Lake shore. We'd go to the juncture of the Platte River and Lake Michigan but the beach on the riverside is now protected for the Piping Plover. Now we really can't go there. At least able to take our kids there a couple of times.

This is a must see if you are traveling the UP. Don't forget to take the cruise to really enjoy the views. For hikers there are trails.

What an amazing trip by pontoon out and back. Great beaches to stop at, bring lunch, drinks, chairs, and take your time at each stop! So amazing. go to the waterfall, swim under!!

One of the best vacations we have ever taken. I would come back to the Pictured Rocks in a heartbeat. DO NOT MISS this spot!

The trails are beautiful and most of them are easy trails. We backpacked and camped on the backcountry trails, loved it! Stayed at Masse Homestead, other than no water access a great spot to stay. Peaceful and great view of the sand dunes. Highly recommend doing the backcountry hiking trip!

For pet owners. We researched the areas, trails that were pet friendly. We hiked and visited some of those. Beautiful area, forests, light house, old service road, beach and so on. All good.

Pictured Rocks did not disappoint!! Well worth the drive and I recommend the 6 hour tour so you get to experience the whole thing. My wife and I booked thru Uncle Ducky’s and with the reservation came a hotel room. Not anything to write home about but it doesn’t matter when you’re not spending any time in the hotel room. There are a couple things to do in town but not much else besides sight seeing and traveling to other cities for shopping.

We enjoyed hiking to Miner's Castle and Miner's Falls, but the best views are from a Pictured Rocks Cruise.

What a beautiful, breathtaking place to visit. We visited in the fall so it was pretty chilly but beautiful!! I suggest you put this one on your bucket list!!

Very scenic area. One the first day we did the land tours and saw some incredible sites and water falls. The next day we did the boat tour and really enjoyed the scenery from the water. It was a very nice relaxing trip with no crowds.

I was born and raised in Michigan and had never made it to Pictured Rocks. We went on the boat cruise that took us along all of the painted rocks and on to the beautiful waterfall. Absolutely breathtaking!

Best views are from a kayak but a boat ride also provides good views. The chapel loop trail also has great views

This place is everything we expected plus more. Great for all levels of experience as far as hikes go. There is everything from 500 ft. hikes to 10 mile hikes. Amazing views of Lake Superior that are unlike any other.

I went kayaking with friends on Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It was amazing and beautiful. I’d recommend any and all do it.

Our cruise on Lake Superior was canceled due to high waves, so we made this stop. It was a fantastic substitute. What a beautiful park. Be sure to be prepared to walk. It's well worth the time to see this beautiful location.

We did three trails total in about 9 miles, and it took us from 10:00 AM to about 4:00 PM. Once you get to the trails and you see the waterfalls and gorgeous waters of Lake superior, it’s amazing. Our kids wanted to see what Caribbean waters look like and this is a darn near good comparison. We did Munising trail, Miners trail with overlooks and to beach and back, then castle trail by the falls and back on the opposite side, meeting up with mosquito trail at the very end. I highly recommend this area. I highly recommend bug spray, mosquitoes are ruthless in the area!

Unfortunately, our pictured rock cruise was cancelled so we did not get to see them from the water. But, you can still go to the headquarters and do some hiking to viewing platforms that give you an idea of what you would have seen from the water. the color of the water is unbelievable. Well worth the hike.

Stayed in upper loop of Hurricane River Campground. Nice shaded campground, but bathrooms in this loop had NOT been cleaned during my 2 day stay.

I have visited several areas of lake superior in Minnesota and michigan, pictured rocks lake shore is the most scenic area in my opinion. The water is green blue like Caribbean, plus beautiful rocks.

Unfortunately it was windy the day we visited Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. This prevented any boat tours. We found it difficult to really see the park by car. It is massive and driving to lookouts took hours. Didn’t feel we really captured it by car.

The Great Lakes remain one of the country's most underrated travel destinations, and Pictured Rocks is a great example of why the area should be better known. Good hiking, good camping, and amazing views of Lake Superior, in addition to plenty of beach opportunities. Pick any of the named spots - Miners Castle, etc. - and you won't be disappointed.

The 42-mile stretch of lakeshore between Munising and Grand Marais is the beautiful national park Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Those who don't have a national park pass can purchase one at one of the visitor stations. The park is a treasure of waterfalls, trails, views, beaches, and a light station. The highlight of our visit was a late afternoon 2-hour cruise on Lake Superior to view the Pictured Rocks.

Our family did not realize that Michigan had so much to offer, with such beautiful views. I would definitely recommend Pictured Rocks as a stop for all families to go and see. We did a boat tour around grand Island, but would have loved to have rented a pontoon to see the Pictured Rocks from the water as well. Chapel Beach, Falls and hike is a definite must!

Its best to see the shoreline from a boat or jet ski, or even maybe take one of their cruises. We enjoyed our ride on the boat cruise and sped around the shoreline on the Pictured Rocks and saw the amazing rock line and the sculptures that are embedded in the rocks from various storms, winds, rain splash, and so much more. There are arches, waterfalls, and so much to take in. There are cayakers, boaters, and people hanging on the beach. Very cool area in the UP of MI

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a hidden gem. Give yourself a few days to explore both by land and by water - you won’t regret it!

10/10 recommend that you rent your own boat for the day and take it all the way to Spray Falls to view the beautiful lakeshore coast of Pictured Rocks. The water is absolutely gorgeous! Bring layers of clothes though. We had sweatshirts and sweatpants on while driving around, but had bathing suits underneath.

We did a hike as we were not able to either take a kayak or go on a boat cruise. The staff was welcoming but seem a bit jaded at the end of the season.

Loved this boat ride to see what was certainly not possible from the shore. Beautiful weather certainly helps which can be hard in the upper peninsula in September.

It was a beautiful clear day. Got a little chilly after the sun went down, but the sunset was worth it. Beautiful scenery.

We visited during spring break in March...or tried to. None of the visitor centers we could get to appeared to be open. Since the park is open 24 hours according to the park service app, we hoped to be able to drive to some of the sites. Unfortunately, the roads were only cleared to a certain point and then we faced a sign that said, "No motorized vehicles beyond this point." Disappointing.

A must see or thing to do. You need a relatively calm day. The rock colors are beautiful and the caves, arches, and waterfalls only add the beauty of the rock formations. Well worth the boat ride. You will see these same colors in the tiny rocks that cover the 'beach area' on Lake Superior.

We took this cruise and we both thought it was something we had never seen before. It was so scenic and the colors were breathtaking. If you decide to go I would recommend you take a hoodie as it gets pretty windy on the lake. Also arrive early as the line gets pretty long. Try to pick a sunny day to capture all the colors. Fall would be an awesome time to go.

Beautiful piece of God's creation! My husband and I loved our visit to the area. We will returning stay for a longer visit to the area. There is so much to see and do.

Absolutely Beautiful!!! Fun for the whole family and very interesting information about the rock walls and the stories of the past!! Visiting the Upper Peninsula is always a pleasure and it never ceases to amaze me and my family!!!!

Beautiful area, not what I was expecting. Lake Superior was beautiful, Water like the Bahama's. We hiked several trails, we also did the Picture Rocks cruise and the glass bottom boat tours. You really need to see the area both from land and from lake to get the full picture. The rocks along the shore were stunning, so many different colors, shapes, design. No need to paint rocks here, God already did that! Seeing the ship wrecks both on land and in the water was enjoyed by my grandson, he loves ships. I was expecting a lot of bug bites but I didn't get one single bite.

Great views, recommend the evening boat trip. Very enjoyable. Well worth the money. Take a jacket or blanket. Does get chilly on the water at night. Very nice trip and informative.

I wrote "Stolen Treasures at Pictured Rocks" for pre-teens, so now that my grandchildren are in that age range, we took them to Munising in MI's Upper Peninsula for them to live out the adventures in the book. We were busy from morning until night every day we were there. We left a few things yet to see, so we shall return!! The park is family-friendly and a great place to camp and experience so many things in nature.

We went for the Painted Rocks but found so much more. So many beautiful waterfalls with easy access. Hiking; glass bottom shipwreck tour; friendly people--We'd go back again!

This is an interesting and informative boat ride. The captain of our boat was great at entertaining with jokes, but also very knowledgeable about what we were seeing. If you are near the area, I highly recommend this adventure.

Went to see this place with my friend. There are some boat tours options to take to see the pictured rocks such as the pictured rocks cruise, riptide ride and the pictured rocks island tours. All of these rides will tour you to the scenic places of the pictured rocks and falls. My friend and I chose the Riptide Ride which is a jet boat and not a two decker boat. I suggest that taking the Riptide will get you wet so bring a poncho and use slippers instead of shoes. It is a fun way to enjoy the site with a little twist of boat adventured. For those who would like to take documented videos, take the two decker boat instead. So have fun!!!

This is a great place to explore.great trails. We took the ones to see the falls very easy to walk along. Lots of shade on a sunny day. Very picturesque.

Excellent boat tour. Enjoyed the commentary of Bryon. He made sure folks on both sides of the boat had an opportunity for photos.

This is a very picturesque boat cruise. It is nice and leisurely - take time to make sure everyone has an opportunity to take pictures of all the features.

It was a winding road to get there an there are several waterfalls oblong the way. Arriving there were about 30 places to park then a 1:4 mile hike on a trail to the steps that lead to the water, this is NOT handicapped accessible. There is plenty of sand a rock hunting is a must. There are facilities at the parking lot including showers an feet wash bring your kayak have fun. Be sure to stop at the Bear Trap Restaurant for a look an food

Recently drive through this national lakeshore on beautiful Highway 58 and really enjoyed it. Several great stops with viewing of waterfalls and the lake, as well as some nice day hikes through the forest to various spots. Would be nice to return for several days of hiking along with some camping.

Gorgeous and stunning hikes throughout the area. Frozen waterfalls and ice formations abound! There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad dressing! We layered up, shod our boot spikes and explored daily. Our fave site was of a 70 year old couple doing the same thing!

