Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Encyclopedia
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Upper Peninsula of Michigan
The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that make up the U.S. state of Michigan. It is commonly referred to as the Upper Peninsula, the U.P., or Upper Michigan. It is also known as the land "above the Bridge" linking the two peninsulas. The peninsula is bounded...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It extends for 42 miles (67 km) along the shore and covers 73236 acre (114 sq mi; 296 km²). The park offers spectacular scenery of the hilly shoreline between Munising, Michigan
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
and Grand Marais, Michigan
Grand Marais, Michigan
Grand Marais is an unincorporated community in Burt Township, Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is located on Lake Superior at and is the eastern gateway to the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore via H-58....
, with various rock formation
Rock formations in the United States
The following is a partial list of rock formations in the United States, by state:-Arizona:*Canyon de Chelly National Monument**Spider Rock*Chiricahua National Monument**Duck on a Rock**Organ Pipe**Mushroom Rock**Sea Captain*Monument Valley...
s like natural arch
Natural arch
A natural arch or natural bridge is a natural geological formation where a rock arch forms, with an opening underneath. Most natural arches form as a narrow ridge, walled by cliffs, become narrower from erosion, with a softer rock stratum under the cliff-forming stratum gradually eroding out until...
ways, waterfall
Waterfall
A waterfall is a place where flowing water rapidly drops in elevation as it flows over a steep region or a cliff.-Formation:Waterfalls are commonly formed when a river is young. At these times the channel is often narrow and deep. When the river courses over resistant bedrock, erosion happens...
s, and sand dune
Dune
In physical geography, a dune is a hill of sand built by wind. Dunes occur in different forms and sizes, formed by interaction with the wind. Most kinds of dunes are longer on the windward side where the sand is pushed up the dune and have a shorter "slip face" in the lee of the wind...
s.
Pictured Rocks derives its name from the 15 miles (24 km) of colorful sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
cliffs northeast of Munising. The cliffs are up to 200 feet (60 m) above lake level. They have been naturally sculptured into shallow caves, arches, formations that resemble castle turrets, and human profiles, among others. Near Munising visitors also can view Grand Island, most of which is included in the Grand Island National Recreation Area
Grand Island National Recreation Area
The Grand Island National Recreation Area is a National Recreation Area within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service. It is part of the Hiawatha National Forest. Located on Grand Island, Michigan offshore from Munising, Michigan, the Grand Island National Recreation Area covers approximately ...
and is preserved separately.
The U.S. Congress made Pictured Rocks the first officially-designated National Lakeshore in the United States in 1966. It is governed by the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
(NPS), had 22 year-round NPS employees as of May 2006, and received 476,888 visitors in 2005.
Geology and history
The colors in the cliffs are created by the large amounts of minerals in the rock. The cliffs are composed of the Munising Formation of 500 million year old Cambrian period sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. The Munising Formation sits atop a Precambrian
Precambrian
The Precambrian is the name which describes the large span of time in Earth's history before the current Phanerozoic Eon, and is a Supereon divided into several eons of the geologic time scale...
sandstone of the Jacobsville Formation. The mottled red Jacobsville Formation is the oldest rock in the park. On top of the Munising Formation is the younger Au Train Formation from the Ordovician period. The Au Train Formation is a hard sandstone and acts as a "cap" over the other layers. Streaks on the face of the cliffs come from the groundwater leaching out of the rock. With it come iron
Iron
Iron is a chemical element with the symbol Fe and atomic number 26. It is a metal in the first transition series. It is the most common element forming the planet Earth as a whole, forming much of Earth's outer and inner core. It is the fourth most common element in the Earth's crust...
(red), manganese
Manganese
Manganese is a chemical element, designated by the symbol Mn. It has the atomic number 25. It is found as a free element in nature , and in many minerals...
(black-white), limonite
Limonite
Limonite is an ore consisting in a mixture of hydrated iron oxide-hydroxide of varying composition. The generic formula is frequently written as FeO·nH2O, although this is not entirely accurate as limonite often contains a varying amount of oxide compared to hydroxide.Together with hematite, it has...
(yellow-brown), copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
(pink-green) and other minerals. As the water evaporates, these minerals leave streaks of color.
