Best Driving Vacations 2024: Explore the Northern Shore of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula
Here are some of the best ways to discover the UP’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, by land and sea.
As spring breaks beckon and better weather is on the horizon, many thoughts turn to vacation destinations. With a focus on the creme de la creme — vital, accessible and unforgettable voyages that every central Ohio resident should put on his or her bucket list — we offer suggestions that will appeal to most everyone.
From a circle tour of “our Great Lake” to the architectural wonders of a modernist sister city three hours away, these four extraordinary adventures are wonderful ways to widen your horizons in 2024.
Today's installment is Part 1 of 4 destination packages from Columbus Monthly's annual travel guide. We hope you enjoy.
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
With a combination of stunning views, maritime and geological history and a variety of outdoor activities, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore — the first National Lakeshore in the United States — is a long weekend retreat for outdoors enthusiasts. The eight-and-a-half-hour drive to Pictured Rocks may seem daunting, but it goes quickly, especially with the 75 mph speed limit on I-75, Michigan’s superhighway to the north. The journey provides glimpses of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan, a drive over the nearly 5-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, and many roadside places along the way to purchase whitefish, fudge and pasties (root vegetables and beef folded into a pastry shell).
At Pictured Rocks, the waves and winds of Lake Superior have sculpted sandstone cliffs over millions of years, providing many stunning geological scenes. Visitors can experience sea caves, arches, turrets, spires and Chapel Rock, an iconic sandstone structure topped with a lone white pine, whose roots bridge it to the mainland.
And day hiking opportunities are plenty, with 42 miles of hiking trails. You can explore sand dunes, streams and rivers feeding Lake Superior. Hardwood forests of hemlock, American beech, maple and white pine and wetlands and cedar glades provide a rich assortment of terrain for serious hikers and backpackers.
There are a multitude of ways to experience the area, with perspectives (and colors) changing dramatically based on mode of transit.
Explore Pictured Rocks by sea
While the forests and some of the sculpted elements of Pictured Rocks can be appreciated by foot, the intricate layers of color staining the sandstone are best viewed from frigid Lake Superior. The Upper Peninsula is rich in minerals (which is why Michiganders claim they won the Toledo War in 1835-36, when their state gained the peninsula and Ohio retained Toledo). Iron, copper, manganese and limonite in the groundwater that spills through the cliffs provide deep reds and oranges, blue and green, brown and black, and white tints, respectively.
An official concessionaire of the National Park Service, Pictured Rocks Cruises offers several two-and-a-half-hour trips a day, as well as a sunset cruise. An open upper-deck and congregation area on the back of the vessel allows for plenty of picture taking, though at some point, it’s good to put aside the phone and just take in the scenes. Tours include a jaunt to one of the boat-size sea caves, which invariably includes a dad joke about not knowing how to back out.
Kayaking tours, which allow for a closer perspective of the cliffs, are also available through Pictured Rocks Kayaking. If the lake is choppy or it’s particularly windy (usually accompanied by a small craft advisory warning issued by the National Weather Service), the tour will be canceled and refunds will be issued.
Finally, water-top views of the nearby Alger Underwater Preserve are offered through Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours, based out of Munising, just west of Pictured Rocks. Boat tours include shipwreck sites, rock cliffs and caves, a historic lighthouse and views of Grand Island and Munising Bay. And be on the lookout for bald eagles that nest along the shoreline.
See the sights of Pictured Rocks by land
Backpacking Pictured Rocks takes considerably more planning and requires backcountry camping permits and campsite reservations, which go on sale for the year on Jan. 1. The trail runs along Lake Superior — sometimes on the beach and sometimes on cliffs, 50 to 200 feet above the water.
Exploring on foot provides opportunities not easily available otherwise. Stops along the way include Miners Beach and Miners Castle, Sevenmile Creek, Au Sable Light Station (completed in 1874), views of fish jumping upstream to spawn in Hurricane River, an opportunity to sit atop the 70-foot Spray Falls, and access to Grand Sable Dunes. And Lake Superior, with its Caribbean-esque color, is always a guide. (It’s difficult to get lost on this trek.)
Driving logistics — which include securing a parking pass and booking a shuttle for the return to the car — should be sorted out in advance, as there is no cellphone service. And from May to October, bug spray (with DEET) and netting is essential to avoid the incessant mosquitos, stable flies and biting black flies of the area.
Where to stay at Pictured Rocks
Pictured Rocks Inn and Suites won’t be the star of your Instagram posts, but the Munising hotel is clean, centrally located and boasts a friendly staff. For outdoor stays, Munising Tourist Park Campground is an expansive lakeside field (think: rows of tents and RVs) with car camping amenities such as showers, electricity and potable water. In addition to backcountry camping, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore offers three drive-in campgrounds at Little Beaver Lake, Twelvemile Beach and Hurricane River. picturedrocksinn.com, munisingtouristpark.com, nps.gov/piro
Side trip to Marquette
About 45 miles away from Pictured Rocks is charming Marquette, the home of Northern Michigan University. Visit Lakenenland Sculpture Park, a free roadside attraction about 14 miles east of Marquette, with more than 100 whimsical sculptures created by iron welder Tom Lakenen. The park is never closed and can accommodate snowmobiles, vehicles and pedestrians. In Marquette proper, check out Blackrocks at Presque Isle Park, where (if you can summon the courage) you can join the college students in cliff jumping during the summer. Close the day with a stroll of downtown Marquette’s shops and a whitefish dinner at the historic Vierling Restaurant. travelmarquette.com
This story is from the Best Driving Vacations package in the February 2024 issue of Columbus Monthly.