There are trails along the shoreline through miles of beautiful woods with outlooks along the way. Seeing the shoreline from the water is an unforgettable experience. The beauty and colors of the rock formations are memorable. There are pontoon boat and kayak rentals in town, as well as professional boat tours.

We travelled around the U.P for a couple days and decided to head over to miners castle and beach. It's a further drive from other spots but the beach access was worth it. It was in the 70's in late September and we dropped our sups at the beach and paddled past miners castle. After we pulled up to beach and hung out, warm day and cool water to take a quick dip. Unreal sites with epic views of bluffs with a different perspective from the water. Will go again and explore more of the area and lake superior!

The Pictured Rocks themselves are best seen from the water - cruises go out multiple times a day (run by local outfitters, not the National Park service). That said, there are plenty of other sights along the lakeshore, including a lot of hikes, waterfalls, and viewpoints. We spent a full day plus visiting the area, staying in Munising, and definitely recommend it as a wonderful place to spend some time and enjoy the sights. There is lots of natural beauty here.

We took a 3 hour boat tour around Pictured Rocks in the Upper Peninsula, and the views were breathtaking. This is a must see if you are in Munising.

This has been on my To Do list for years. So glad we finally made the trip. We opted for the extended tour for about 2.5 hours. The wind and waves were choppy on the way out, and we opted to stay inside, so we didn't get very many good photos. I ventured up on the deck on the way back; the sun was out and things had calmed down. BEAUTIFUL scenery. Loved the narration and learning about the area.

This was a lovely national park. So much to do, you definitely need at least a day. Highly recommend taking a map since GPS's don't work so well. It's quite a drive from large cities in southern Michigan, but glad we took it. If you want a good view, you need to take a boat tour. Don't recommend going on a busy weekend (we went Labor Day weekend and didn't realize the bridge across Mackinac was closed for a race!).

A definite stop if you are visiting the UP. It was amazing! This has to be one of the most amazing National parks that I have visited.

A 15 mile or more expanse of exposed rock on the Lake Superior shore in Michigan's UP, offers a beautiful color difference caused by seeping groundwater through the sandstone layers. Beautiful sea caves and other formations caused by wind and water erosion. Hiking trails lead you through forest and will get you to overlooks and beaches. Best way to see the rocks is by boat or for more adventurous people by kayak.

I had a really hard time choosing a rating. Stupid map we had took us halfway to nowhere and when we doubled back to continue our Lake Superior Circle Tour and get to our camping reservation that night, lo and behold, we saw part of it from the highway. Yeesh . . but we will return some day just to see this sight and spend some time. Maybe even rent kayaks to view from the water.

The rock formations and colors are otherworldly. Dramatic multicolored cliffs and unique sandstone formations are a sight to behold. Beaches, trails, and waterfalls make the trip complete. The best way to see the rock formations is from the water, so take a cruise or do some kayaking.

Amazing park
Did a couple shorter hikes but the real deal is taking the boat ride at sunset to really get the full beauty of the place

A fantastic trip to Lake Superior with the family. The guided cruise along the shores of Pictured Rock was amazing and a must for anyone who loves the Autumn season and fall colors. Very clean atmosphere, interesting gift shop and an all around enjoyable experience. Restaurants are within walking distance of the parking area and tickets for the cruise are reasonable for any size family.

What a spectacular sight to behold. All of the different layers of rock reveal so many vibrant colors. In our opinion this must be seen from the water to be appreciated

Great Views. When here allow lots of time for hiking and exploring - the cliffs, the lighthouses, the trails. It's all very cool and scenic and easy to hike. It's all best when really viewed and explored on foot.

Absolutely awesome to see such formations and colors in this state! The information provided was very interesting and made u say WOW.

Highly recommend spending a couple days to explore from water and hike the trails. So many beautiful waterfalls.

If visiting Munising well worth the price as you'll see things one would never see from shore. Also very informative and the boat is very clean.

Awesome boat tour. Wonderful precautions for COVID-19. Face masks, half capacity, cleaned between cruises, staff very friendly. First class facilities. Clean kennel to leave our dog. Don't forget to take a lock for the cage.

This is a most remarkable experience. The streams are great place to fly fish.

Don’t miss out on visiting Pictured Rocks.

I would like to take a cruise but they don’t allow dogs.

Worth the cost of the cruise to see this place! Even though the weather wasn't sunny, we still enjoyed seeing the shoreline.

Just pull off anywhere; there is no bad spot. Gorgeous forest, dunes, beach, hiking and biking. We loved relaxing and examining rocks at the Lake Superior Overlook spot. The beaches were so clean and not crowded. We drove through the park but will have to come back to hike.

Consider hiking and kayaking this amazing place. You get incredible views from both. My husband and I hiked the Mosquito Falls and Chapel Falls trail via Chapel Loop. There are plenty reviews about during this trail counterclosewise but if we had to do it over again we would've started with the hard way and ended the easier route with the beautiful Chapel falls at the end of the trail (much bigger then Mosquito falls). Bring lots of snacks and water and take time and enjoy the beautiful views, do not rush this amazing trail.

Absolutely amazing place and unforgiven experience.
We've taken a cruise to the waterfalls. It was the longest available cruise.
In the beginning the weather didn't cooperate. There was a rain falling down. I was so disappointed. Fortunately after about 15 minutes rain has stopped. At lease we could take many nice pictures. With the sun on the horizon, pictures would be much nicer...
That's an opportunity for us to come back one day, the sunny day!
It is must do thing there!
I strongly recommend this attraction.

RomanP

2.5 hour trip at sunset was worth it! Beautiful pics! We came in on Friday evening, saw Kitchi iti kipi (sp?) on our way up (worth the 20 min stop!). We did the 21 mile loop on Grand Island biking on Saturday, saw Mosquito falls (wouldn't recommend, but heard chapel falls was good) and the Log Dunne (amazing) and then Sunset cruise at pictured rocks (highly recommend) on Sunday eve. We left for Tahquamanon (sp?) falls (highly recommend) on Monday with a stop at Oswald Bear Park (recommend). We were right across the camp road from the bathrooms and sat on the beach for swimming each night. Kids were in love (16, 13, 11 yrs old).

The whole area is beautiful. Wonderful place to take a hike, play on a beach, or just sight see. Best seen by a boat tour.

I feel like this review would have been better had the weather been more cooperative. I saw this by boat and unfortunately the day I went, it was rather foggy and became rainy and cold by the end of the cruise making picture taking more difficult. Luckily, most of the cloud cover was at the tree line so you could see the rock formations which were beautiful especially when the sun was out but harder to appreciate as the weather deteriorated. Worth the visit though.

It is best to see from a boat. There were alot of kayaks out there too. The Shipwreck tours were really fun and informative

Folks start lining up forty-five minutes to an hour before the approximate 2-hour cruise. I recommend sitting on the right side of the boat because you will travel east, and the rocks will be on your right. The narration of the rocks and formations is more detailed as you travel east before turning around. Wear warm clothes and a hat that will not blow off. Pictured Rocks should be on everyone’s itinerary while visiting the UP.

The boat ride was smooth. The narration helpful and informative, and humorous. The rocks themselves are the most amazing thing to see. Incredible to think that Mother Nature can pull off something like that. I was expecting the horizontal bands of color, but all the vertical lines, that look like someone drew or threw paint up and down... "Surprizing" is a word my sister used and I agree. You just have to see it.

Awesome trail. Did all 42 miles in 4 days/3 nights. If I were to do it again, which I hope that I do, I would stretch it out to 5 days/4 nights to give myself more time to enjoy the views and the lake. Very moderate hike with limited climbs. All of the campgrounds are nice. There are a lot of streams to filter from but for most of the campgrounds you are filtering out of Lake Superior. Sometimes that can be difficult with the waves and cold water. Went in September and did not have to worry about flies or mosquitos the whole time. You must have a permit for your hike that includes reservations for the campgrounds that you are going to stay at. There is also a shuttle service (Altran) that does a couple of loops a day. If there are several stops.. the shuttle ride could take 2 hours. Pretty punishing when you have ants in your pants to hit the trail. The views are AMAZING!!! If you want to shorten your trip... start at Logslide and end at Miners. You will not miss much doing this.

Pictured Rocks is one of the most beautiful places you will ever see. There is such a wide variety of things to see, it would take weeks to see it all. By far the coolest thing to see is the Pictured Rocks Cliffs from a the water. We did the Spray Falls Cruise through Pictured Rocks Cruises and it would be the one I would recommend. I'm sure a kayak tour would be excellent, but even the thought of it creeps me out (whatever phobia that is).
There are too many waterfalls to count, a handful of lighthouses, tons of hiking, lakes and rivers, historic locations and buildings, and much, much more. Our whole trip through the area was excellent. Highly recommend.

We did the cruise before but the sunset cruise was the best! No where can you see a shoreline like picture rock…and the fabulous sunset…spectacular!!

This trip was phenomenal! Staff was friendly,funny, informative and professional! Kayaking was relaxing , beautiful and all around enjoyable!

The explanations of the cliffs by our knowledgeable captain and the beauty that is the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore.

The Pictured Rocks are stunning. Our entire family enjoyed the sunset cruise and we recommend sitting on the right/starboard side of the boat. For photos, the top level offers unrestricted views. Mosquito Beach lives up to its name. We fought vicious black bugs on the beach during our hike of Chapel Loop. Other kayak-ers said they were pestered on the water as well. Deep woods bug spray does help somewhat.

Awesome park! Gorgeous lakefront and waterfalls. The dunes were really cool to see. Drove from Grand Marais to Munising - took ~a number of hours, could have used more time to do a few more hikes. Highlights along the way included: Log Slide (stand on top of the really tall dunes), walk in to Au Sable Light Station (very easy walk along a well marked trail - very flat), and Miners Castle Point (Chapel Falls trailhead was too muddy to visit unfortunately). Sad that I couldn't do a boat trip due to the water condition. Leaves were perfect in mid-October - ride throughout the park was GORGEOUS.

Beautiful hiking at Pictured Rocks. Many waterfalls to see in the area. Would recommend see this beautiful area of the UP.

In view of the other reviews you apparently have to discover the site either by hiking, kayaking or by boat.... Which I was not able to do.
By the small road H58 which runs along the coast, there are not many observation points to discover these famous Rocks and honestly I have seen much more spectacular in terms of geological curiosity....

Do not miss this!! The sights are beautiful and abundant. Take a boat for best views. The hikes are great.

Great place for both the energetic hiker or the quick stop scenic adventurer. So I am sure doing one of the cruises is a great way to see the cliffs. But I wanted to find a trail that took me to the top. After several days I found it and was so excited. Here is where you need to go. Follow signs to Miners Beach but turn right at the “T” in the road to go towards Northcoast Trailhead. Start on this trail heading towards Mosquito Beach. The beginning part of this trail from the parking lot goes up as you are climbing to top of cliffs. Once at the top the walk is level with several spots to peek out at the lake and see the pictured rocks and caves. Truly breathtaking. I am positive if you have the ability you can continue through mosquito beach and seen more as the Spray Falls is further East. Unfortunately a storm came up and we had to turn around way too soon.

We visited the area right after the Federal Government shut down (October 1st and 2nd). During that time the park was OPEN. You could still visit Miners, Castle, Miners Falls, Chapel Falls, Hurrican River Campgrounds, Sable Falls, etc. Not only were the areas open, but the restrooms were open and maintained.

Well worth a visit - pretty, colourful, great views over Lake Superior, dramatic, steep cliffs (for people to fool around on or be sensible - we examples of both). Nice Birdlife if you looked carefully.

Fortunately it was not peak Summer, as we could imagine this place would a very different experience when swamped with people. Roads are not geared to speedsters or the impatient.

This is oriented to the ramblers and space-relishers amongst us.

The only way to see the painted rocks is by boat. Many options are available including big boat tours all the way down to individual kayaks. The big boat is leisurely and no hard work, and it's easy to take pictures. I recommend getting there early to get on the top deck. With the kayaks you can get right next to the formations, but it's wet and hard to see the bigger picture.

Whatchu know about gorgeous 200-foot cliffs descending into turquoise alpine waters surrounded by the greenery of the Michigan Upper Peninsula? I'm talkin about the straight up Woods of Lothlórien over here. A circle hike takes you through 10 miles of soul soothing tranquility with chipmunks stuntin on fools left, right and center! Dem geological formations though?! Check the resume: Grand Portal, Indian Head, Chapel Rock, Lover's Arch, and Miner's Castle. All lottery picks. Get on my level with kayaking and hiking through this dime piece area. Midwest stand up!

This is only our second time visiting this area... last time we took a bout tour which was amazing of course, but this time around we decided to get some closer views and take a hike to Castle Rock. We started out way later than anticipated, but man those views and the beach were phenomenal. However, when we returned to our car just after 9pm (yes, it was a dark hike back!) my daughter realized she did not have her phone. We had zero service, it was dark, late, and we still needed to make it back to town for food, so we left without her Google Pixel 5. She stressed and cried over it, I checked our tracking app and unfortunately her phone hadn't pinged since earlier in the day before we even got the area. We left for Newberry to our next destination and figured we would never see the phone again, and to make things worse it down poured that night after we left. The next morning we called the park service, they informed us they had not found any phones yet but many other things. They took our information and our whereabouts. Not even 15 minutes later her phone came online and we were alerted they had recovered it. We drove the hour back and her phone was just in the same condition as when we had left it. This was so quick and painless, communication was excellent, and everyone we encountered (who worked for Pictured Rocks OR even just hikers) were all amazing and added to the experience. Would highly recommend!

Do not even think about this. If the weather is poor they will reschedule and you can go when it is nice. They are great.

Wow ! This is a must see for Munising. It was a dreary sometimes rainy day but cleared long enough for us to take the 2 hour tour. This will not disappoint. Saw some Fantastic rock formations. The colors were awesome. There were also waterfalls and rock formations. At times I forgot I was on a lake as I looked at the tropical green and blue colored water. Any review I write could not do this tour justice. And there is a huge gift shop to shop in before getting on the cruise.

Since the weather was not great during our trip, we scrapped the tour boat idea and settled for the Interpretive Center in town and a visit to the Lakeshore to take in the view from atop. Short but nice boardwalk takes you to some of the best top-down vantage points on the lakeshore. You will need a National Park pass to enter or to buy the day pass. High traffic tourist area during summer months, so be prepared for people.

After many years of vacationing in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula, we finally toured the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Why did I wait so long? It is stunningly beautiful, and well worth an afternoon. We took a boat tour, for the hale and hearty, there are kayak tours as well.

The rock formations are astounding, the water is as clear and blue as the Aegean sea. The air is so fresh you can almost drink it!

You can't beat the scenery BUT the National Park Service maintenance of trails and facilities is pathetic compared to what we saw 10 years ago. The comfort facilities are a particular problem, smelly and dark. BUT we should remember this is all run by the federal government.

A must see, whether you have two or 22 hours.
We did the three hour kayak trip with Uncle Ducky’s- worth every penny.

Totally professional, on time and courteous. Our guide taught us so much. Not for kids and not for folks who don’t like waves. Lake Superior can be choppy- it was for us and someone got pretty sea sick.

The rock formations are breathtaking. Clear crisp water. Great workout.

Take a boat tour or a kayak tour. Don't miss this one. The views are so beautiful. Tour guides are knowledgeable and make the time fun. Bring a jacket or buy one from the gift shop.

My husband and I have been to Pictured Rocks multiple times. We’ve seen Pictured Rocks from a boat (definitely a must). We’ve also seen most, if not all, of the falls all around Munising/Pictured Rocks (another must!) This time around we decided to experience Pictured Rocks up close and personal by hiking the 10+ mile Chapel Falls loop. This trail was absolutely amazing. You get to fully experience the raw and, at times, dangerous beauty of Pictured Rocks. You also get to see a whole other side of Pictured Rocks that you can’t experience from a boat. If you’re into hiking at all this trail is an absolute must. Plan on getting there early in the morning as it took me and my husband about 6 hours to complete. Start the loop by going towards Mosquito Falls, not Chapel Falls. You’ll start the loop by going through all the mud and muck but end on a much nicer and easier to navigate trail. Lastly, bring lots of snacks and water!

The rock formations were interesting. The national lakeshore is very stretched out and it is hard to find some of the places of interest. Be sure to visit the Munising Falls Visitor Center to get a map and a permit. We enjoyed seeing Munising Falls, Castle Rock and walking the trail to Chapel Falls. It was very foggy the first day we were there--so foggy you couldn't see Castle Rock from the first viewpoint, we had to walk to the second one to be able to see it! The next day was beautiful and we spend some time at Sand Point Beach.

This was our third or fourth visit, but the first time to the visitor center. We stopped at the visitor center to get our National Park Passport book stamped. They did have staff onsite, but it's a temporary building so we couldn't buy a stamp.
We hiked from the visitor center to Sand Point, which was the first time doing that trail. It was muddy in some spots, but very quiet hike

I didn't really know what to expect here, but was disappointed that you couldn't see any rock formations from the land. We had to take a boat tour and then the water was so rough, they had to turn back midway.

It was a lovely day, although mostly cloudy, but still perfect for a 2-1/2 hour boat tour. The Pictured Rocks are beautiful and our captain and narrator did a wonderful job of explaining everything we were seeing in a clear and pleasant voice. I would highly recommend this tour to anyone. However, if you are sensitive to seasickness, as I am, I would take a dramamine beforehand, and check what the wind speed will be prior to making your reservations. The wind on the day we took our tour was 12 mph and from the South, so it was no problem for me, or anyone else on our tour.

Great for a boat tour or kayaking, with some hiking and beach options. Beautiful, unique scenery that's not to be missed!

Would go back several times a year if I could. Boat tour was fantastic. It is a must see if you are in the area.

The entire lakeshore was beautiful! There is a long, sandy beach (Miner's Beach) and gorgeous rock formations. It is well worth a visit!

We took the sunset cruise and it really was beautiful. As long as it's a sunny day. We visited while wildfires raged in Canada, so the sky was hazy and the sunset was very colorful. Some of the seats have exposed nails so you should be careful not to scrap one with your bare leg or you also could find a rip in your pants. The boat company should take care of those.

One of the best places on the planet and I have been to quite a few. Wish I had several days to really enjoy all there is to offer.

The colors and layers of jagged rocks and cliffs with various shapes and sizes is simply amazing. We were here during peak fall time and all of the colors surrounding the rocks made the experience more magical. So much color and depth along the shoreline with the hues of blues from Lake Superior added we almost had to look away to give our eyes a rest. The best view is from a chartered boat- make sure to have a reservation/ticket in advance.

I've been here before as a kid, but it was really fun to come again with my kids. They loved it, and had soo many questions about everything! It's, of course, really beautiful. The captain of our cruise, Katrina, was awesome and really funny.

Update to the Chapel Loop trail at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. This is a revisit from our 2019 hike. The hike remains scenic and beautiful. We are now in our later sixties and remain outdoorsy and enjoyed the hike very much, mostly a very easy hike with some rugged/muddy areas. Some short parts of the trail after the waterfall and on the way down to Chapel beach are washed out, requiring short loop arounds. The trail back from Chapel beach to the trail head parking lot is more level with reinforced trails (wood planks) in muddier areas and easier because of these reinforcements – consider this trail for the outbound if you have seen the water falls previously (enough) and just want to make it to the beach. More people on the trails this time but still not that many. Pack a light backpack with lunch and beach towels. It's about 4 miles in and 4 miles out. Bring swimming gear - Lake Superior is fantastic. It seems that most people hike to the Chapel Falls and turn back, which is about 2 miles in and then 2 miles out - that part of the trail is relatively busy, with about 50 people heading back and forth. Many more parked cars at the trail head in the afternoon than in the morning – the parking lot is small with excess parking along the side of the road. We went at an easy pace taking in the views and it took about 2 hours out and 1.5 hours back. It’s very possible to get out and back faster if speed is more important than the views and scenery. There are many hiking trails and variations available at this national lakeshore – this trail has the waterfalls, Lake Superior, beach, cliffs, and scenic views.

This is one of the best places to see nature at its best. Very photogenic and great hiking trails. Enjoyed walking the Lake Superior beaches.

Spent a day going from the west end of the park down to the east end viewing the waterfalls, lighthouse, and other formations. We did not do a boat tour (unfortunately!) but had a great time going through the park itself! We had our two dogs with us - be mindful of where dogs are allowed and not... but for the most part, most of the dog friendly and tourist-heavy areas are towards the west end of the park.. then there's a big stretch in the middle that is primarily(?) for backpackers where dogs are not allowed, but there are other areas in the east end of the park that do allow dogs again. All the paths we went on were very well-maintained and pretty easy as well. Just be prepared for a lot of steps to see the different waterfalls.

Unbelievable beauty along the Northern Upper Peninsula of Michigan shore! We took the boat cruise due to time constraints, but kayaking or hiking would have been a great way to go too. All views were memorable, a must stop!

The scenery was beautiful. And the speakers on board actually sounded great so we could all hear the great information. Only problem I saw was a kid running up and down from top deck to bottom...unless accompanied. Very dangerous.

In late August my wife and I drove to Munising, Michigan to see the Pictured Rocks. We got there for a 3 o’clock cruise. We boarded on time and it was a marvelous ship with a friendly, and knowledgeable crew. The tour took a little more than 2 hours along the shore of Lake Superior and it was an absolute delight. It was a beautiful day and the colors and rock formations were simply spectacular! It was a very worthwhile and enjoyable cruise. Don’t miss it if you happen to be in the area!

We were trying to do budget friendly things on our vacation, but we just had to go on the boat tour and I am so glad we splurged. Such a relaxing way to really get to see the Pictured Rocks Lakeshore. The 2 1/2 hour boat tour takes you everywhere and they do a great job narrating the trip so you know what your looking at. Buy your tickets in advance and get there early for your tour for the best seats (top of the boat, right side.) People cue up for the boat way in advance of their ticket time. There are some picnic tables just to the left of the docks if you are facing out to the lake. We took turns eating lunch with our kids and standing in line so we could get good seat.

We visited in mid-late October and were pleasantly surprised by seasonably warm temperatures (70’s) which allowed for great hiking and exploring with small crowds and few other people out on the beaches, overlooks and at the waterfalls. The most awesome waterfalls, most amazing beaches, breathtaking hikes and natural experiences. The sandstone formations along the Lake Superior shoreline were unbelievable. Amazing experience.

This is something you must do. We had such a great day. We couldn't get on the sunset cruise so we did the 6:00 pm. The weather was perfect. The rocks are so beautiful. This is a cruise that all ages can enjoy. Everyone wore masks and the boat was cleaned before each tour.

Fascinating geology, gorgeous scenery, clear water, giant sand dunes, and dense forest await visitors at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. You can take a hike, a slow boat cruise, a speed boat cruise, kayak tour, and/or an ATV/snowmobile (depending on the season) run to explore the area. Go rock hounding with an experienced guide or lounge on the beach or boat. Whatever your speed, you can find it here. Be forewarned: the flies and mosquitos are a real nuisance. Bring bug spray and AfterBite.

Should be on everyone's bucket list.
Whether you experience the National Lakeshore from the water or land (I suggest doing both) you will not be disappointed!

This was the tour of all tours in Munising. The trip is a bit long for younger children, however, the views are amazing. Tours are guided and the guides had a good sense of humor. Some of the landscape views were incredible. Must do!!!

Lovely view to be experienced in person. No photo does it justice. Something you need to see in person.

We were somewhat jaded by the cost $15 per person for something that we spent just a few minutes at.

The drive to the location was beautiful and the road was in excellent condition.

Get an afternoon or early evening pontoon Rental to enjoy the sun hitting the red and gold coloring of the cliffs and falls, breathtaking. Pulled up to chapel beach to skip stones and drink champagne, then a one hour ride back into the sunset. Total time three hours. What a beautiful evening and glad not to be with the crowds on the tour boats. I would have liked a self guided book or audio of the coastline we were seeing, that probably exists in the boat tour gift shop which is open to the public, but it was worth just being with my family and relaxing as we toured with our own food and drink, sweatshirts and room to stretch. Don’t miss this

This place is a place you can do many things. Beach, hike, waterfalls. We went to Sands Point, Miners falls, Miners Castle. Took the boat cruise.

Third time here - always beautiful! The rock formations are amazing, the water so blue, many photos taken. Boat on time, crew friendly. Great way to introduce family to our Yooper beauty.

I am reporting the report of my traveling companions, as I stayed ashore due to reported rough sea conditions.

If you're a hiker/camper, there are a number of options. Apparently, there are many things to see on land. We chose the boat route because the reviews said the rocks were best seen from the water.

Note that Pictured Rocks is a National Park, so you may need a pass to enter (not needed for the boat ride).

There are also kayaking and canoeing options during the warmer months.

The boat ride is 2+ hours out to the rocks and other coastal sights.

I was surprised that none of my three friends were raving when they got off the boat. They enjoyed the boat ride and said what they saw was "nice." The four star rating reflects their reviews.

There is a great souvenir store at the dock. I especially liked the photos they were selling.

We traveled here with 3 boys (11, 9, 5) and we had a wonderful time. Went down to see the "castle". Glad I asked someone. They directed us to go to the top, rather than down to get the best view. Great recommendation since we were pressed for time. The view was amazing. My friend and I are planning to go back next summer and do one of the all day kayaking trips. One of the park rangers recommended the beach. The sand was pristine! And then we went to the waterfall. Its a long walk to the waterfall and I wished we had more time because you can get to the bottom of the falls if you go slightly off the path by the falls. Would have loved to do it but just pressed for time.

We went on a family vacation to Pictured Rock Munising Michigan over the July 4th weekend in 2021. Very beautiful and must see. A few tips

The cruise is a must do if you want to see the rocks. Suggest taking it either early AM or late evening so that you can utilize the day to see other sites on the lakeshore.

When taking the cruise, try to get a seat on the right side of the boat - you can see things closer and with their commentary. Although they turn the boat around on the return journey so those on the left side can see the rocks

If you like beach, try Miners Beach - very nice. You can spend an entire day. Or Sand Point

If you have pets, find out in advance where they are allowed

Keep cameras ready and well charged

We stopped at the pictures rocks viewing spot on the way to our next spot. Beautiful as always! It was a beautiful day and really showed the colors of the water from high above.

We camped one night at the Little Beaver Lake Campground with friends. It's a really beautiful little campground with great access to Beaver Basin Wilderness and trails. It's very dark at night and we watched shooting stars over Little Beaver Lake into the night. During the day, we explored around the Miners Beach area. The beach was really scenic and Miners Castle was gorgeous. We also hiked to Miners Falls, which was surprisingly big though very crowded. There's a lot to see and do in Pictured Rocks so hope to visit again and see more of the park.

Boat tour was cancelled due to wind and rain so we happened upon this area trying to see the sandstone colored cliffs. The Pictured Rocks Cliff area was a great spot. Easy walk to the high overlook and downhill walk with steps to the lower overlook. Both were easy walks. Highly recommend.

Take the boat tour! The sunset tour is amazing! It is well worth the money. The trails are pretty, but no dogs allowed.

We took 2 hour kayak trip along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with Pictured Rocks Adventure (Miner’s Beach and Caves Kayak Tour). Beautiful!! DEFINITE recommend!!

The colors of the rocks and various land formations are really beautiful and we were fortunate enough to have seen them along with the fall foliage colors.

This is the best place in the Upper Peninsula (and there are a lot of great places to visit). This unit of the National Park Service has a lot to offer: beaches, hiking, waterfalls, lighthouses, shipwrecks, and of course the cliffs themselves. There is so much to do for outdoor recreation for all ages and accessibility and it goes beyond the pictured rocks themselves.

Unlike many Park System units, this one has free access (some select activities require a fee). They also participate in the Junior Ranger program, which is worth doing for kids. The rangers we met were knowledgeable and friendly. Spend at least a week in the area to take it all in.

When viewing Miner's Castle, there's a one-mile trail down to the beach that is to die for. Most people drive there, but the hike adds just enough challenge to really appreciate the views when you are there. So beautiful. Hike back up is a bit challenging but not bad!

Something to do for everyone. Well worth the visit. Beautiful overlooks and scenic drives. Beaches, educational and historical.

We only saw a very small portion of this place but what we saw was beautiful. The water is so clear and refreshing. The views are awesome. Definitely recommend it.

Beautiful, scenic stop in Michigan's U.P. We arrived late in the day without having done a lot of planning and didn't get to go on one of the cruises. I'd advise anyone to register and take a boat cruise to experience the park at its best.

Sharing some travel ideas/tips for visiting Picture Rocks.
Most places are relatively easy to get to with shorter hikes: Munising Falls, Sandpoint Beach, Miner's Castle, Miner's Falls (our favorite falls). Log Slide was super fun for the kids -- try to go at least 1/3 way down to see the amazing dune views.

Long hike to Chapel Rock and Beach, about 3mi from the parking lot to the beach. We backpacked via Mosquito Falls / River so an even longer hike but the views from the various cliffs were well worth it. We camped at the backcountry site and hardly anyone was there in the late afternoon. Do go early to get parking and the new bathrooms will be much appreciated by all.

Seeing the Picture Rocks from Lake Superior is a MUST. The cruise is the easiest (plus they give some good background), but the kayak looks more personal, and there's pontoon rentals too.
There are also campsites at the Munising campground with some sites essentially right off the beach and a couple of must-try food places (Cap'n Ron's & Muldoon) just minutes away.

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a beautiful place to visit. The shoreline cliffs are colored from the multiple minerals leaching through the soil. The layout of the shoreline reminded me of the Cliffs of Moher in Ireland. I had seen photos of the water but the photos don't do it justice. See it for yourself and I bet you'll agree. People in Munising and surrounding areas are very nice and the crowds weren't bad in the morning and late afternoon.

We enjoyed the narrated boat tour. The water was calm enough for us to get close to the rocks and the divers in one cove. (The kayakers seemed to struggle a little. 4 of us toured for the price of renting one kayak.)

The hiking was wonderful. The scenery absolutely beautiful. If doing kayaking tours, read fine print. Paddling Michigan was dishonest in their business practices with lazy guides. Very disappointing, but the park itself was stunning with great places to eat.

I hadn't really heard much about this lakeshore, but it is definitely worth seeing. Take the boat ride for sure; it's a good introduction to the area. The guides were funny and informative. Then hike around the area and look at the great waterfalls. Very enjoyable!

A "must see" if you really want to see pictured rocks. The boat goes about 15 miles out and a voice tells you what you are looking at and some history. Very informative. Only drawback: on the return trip, the wind really picked up and the last 20 minutes were cold. Dress prepared (we didn't).

We were there on a very rainy day, the resulting fog added to the drama of my pictures, but honestly, if you really want to see the beautiful rocks, you'll want to see them from the water.

We were supposed to have a cruise but it was cancelled so we drove and walked through the park. It was gorgeous and we found ourselves glad that we hadn't wasted 100 bucks on a cruise when we could see most of it up close ourselves.

The east side of the seashore is mostly sand dunes whereas the west side are colorful limestone cliffs. Both sides have visitor information centers.
On the west side, Miners Castle offers two stunning views of the colorful cliffs, rocks and powerful water storming the cliffs.
Nice restrooms.

We camped nearby and enoyed walking trails and enjoying the history and scenery of the area. Waterfalls, rock formations and interesting places to explore. We didn't do it this time but kayaking along the shores would be an excellent and beautiful adventure in this area!

The beach was quite busy, but very nice. Parking was easy. We weren't able to take a boat out to get the 'real' experience, but were quite surprised at the nice beach.

Pictured rocks is absolutely gorgeous. Views from the bottom definitely out beat ones from land. Don't get me wrong land views are gorgeous especially from log slide.

Cell reception is none existent so make sure you know where all you'd like to go

Booked the tour not really knowing what to expect because you can’t see much from the harbor. We had a slightly windy day so the boat rocked a bit which I think is great fun! But not everyone did. Once the boat neared the rock cliffs it slowed down a little so we could get a great view. There were so many of them — similar to looking at clouds, we all saw something different in the “pictures” the minerals formed. Truly amazing. The commentary was interesting and funny but not too much to distract from the awesomeness before our eyes.

It was my first time to the Upper Peninsula and I enjoyed seeing the beautiful Pictured Rocks. Take the boat tour for the best experience.

Friendly rangers ready to assist on hiking trails and water falls. Beautiful lakeshore. Hiked a few trails and viewed waterfalls. Mosquitoes were plenty! Viewed the sand dunes. Much to see, you should spend several days here. We did not see it all, but what we did was worth it.

Wow! This lakeshore is amazing!!! The colors are incomparable and doing the cruise late in the afternoon made them even better! All this oranges, green, pink, yellows and the waterfall... you need to go and see yourself!

We did the boat tour that went all the way out to the water fall. Our day was pretty chilly but we dressed for the weather This is a tour not to be missed.

Lots to see and go here. The weather did not cooperate with our plans to pontoon but we found plenty to see. Hiked to various waterfalls and enjoyed the views of the Pictured Rocks

Lake Superior is gorgeous! Beautiful beaches. We went to Minors Beach for a great view of Pictured Rocks! A very short walk to the beach.

We got to the trail head at 8:30 AM on a rainy Saturday morning only six other cars in the parking lot. We did the Mosquito falls and chapel falls via chapel loop hike counter clockwise. We enjoyed the terrain on this trail we consider it a moderate/rugged hike. We didn’t run into anyone until 5 miles in. After that around Chapel Beach and so on was pretty busy. But it is well worth it go see this place. It was our first time and we are already planning our trip back.

The national lakeshore offers something for everyone. If you don't like hiking but want to see the park? Book a boat cruise. Enjoy hiking? Trails abound in the park for every type of hiker. Some trails go deep in the quiet woods to roaring waterfalls, others head to the shore where you can enjoy the water and the views. Just don't be like the group we saw who vaulted over the fence designed for safety on the Miner's Falls trail. It's a long way to get help to you. Do bring bug spray and pay attention to weather reports. When the visitors' center opens again, stop here for information on the trails. This is a several day visit if you really want to explore the park.

Always a must see every time I come visit , I did the boat tour out to here didn't disappoint. Such an interesting feature

Beautiful boat trip out of Munising . Lake Superior is awesome ,the cliffs and waterfalls are wonderful .
If you can please make sure you see these things of beauty

Young children will not understand the beauty of this place but as an adult I believe if you live in Michigan it’s something everyone should see at least one time in there lives. It really is beautiful.

Hiked quite a bit of the shoreline and stopped at many of the waterfalls. This area is truly one of the most beautiful we've seen. Hiking was fairly easy and could be navigated by all ages.

Gorgeous! We took a private boat cruise to see the Lakeshore. Every turn is picture perfect. Make sure to see this from the water.

Number 1: YOU MUST GET ON THE WATER. It's the best way to see the rocks.
We kayaked - but anyway you can get on the water is going to be the best.

Number 2: Hiking out the Chapel rock is nice - a bit boring of a hike - but the payoff is nice. BUG SPRAY is a must in June!

Number 3: DEFINATELY do a day trip up to the north part. The logging slide and sable falls hikes are worth it!

Number 4: Go to Chapel falls beach - head all the way to the left end. There is a stream that comes into the lake. Much warmer water to play in!

Your National Park pass DOES work here!

Awesome cruise! We took the 5:00 Spray Falls tour for 2 hours. Hint: sit on the top deck right side! While the boat returns the same way so both sides see the same thing, when you sit on the right side you get real time information that you don’t get coming back. The tour is well worth it and very popular. Get there early to get a great seat.

If you are vising up north Michigan then don't miss this place. A very beautiful view of Lake Superior. Make in advance boat riding tickets so you don't miss the boat ride. Enjoy the beautiful nature.

Fall color hike of the Chapel Falls trail. To get there it’s a five mile drive down washboard board-bring 4x4. But parking is tight and facilities are primitive. In fact there are no benches or tables at the parking lot or anywhere along the trails. I dont recommend going after a rainy day, but Michigan weather is unreliable and hotel reservations are hard to get in the small town of Munising. The real question is: is it worth the trouble? That’s something we all need to decide, but the US Forest Service has done minimal efforts at the trails at Pictured Rocks, which is a shame. You’ll need really good waterproof boots to slop through the mud trails that are more like creek beds, after it rains. We spent 6 hours hiking 10 miles. The lakeshore is spectacular but hard to get to, it’s not like Grand Canyon where you can just drive up to the canyon. It’s not like Mt. Timpanogos cave trail which is paved and has benches and brand new bathrooms. Looks like this is designed to stay primitive intentionally which is a shame. There’s alot of room for improvement on this national treasure and anything less than 5 stars is the fault of the park service. That said, they have a nice small ranger station at Munising falls and a short 1/4 mile paved trail to that one waterfall. My recommendation is to do the Pictured rocks by boat and the Munising falls trail, unless you are up for a challenge probably only visit in Summer during good weather.

Very beautiful scenery! Worth the long drive. The boat ride is a must-see to see the cliffs and beautiful colors. The sunset cruise shows the best colors.

Pictured rocks was a highlight on our road trip of the UP. Highly recommend getting on the water for this. If you are able- do it in a kayak, but a boat is also a great option.

Did the last boat tour of the day. Truly enjoyed the beauty of it all. It was a windy day so we sat in the enclosed section of the boat, but still thoroughly enjoyed it

The cruise itself was nice, but we were quite disappointed with the independent operator cruise staff. Before we boarded, the captain explained the precautionary measures being taken to ensure our safety: half capacity, seating every other row, disinfecting and cleaning between cruises, stay seated and wear masks the entire time, no walking/running up and down the aisle, blah, blah, blah. Nope! #fail

On the upside, the views of this natural landscape was phenomenal, and the tiny hikers standing on top of the cliffs waving at us looked sooooo tiny that it emphasized the grandeur of these majestic rock formations. Glad we went. #puremichigan #summer2020

We rented a pontoon boat and checked out the sites. This is highly recommended - whether you take a tour or rent your own boat, this is something that you should do!!!

We took the 2-1/2 hr. boat tour along the shoreline and it was, in a word, Spectacular. The rock formations are amazing and they change over time due to erosion from the lake. A word of caution: If you're prone to motion sickness, avoid this tour when the water is rough.

This is such an incredible park. There are so many trails that vary in difficulty and it's just one of the most beautiful destinations in the midwest.

Go on the Chapel Rock hike - you need to see this rock formation. Plan to spend a few hours relaxing at Miners Beach. It is beautiful. If you can hike to Sable Falls and the Dunes they are wonderful. See the Pictured Rocks from one of the cruises - so worth the money. Just remember to take a warm jacket because it gets chilly out on the water.

One of the most gorgeous places in Michigan. I think that's saying a lot because Michigan is a beautiful state. Please see this place via boat or kayak. You won't regret it!

Let me start by emphasizing that there is more to this national lakeshore than the iconic colored sandstone cliffs. There are long hikes through dense forests to explore, marshlands to check out, massive sand dunes at the eastern margin to climb, and waterfalls to admire.

It should come as no surprise that there is a common thread of advice that this national lakeshore is best appreciated from the water. The other national lakeshore we had visited during the summer, Sleeping Bear Dunes, could be enjoyed from the land; it didn’t help that ferries to the Manitou Islands that would given visitors views from the water had been shut down. The famous multihued sandstone cliffs that give the park its name can be viewed in spots from land but out on Lake Superior was the place to be to see the cliffs and arches.

That being said we did explore Pictured Rocks Lakeshore mostly from the land. First we checked out the dunes at Grand Sable Banks on the far eastern end, specifically the Log Slide (see my review). We then viewed the nearby Sable Falls and hiked along the shore of Grand Sable Lake using the narrow and barely-visible part of the North Country Trail. We checked out the seemingly-endless 12-Mile Beach at Sullivan’s Landing.

On the western end, not too far from our base in Munising we visited Miners’ Falls and then caught the sunset at Miners’ Castle. We had a great view of the rock tower from the Upper Overlook. We elected not to visit the Lower Overlook at the tower but visit Miners’ Beach instead. The colored sandstone cliffs can be admired from Miners’ Beach and is a viable option for those not inclined to head out onto the water or those with limited time in the area. Bridalveil Falls can be seen from this beach off to the northeast; there was very little water coming down when we visited, the falls identifiable mainly as a purple-black vertical smear on the rock face, a result of the tannins in the river water staining the sandstone.

We visited in the fall and the number of cruises were reduced compared to the norm, perhaps because of the season as well as COVID restrictions. Having made the decision to visit the U.P fairly late I was no longer able to book the popular sunset cruise. This was compounded by a tactical mistake. Knowing how unpredictable the weather was going to be in the fall I thought to wait until a week before our 3-day stay in the area to monitor the weather forecast and book on the driest/sunniest day during our stay. I ended up just booking what was available and it turned out to be a cold, cloudy, and windy day. So windy that Lake Superior became very choppy once our cruise had left the relative shelter of the Munising Bay. It was a very choppy ride. My wife and I sat on the top deck for the best views but it was pretty cold up there. The pitching of the boat also made for difficult photography.

The national lakeshore is 42 miles long and the cliffs form 15 miles of this. The cliffs rise between 50 and 200 feet above Lake Superior. The colors are the result of the minerals in the rock and groundwater: red/orange (iron), blue/green (copper), brown/black (manganese) and white (limonite). These sandstone cliffs are truly ancient, consisting of the eponymous Munising Formation dating back to the Cambrian Period 550 million years ago. This formation was capped by the also eponymous Au Train formation of the Ordovician Period; the tougher Au Train rock resists erosion better than the softer Munising formation causing the former to be undercut resulting in the many interesting rock formations to be seen here.

We cruised to Castle Rock, along a smooth curved red-purple cliff face the captain called the ‘bath tub’ and made to the famous rock arch of Petit Portal or “Lover’s Leap”. The fall foliage of the forests atop the cliffs provided additional color on this otherwise drab day. This was to have been an almost 3-hour cruise but after barely an hour the water conditions had become so harsh the captain decided to return to port (we were given a partial refund). We were able to appreciate the grandeur of the lakeshore cliffs.

We could have spent even more time here. It would be amazing (if bitterly cold) to explore the frozen lakeshore and waterfalls during winter. Even in calm and warmer conditions of summer I would hesitate to take a rental sea kayak from Munising all the way to the cliffs and back; I am not a novice at this but I would be concerned my stamina would let me down. Kayaking from Miners’ Beach would be a far more reasonable approach in my mind.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a treasure worth the time and effort getting there.

I've lived in Michigan my whole life and can't believe it took me 56 years to see this. INCREDIBLE, the rock formations and colors, fall colors, crystal clear water and when the charter boat aligns it self with the rocks a row of ships appear from the rock out of nowhere. Tons of photo ops and a great time was had. I cant wait to bring some out of towners up there to see this. A MUST SEE.

The UP IS PURE BEAUTY! It’s simple and still wild- very little population and although people do come to see it- tourism all the way up to the Pictured Rocks Natl Lakeshore is still minimal. It’s DEFINITELY a must see!!! Very inexpensive. No frills. Majority of travelers stop at the Macinac Bridge and Island. Be sure to visit Kitch-it’s-Jupiter and Peninsula Point on the south side of the UP during your visit.

Stunning views of Lake Superior and Pictured Rocks. The boat cruise is quite scenic. The water was a little choppy so we were happy we decided against kayaks.

Pictured Rocks Cruises is a concessionaire authorized by the National Parks service and is an excellent way to check out the park. The views are breathtaking & the tour lasts 2 to 3 hours. Only problem was at the start the guide told the passengers on the left side of the boat not to worry about pictures as they would slow down or stop as they did going out, so we could take pictures. On the way back they slowed down 3 times, 2 for ten seconds and once for 20 seconds, never stopped and didn’t talk until we were approaching the dock. I would recommend you sit on the right side.

Exceptionally beautiful and so worth the trip. The waterfalls are gorgeous, the scenery is fantastic!

We've been going to the Munising area every year for over 35 years. There's a lot to see in the UP but this is a town we always hit. The entire Lake Superior shoreline has so many things to see and do that it's addictive! Lot's of easily accessible waterfalls or take a nice hike, gorgeous beaches, (we love Miners Beach) boat tours, and a nice town to explore. The Falling Rock Cafe is a neat spot to chill, eat light and have a coffee. Earl E Byrds has great food with large portions. Just too many good things to say about the area!

The lakeshore never gets old. Took the kids to see the more iconic rock formations before they are no longer there. We saw a lot of neat things by hiking, did not get to go on a boat tour but highly recommend it.

To really see this place, definitely schedule a kayak tour to get up close and personal with the rocks!

Pictured Rocks is a beautiful area. One tip: plan ahead in the summer! Only one of us was able to get a spot on the boat trip because everything was fully booked. Also, parts of the park were very crowded. We wanted to hike to Mosquito Falls, but cars were parked a mile from the trailhead. We turned around and enjoyed some less crowded spots, such as Munising Falls (lovely!) and the marsh boardwalk trail where we didn't see another soul. Sunset at Sandy Point Beach is a must, reminding one of the awe inspiring power of nature. I would note that many people we encountered would not wear masks (which are not mandated outdoors) and did not respect 6 feet of social distancing. If you can stay away from the crowds, though, you'll have a wonderful time at this beautiful spot on Lake Superior.

The only way to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is by water. The road to the actual park ends pretty far south and there are seven to ten miles of trails to take just to get to the features. So there are these boats and kayaks to be able to see them easier. Seems like Michigan just can’t properly put up signs anywhere. I never can find street signs or highway signs. There was construction in town in Munising which threw me off but I finally found the boat tour.

There were a LOT of people already in line. I got there at 10:30AM for the 11AM tour and was near the end of the line. I had no idea the boats were so big. Apparently they hold 330 people. So I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get one of the outdoor seats on the top or middle decks. I was able to get a window seat up front on the inside and was able to open the window. However, it was on the left side of the boat. They tell people it's no big deal to sit on the left. You see the same stuff coming back, but it really is better to sit on the right side of the boat because there is no narration on the way back and some features in the rocks don’t have the same effect coming from the opposite way. For a couple of the features the captain would turn the boat around so the left side could see.

I was one of the few people wearing a mask. Scary how no one is taking Covid seriously. With all the people I was initially nervous about the boat ride but it was fine. And it was a beautiful day! Sunny and 70 degrees. I didn’t even need to wear my hoodie. But I also was inside. Perhaps if I had an outside seat it would be more breezy and cold. The water was pretty calm inside the bay but once we got out into the main part of Lake Superior it was a bit more choppy.

There were a LOT of kayaks on the water since it was so nice. And just as the boat was turning so the left side could see an arch, one of the kayaks near us capsized and the crew brought the couple on board. Honestly I think both of them were too heavy to be in a kayak together and it sank. So they got a free boat ride. And the tour didn’t take much longer than the 2 hours despite the rescue.

Since the line was so long when I got there, I didn't get to see the gift shop until after the tour. They've got a lot of neat stuff. Did most of my souvenir shopping for friends here. And I was soooo happy to find plus size clothing! Anyone who needs 2X or more knows what I'm talking about. Even found a 5X shirt! My new favorite jammies. Very appreciative of that.

Pictured Rocks was beautiful. As for the guide we had “Soup” and he didn’t have a lot to say. We listened in to some of the other guides most of the time. Also save your energy because you will need it for the trip back. You kayake against the current. You would think you start at one location and would end at another. No, you backtrack the same route. Our group of 11 was a little disappointed. It was a neat experience and beautiful views but overall could have had a few improvements on the business end itself.

This is an interesting National Park in that it's hard to see the best features of the rocks inside the park itself. The best views are from the wayer. You can take one of many 2 hour cruise offerings from the town of Munising. (See reviews and details under those company listings.)

On the park lnd, there are a few hiking trails and waterfall. The easiest to access is the Miner's Castle Rock area with some handicapped access smooth trails and overlooks to a beautiful colorful cove with emerald water.

A long walk or short drive is Miner's Beach. This is as good as a Gulf Shores beach! Fine white sand beach, clear water, and great swimming conditions. Lake Superior can be pretty cold, but in late July it was great.Also nearby is Miner's Falls. We were too hungry and left before seeing this. TIP: Bring a lunch to beach area as there are great picnic tables under trees, including grills at each site.

Another popular area is the Chapel or Mosquito Falls trails -- accessed from the same trailhead and parking lot. This one is not at all handicapped accessible. The Chapel Falls trail is mostly level with some ups and downs. It was about 1.2 miles each way. Our phones tracked about 7,000 steps. You can continue further to Chapel Beach and then take another loop back.

You can also head a different direction from the trailhead to Mosquito Falls and Mosquito Beach. Wene remade it to either It had rained heavily the week before and this trail was very muddy, plus had a lot of uphill and downhill. I'm pretty confident that the trailhead map that said it was .7 miles away was not correct. This is a Moderate level trail, or harder when it's this wet.

All in all, glad we came -- though if you don't get out on the water in a boat, I would suggest some of the dozens of other beautiful hikes and waterfalls in Northern Wisconsin or Upper Peninsula of Michigan instead.

I’m giving them 5-stars even though out trip didn’t happen due to weather. A big bummer that it didn’t work out, they even made an announcement that they would give it a try. About 20 minutes in the trip the water was too rough and they returned. Because of that they still gave us a full refund.
A suggestion on a tshirt would be, “I went to see picture rock and all I got was this tshirt😂”

It was a great time, we only had one night and were tired from the driving. I was able to get one night reservation due to covid. Hence we needed more time to really get the full experience. We enjoyed Hurricane Campground. Absolutely wonderful. It was a rustic spot but we had rented an RV and were able to manage fairly well without using much of the generator. Note that the National parks don't have fill nor dumping stations. However they are such a gem.
It was really nice as the camping spots have a hook to hang a lantern, a gravel pad up high so that you can tent camp and stay high and dry. Plus we didn't see any bears...some in our group were disappointed while others were relieved. Lake superior is amazing.

This was on my backpacking wishlist for years. With covid cancelling my teen daughter's original plans this summer, the two of us backpacked the trail in four days, three nights.

Note this is a real backpacking trail - though it would be good for beginners, it requires conditioning, gear, and some basic skills. That said, it's an incredibly easy trail compared with the North Shore trails we usually backpack. We added some mileage for some scenic loops and ended up at 48 miles over our four days, backpacking from Munising to Grand Marais.

We stayed at Potato Patch, Beaver Creek, and Benchmark. All three were good but Beaver Creek was by far the best. Secluded in the middle of the wilderness area, with a private sandy beach, backpackers have this whole area to themselves. Benchmark was a very nice site, but its close proximity to roads meant that the backpacking area had plenty of non-backpackers who were noisy, littering, and drinking heavily, which was a shame as backpacking sites are usually quiet and secluded. Potato Patch was nothing special but provided a good place to spend the night.

The bugs weren't bad but long sleeves and pants definitely helped. Weather was good, and we really enjoyed the beautiful views.

This was my first visit to the southern shore of Lake Superior and I was surprised by the miles of soft, sandy beaches and stunning scenery. We did not budget nearly enough time to explore this area and take advantage of the miles of hiking trails. It was a slightly overcast day, but still beautiful. Of the many points of interest we enjoyed the short hike to Munsing Falls by the visitor center and the log slide with the 175 foot tall sand dunes.

Beautiful area. The best way to see Pictured Rocks is from a boat tour. But there are many great places along the shore that you drive by in the area. Wonderful area of the country. The drive to Grand Marais was pristine and so peaceful.

We came up to the U.P speciifically to see PIctured Rocks. We stayed in Marquette , which is about 30-45mins away depending on wherein park you go to. The coastline is really beautiful! It took some research beforehand to figure out exactly where to go since its a rather large area with lots of trails, falls, beaches etc. I had stumbled upon a website about it which told us where dogs are allowed since we were traveling with one of our dogs. Unfortunatley, we didnt find this website until after driving down a very very long dirt road to an area where you can hike to the coastline, only to find out dogs arent allowed. It appears that dogs are only allowed to about half the places in Pictured Rocks..so do your homework. We mostly did MIners Beach MIners’ Falls... we would like to have done more, but everything is spread out and again with the dog, it was difficult.

The rock formations around the lakeshore are absolutely beautiful. Best way to view is from a boat tour on the lake. Very worthwhile. The landscapes are artistic works of nature and be sure to have your camera ready. You'll have to go in good weather, when its spring, summer or early fall. Lake is frozen in the winter.

Absolutely stunning. Natures beauty is unmatched. It was absolutely worth the 2 hour drive from Mackinac City. This is a perfect day trip. Lots of places to get out and walk and picnic. Highly recommend

The tour was beautiful. We did the sunset spray cruise. Completely worth the time and money. Narration was good. Captain has a sense of humor. Only advice, get there early and sit on the right side of the boat. Lol

The park is beautiful. Very clean. Pet friendly. Clean bathrooms. Lots of benches along hiking destinations. Trails marked well.

It was one thing to see the rock formations from the water but seeing then forest that surrounds them was even better at this time of year. There were leaves in every shade imagineable. The trails were very clearly marked and it was fun to look down into the water to see Pictured Rocks from that angle. We are so blessed to have such beauty here in Michigan!

Most spectacular scenery of Yooper Country, not to missed! We were lucky to have a perfect day. A geologists dream!

We didn't really know what to expect seeing the Pictured Rocks, but we were more than surprised and amazed! We took a boat tour, which was really an up close and personal way to see the rocks. I highly recommend it. There are different POV to drive and there's areas to hike. We had beautiful weather so our photos were truly priceless. This is a MUST SEE if you are traveling in the UP.

First, to fully appreciate this area you must take one of the boat tours! The Park itself is beautiful, but you cannot get the full experience from the land only. There are hikes of all different lengths but the terrain is very mild in my opinion. We will be back!

Such great views. We went on a light rainy day, but it was still gorgeous. We kayaked with Uncle Ducky’s Paddle Michigan, would choose a different company though. Hiking along the coast and seeing all the waterfalls is breathtaking.

We had hoped to take a cruise to view the cliffs. But Lake Superior with five foot waves and wind was too rough. So we took in the sights from the land. Waterfalls, beaches, Miners Castle overlooks (3) a must. If you have the time, a hike into the sand dunes at the other end of the park (40 miles) near Grand Marais is worth the time. We hit the fall colors just anout right. Wow!.

What a wonderful place. There are miles and miles of hiking trails at all levels and waterfalls all around. Some of the waterfalls you can only see by boat, some you can only see by walking, and some you drive to and park on the side of the road. The weather in late summer was cool enough to hike comfortably. Scenic vistas all around. I was surprised at the scarcity of hikers on the trails at the National Park trails, and really only saw very many hikers at some of the big draws, like Chapel Falls and Mosquito Falls. By the way, Mosquito Falls had fewer mosquitoes than Chapel Falls when we were there. We weren't sure how long of a trip to plan, but this place is easy to do in one day, two days, three days, or a week or longer, because there's always another hiking trail or boating option. If you have just one day there, do the boat cruise first and then pick a couple of trails.

Absolutely beautiful. Waterfalls, beaches, sand dunes, lighthouse and trails. Several areas are dog friendly. The mosquitos and flies were horrible especially at the Sable Lighthouse. The flies bite.

Beautiful beach with rock formations and lots of hiking and waterfalls to see. Some trails were easy some tough so anyone can hike. Lots of older

It was definitely pretty! You can’t really see much from the shore unless you hike A LOT and for MILES. The first part we only walked a bit so that was nice. The water was beautiful. We decided not to drive to the other end, because we didn’t want to hike for more miles to see the waterfall. Maybe next time. I’d recommend a cruise if you want to actually see more.

Best viewed from the water, but the views are amazing. It is a must see when in the area! Make a boat tour reservation. Would best viewed on a Sunny day, as the sun will reflect off of the cliffs !

Absolutely amazing! If you are able, take the long 10-mile hike. You probably want to go clockwise (counter to what most people seem to do). Going to Mosquito Area first means you have the most difficult areas first, and then you walk along the spectacular lakefront to Chapel Rock/Beach. From the various lookout points along the way, you will see more than you could possibly see from the tourist boats. BTW, "Mosquito Area" sounds horrible, but we met many more chipmunks than mosquitos. Plan for the whole day, take your time, it's worth it. Only drawback: the access road to the parking lot is extremely bumpy, almost like driving off-road. The parking lot is too small, and what seemed like the last mile of the road was full of parked cars - inside the large park, all these visitors are spread out (nothing felt crowded), but access and parking is the eye-of-the-needle.

Beautiful area! Great hiking in the park. It’s worth the $5 for the map at the Visitor Center. Many areas are pet friendly but just as many are not (safety issue-bears) Very friendly people!

From our standpoint, the only way to see Pictured Rocks is to take the boat tour from Munising. We are not hikers, and this is a hikers paradise from the park point of view. The drive through (county road) is very nice and is paved. there are a lot of county roads in this area that are not.

This is a really big NP with lots of driving. I think the best way so see it is by boat, so there is the Pictured Rocks Cruise that you can see the shoreline. But if you would like to hike there are soooo many trails and waterfalls to see. There are two visitor centors, Munising Falls and Grand Sable. We stoped at the Munising Falls but the trail to the falls was washed away and needs major repairs so the trail was closed.

We enjoyed this park so much more than I even expected. Waterfalls, beaches, sand dunes, and of course the beautiful Lakeshore. So much to see in one area. It is likely you will lose cell services in some parts of the park so make sure you have directions to where you are going etc.

This overlook is a few miles off of route 28 but very worth the detour and if you are heading west, take H58 for even more beauty, especially in the fall. I was surprised that Pictured Rocks overlook was so uncrowded on a Sunday in October during peak color time. I was traveling west and my brother was traveling east and we met up here. Lovely spot for a family picture! The color, even in gloomy weather is amazing but we were fortunate to get a small window of hazy sun to light up this beautiful spot.

The look out area at miners castle is one of most beautiful spots in the Midwest. The blue-green waters, spreading into the deep blues of Lake Superior is breathtaking.

Hiked several falls and trails in the area as well as taking the Spray Falls Cruise.. lots of beautiful scenery

Unfortunate that I have lived in Michigan for nearly 60 years and am seeing this for the first time. And he made it in only one day!

Employees were very helpful providing information about the park. There were several areas to visit. Part of the main highway was closed so we had to drive further out of the way to reach the area we wanted to visit. Very nice area.

Probably the most beautiful place in the UP (but aren’t they all!). Magnificent drive and hiking to The PR Cliff as well as The PR Devil’s Slide logging view is an awe inspiring view. Check out the PR NL website before you go.

We decided to take the boat tour as the kayaking was sold out. It was well worth the price. We rode on the top of the boat, was able to view amazing ricks and take lots of pictures. beautiful, no trash or pollution and lots of space.

Went with family for a week. We actually rented a house in Grand Marais, not Munising.

The park is beautiful and has a variety of trails with varying levels of difficulty and length. My four year old was particularly fond of the log slide.

When we go back I will make it a point to take boat ride though.

Had a wonderful time in this park. Although our boat trip was cancelled due to weather and waves, we got to drive through the park and stop at all the pull outs. We still got to see magnificent views of the cliffs. At the end of the park is a little town right on the beach. We got to walk on the beach and enjoy the surf.

From waterfalls, to sand dunes, to beautiful lakes, to incredible coastlines the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was an amazing visit.

Take the sunset tour. Show up early if you want to pick your seat. We showed up 30 min before and still had window seats.

Sunset is a beautiful time for pictures both of the rocks and the sun setting.

Limited beverages for sale on the boat.

Doesn’t matter what side you sit in the boat, they spin it around for all to get up close views.

This was not my first experience with the Pictured Rocks Cruise Line. Each experience has been wonderful. We were on an ill fated cruise that encountered rough seas on July 6, 2021. The staff aboard ship was extremely polite, friendly, knowledgeable and accommodating. Because we were unable to complete our ride we were offered a refund. And the refund was given within 24 hours. That alone is amazing! I cannot say enough good things about this experience and this business. I would love to return. This cruise is very highly recommended.

It was bad. Have to sit on right side to see anything. Can’t stand up. It was horrible.Not for kids at all.
Same stuff to see. Don’t waste your time.

The pictured rocks national lakeshore is fascinating! How nature caved the rocks and “painted” the pictures are incredible! This is a must visit place, put in your bucket list! Definitely take the boat ride to see the entire 13 miles of the astonish shoreline. You will be amazed!!!

We enjoyed this scenic cruise with our best friends who were traveling with us.

It is the best way to see the pictured rocks and understand how they are formed.

We recommend the 2nd deck if the temperature is on the cold side.

Amazing views! Highly recommend Log Slide Overlook and Miner’s Castle for views if you are unable to take a tour.

A highlight of our cross country trip. Beautiful breathtaking diverse scenery and well done trails and directions.

Did not know this place existed until you got there.Very nice and a lot of activities on the water. Captain was informative on all parts of the lake

Must see and do the boat cruise.We are fortunate to have good weather.Our cruise departs at 4pm but we started waiting in line at 3 pm to get best seats/view.Take a screenshot of your ticket to present upon boarding.Amazing views,pictures dont do justice.

It's great seeing our national parks and Lakeshores, A truly great scene and take time to see it. People around the world come and see it

Excellent visit, recommend to all. Had planned this trip for months and very pleased with our experience. We rented a pontoon boat and loaded up a handful of toddlers and coolers for a long day trip. Rental company was super cool and after a brief instruction we were on our way. Rock formations are as amazing as any photo you will find. Water deep and clear. A few beaches to pull onto along the route. In our experience, boat option was best. You could however hike along the shoreline.

I’ve been to Pictured Rocks many times and each time it’s just as enjoyable as the last.

There’s several different ways you can see the falls. You can take a boat cruise, or kayak if you’d like. You can get certain views from the trails in the national park I believe as well.

I’ve done both the boat cruises and the kayaking and both were great!

The Lakeshore itself is a short boat ride from shore. The cliffs are vibrant colors and there are a lot of different rock formations that are really neat to see.

Many points of interest. Definitely worth checking out!

Beautiful area. Miner Falls trail was sandy and wide. About 1.2 miles round-trip but it was slopped down so the hike back was a little more difficult. The miners trail to miners rock also had some stairs but was boarded and pretty short.

Awesome place to visit. We did the Chapel-Mosquito Loop (10mi) early morning. Stunning views, beautiful falls and trails. We arrived around 7:30am and were one of the first in the parking lot. Hiked out at 12noon and it was packed! Go early or late to avoid the crowds. Pretty awesome hike

Must visit. Take a boat tour, trek to Chapel Rock and drive to Log slide overlook/dunes. That's minimum to do while here. Since you are around I recommend Tahquamenon Falls in Paradise. And if you have an evening to spare visit Presque Isle and Sugar Loaf Mountain in Marquette.

Such a relaxing and lovely place to visit and hike the numerous trails. Granted you can get some nice views, but for the best you need to go out on the lake.

Wow I have lived in Michigan my entire life and this is a must see/do and a must/see do again. We did the 10 mile loop to walk Pictured Rocks and beautiful Chapel waterfalls and the entire chapel loop. This trail is well marked and overall not too difficult—other than 10 miles. Obviously it took a long time, because you want to stop at every scenic opportunity.

The boat ride was a little chilly and it was cloudy with a few rain drops. However, we were prepared for this. The captain and all crew members were excellent. The Captain, who was also the narrator, was very knowledgeable and added comedy and a little extra in many of his comments. The rock formations are excellent to see and well worth the time and many.

The day we were there it was rough water, but the cruise was well organized and safety of the customer was first. Beautiful ride and historic value as you view rocks that has a beauty all it's own. Worth every penny!

We viewed the rocks by boat, and they were beautiful. If you visit the UP, this is a must-see place. I recommend a boat tour as you can view more of the rocks. This is one of the prettiest places in all of Michigan.

Definitely worth the stop to see this site. We had a chance to see it both from a cruise and close up on a hike and the views were incredible. We were also fortunate enough to see it as the leaves were changing in fall, making the views of the Lakeshore even better.

Pictures can hardly to justice...absolutely breathtaking! There are places along the shoreline where you honestly feel like you are in another country. The Log Slide was the hidden gem of our vacation. I could have stayed there all day!

This area is outstanding. Have to see it from the water. Highly recommend the boat/kayak combo tour. We didn’t rent a pontoon boat but wish we had. Next time ...

Gorgeous park with such clear turquoise and blue water. There are many beautiful trails like the miners falls trail but the easiest place to reach takes the cake. The miners castle overlook area is a really stunning view.

The geography is amazing, the geology stunning. The cliffs and trails are wonderful and accessible for old, young, super in shape people and everyone in between. Whether you want an easy 5 minute walk or any week of hiking and camping, you can do it at Pictured Rocks. Good for families, couples of solo travelers.

Pictured Rocks gives you a little of everything. There are miles and miles of trails to hike. You can swim in the lake or lay out on the beach. For the daring there is even a ledge that you can jump off into the lake....and this is all free. To really get a close up view of the lake shore a boat cruise or a kayak tour is recommended. No matter what you do it will be an unforgettable experience.

Recommend sitting on the side of the boat you see as you board. The cptn stopped the boat a few times, and turned it around, so both sides could see and take photos, but the recommended side of the boat gets all the information as you head out. At one point the boat turns around and comes back so passengers on the left side will also get to see everything but not during the commentary.
We rushed to sit at the open top deck, but even on a day in the mid-70s, it was cold and windy and we had to hang onto our hats. On the way back, we were cold, so we decided to go to the bottom level. We actually enjoyed standing at the back of the boat more than we had sitting on the upper deck. We were looking straight on at the rocks, rather than looking down, and it really offered good perspective on the magnitude of the rocks. You can easily do both things.

While seeing the beautifully colored sandstone cliffs along the lakeshore from the water, the National Lakeshore’s version of a scenic drive, is the main attraction of Pictured Rocks for good reason, be sure not to overlook the many other surprising good features of the park; a nice sandy beach, numerous trails of all lengths, an historic lighthouse, forests, wetlands, sand dunes and numerous waterfalls.

Pictured Rocks impressed us first time visitors with interesting hiking, big beautiful beaches and stunning scenery. We took a sunset boat tour to see the multi-colored rocks and rock formations which was excellent and I highly recommend. We did some hiking on the North Country trail that passes through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and loved it. Saw some shipwreck remnants close to the shore on the Au Sable Lighthouse trail. Didn't encounter much for mosquitoes but the biting flies were irritating on some of the trails. I've heard the bugs are way worse in the summer so we feel early Fall is a good time to go. It's a lot of driving between points of interest but the main road was easy to follow from Munising to Grand Marais. Fall is not a good time to see the waterfalls because some of the smaller ones are seasonal and dried up by late summer; Still, we enjoyed the bigger falls we saw that were still going. I want to return later in the fall when the leaves change color.

This is the first time that we took our dog to Pictured Rocks and it was extremely frustrating trying to figure out in advance where he was allowed and where he was not allowed, so I wanted to post this updated information for other dog owners out there. I am attaching a picture of an official map we found at Miners Falls that shows very clearly where dogs are allowed (note the black icon with the dog circled) and where they are not allowed (note the red icon with a slash through the dog). Why this isn't readily available on the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore web site pet page is beyond me, but here it is!

Access to dogs is much wider than it was just a few years ago, so beware of the outdated pdfs that are still online. He was allowed at most of the waterfalls, on several beaches, and on many of the trails (the notable exception being the entire North Country Trail that runs along Lake Superior). All of the trails that we saw within the park itself were very clearly marked as to whether pets were allowed.

It is a gorgeous area, obviously, and now well worth bringing your dog!

We arrived late in Munising, MI but was able to catch the last boat ride at 6:00 PM to the the famous Pictured Rocks. We enjoyed the open air boat ride to the rocks and took in the sand stone complexities formed millions of years ago. This venue well worth the visit to one of Michigan's UP attractions.

My previous two visits were only hiking above, and this trip we discovered that from the water perspective (in our case tour boat) one better understands the name of this National Park.

The sandstone bluffs are streaked beautifully for miles with millions of years worth of mineral deposits of varying colors,
eg. green and blue from copper, red from iron, black from manganese, white from calcium, etc..

Always enjoy this area! Can't recommend it enough! We lucked into arriving during the peak color season in the fall, and blessed with good weather.

The area is beautiful. You must kayak AND take a tour on a boat!!!! Grand island tour was really cool. Hike the major waterfalls!!!

It was drizzling but we followed the roads and found the platforms so we could take pictures of Picture Rock - very interesting.

Went on the Pictured Rocks Boat Tour and it was incredible! Beautiful scenery, great boat, and friendly workers. I highly recommend.

Beautiful sculptured rocks at Pictured Rock National Park on the coastline of Lake Superior UP Michigan. A beautiful day.

There are many great views in the park. However, their main bathroom facility is closed for renovation and it is a long walk if you are handicapped to their alternate restroom.

Great staff and easy, very fun! Tandem kayaks unloaded/loaded off the back end of boat. We had great sunny weather and the water was calm.