Although the Pictured Rocks lie adjacent to sections of Lake Superior that are rich in fish, the sandstone cliffs are dangerous to canoes and other open boats skirting the coastline. Pierre Esprit Radisson, the fur trader, made this risky passage in 1658 and noted that his Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
companions offered some tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
to the local spirit of the cliffs.
During the Romantic Era
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
of the 1800s, a series of American writers described their feelings upon sight of the Pictured Rocks. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft visited in 1820 and remarked upon "some of the most sublime and commanding views in nature". As long ago as 1850 developers planned a tourist resort, Grand Island City, adjacent to the Pictured Rocks near the current site of Munising.
After the lumbering era ended around 1910, many of the parcels of land making up the current Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore reverted to the state of Michigan for unpaid property taxes. Eager for federal help and recognition, the state cooperated with the federal government in the region's redevelopment. Congress enacted a law in 1966 to elevate the shoreline between Munising and Grand Marais to the status of a National Lakeshore.
In October 1966, Congress passed a bill authorizing the establishment of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, “in order to preserve for the benefit, inspiration, education, recreational use, and enjoyment of the public, a significant portion of the diminishing shoreline of the United States and its related geographic and scientific features.” When President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Lyndon Johnson signed the bill, Alger County
Alger County, Michigan
Alger County is a county in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,601. Its county seat is Munising. The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located within the county.-History:...
became the home of America’s first National Lakeshore.
On March 30, 2009, the Omnibus Public Land Management Act
Omnibus Public Land Management Act
The Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 is a law passed in the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 30, 2009.-110th Congress:...
was signed into law, protecting 11740 acres (47.5 km²) of Pictured Rocks as the Beaver Basin Wilderness
Beaver Basin Wilderness
The Beaver Basin Wilderness is a United States Wilderness Area located in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It covers an area of . It borders of Lake Superior shoreline. The North Country Trail has of trail in the wilderness area....
.
Access and accessibility
Munising, on the western end of the lakeshore, is accessed by M-28M-28 (Michigan highway)
M-28 is an east–west state trunkline highway that almost completely traverses the Upper Peninsula in the U.S. state of Michigan, from Wakefield to near Sault Ste. Marie in Bruce Township...
and M-94
M-94 (Michigan highway)
M-94 is a state trunkline in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs for from K. I. Sawyer to Manistique. The highway is part of the Lake Superior Circle Tour during a concurrency with M-28. M-94 crosses the Siphon Bridge in Manistique, unique for the fact that the bridge roadway...
. Grand Marais, on the eastern end, is reached by M-77
M-77 (Michigan highway)
M-77 is a state trunkline highway in the Upper Peninsula of the US state of Michigan. It runs from US Highway 2 near Blaney Park in the south to Grand Marais in the north. The highway borders the Seney National Wildlife Refuge. The northern half has been designated as a Scenic Spur of the Lake...
.
Paved highways penetrate part way into the lakeshore from both ends. Travelers seeking to drive from one end of the lakeshore to the other must use County Road H-58. Roads only come close to the shoreline near Miners Castle, 12 Mile Beach, and the Grand Sable Dunes. The rest of the shoreline is only seen from land by hiking.
A 42-mile (67-km) section of the North Country Trail
North Country Trail
The North Country National Scenic Trail , which stretches approximately from Crown Point in eastern New York to Lake Sakakawea in central North Dakota in the United States, is the longest of the eleven National Scenic Trails authorized by Congress...
spans the lakeshore.
Pictured Rocks Cruises offers daily trips from Memorial Day
Memorial Day
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May. Formerly known as Decoration Day, it originated after the American Civil War to commemorate the fallen Union soldiers of the Civil War...
weekend through October 10. Sea kayak
Kayak
A kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle.The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler...
ing is a popular method of exploring the park. While this may be the best way to see the natural formations, it is a serious trip in dangerous and cold water, which should not be undertaken lightly or without proper equipment. Guides are available. The most efficient port of entry to Pictured Rocks, for a sea kayak, is from the harbor at Munising
Munising, Michigan
Munising is a city on the southern shore of Lake Superior on the Upper Peninsula of the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,539. It is the county seat of Alger County...
.
Camping must be done only in designated areas, and is strictly regulated by the National Park rangers.
Winter sports activities include cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing
Cross-country skiing is a winter sport in which participants propel themselves across snow-covered terrain using skis and poles...
, snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
ing, snowmobiling, and ice fishing
Ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice anglers may sit on the stool in the open on a frozen lake, or in a heated cabin on the ice, some with bunks and amenities.-Locations:It is a popular pastime...
.
Pictured Rocks has worked to make much of its rugged environment accessible, including the following:
- Interagency Visitor Center, Munising Falls Interpretive Center, and Miners Castle Information Station in Munising
- Grand Sable Visitor Center in Grand Marais
- Each drive-in campground has at least one handicapped accessible campsite with an extended picnic table, boardwalk, pedestal fire grate, and nearby rest room.
- Log Slide overlook
- All Miners Castle overlooks (however, the lower overlook trail includes stairs and is steep)
- Munising Falls viewing platform trail is paved.
- Boardwalk at the Sand Point Marsh Trail. A large-print guide is available.
- Sand Point beach parking and sidewalks are paved. There is a fully accessible picnic site. The boardwalk enables visitors to go part of the way to Lake Superior.
Points of interest
From west (Munising) to east (Grand Marais):
- Munising FallsMunising FallsMunising Falls is a waterfall located in Munising in the western-most portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County. The falls drops about over a sandstone cliff. With the exception of the spring thaw, the amount of water falling is relatively small...
and Interpretive Center - Sand Point: National Lakeshore Headquarters
- Miners Castle: Rock formation, paved road to overlook
- Significantly altered by a major rockfall on April 13, 2006
- Miners RiverMiners RiverThe Miners River is a river in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It is the largest river in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Miners River has its origin outside of the National Lakeshore, near Ginpole Lake in the Hiawatha National Forest, and flows for over 8 miles into Lake Superior. Miners...
, including Miners Lake and Miners FallsMiners FallsMiners Falls is a waterfall located on Miners River in the western portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County, Michigan. The falls drops about over a sandstone outcrop with a crest. The falls can be accessed by trail, with stairs leading to a lookout.-References:**...
. Empties into Lake SuperiorLake SuperiorLake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
near Miners Beach. - Miners FallsMiners FallsMiners Falls is a waterfall located on Miners River in the western portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County, Michigan. The falls drops about over a sandstone outcrop with a crest. The falls can be accessed by trail, with stairs leading to a lookout.-References:**...
, interpretive trail - Grand Portal Point: rock formations
- Mosquito Falls
- Mosquito River
- Chapel Rock
- Chapel Falls
- Beaver Basin WildernessBeaver Basin WildernessThe Beaver Basin Wilderness is a United States Wilderness Area located in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It covers an area of . It borders of Lake Superior shoreline. The North Country Trail has of trail in the wilderness area....
- Twelvemile Beach
- Shipwrecks
- White Birch Forest
- Au Sable Point: Au Sable LightAu Sable LightAu Sable Light is an active lighthouse in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore west of Grand Marais, Michigan off H-58. Until 1910, this aid to navigation was called "Big Sable Light" .-History:The Au Sable Light Station was built in 1874...
- Log Slide
- Grand Sable DunesGrand Sable DunesGrand Sable Dunes cover a 5-mile stretch along the southern shore of Lake Superior in the upper peninsula of Michigan in the eastern portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore....
- Grand Sable LakeGrand Sable LakeGrand Sable Lake is an undeveloped lake in Michigan's Upper Peninsula near the town of Grand Marais, Michigan. It lies within the boundaries of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore....
- Sable FallsSable FallsSable Falls is a waterfall located on Sable Creek in the eastern-most portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County, Michigan. The main access road to the falls is H-58 west of Grand Marais, Michigan. The falls tumbles 75 feet over Munising and Jacobsville sandstone formations. ...
and Interpretive Center
Waterfalls
Tahquamenon Falls
The Tahquamenon Falls are two different waterfalls on the Tahquamenon River. Both sets are located near Lake Superior in the eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The water is notably brown in color from the tannins leached from the cedar swamps which the river drains...
, some 75 miles (120.7 km) east, to Laughing Whitefish Falls, 30 miles (48.3 km) miles west of the Lakeshore. Pets are not allowed on most of the trails.
- Munising FallsMunising FallsMunising Falls is a waterfall located in Munising in the western-most portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County. The falls drops about over a sandstone cliff. With the exception of the spring thaw, the amount of water falling is relatively small...
—A 50 feet (15.2 m) waterfall over a sandstone cliff. Along the trail may be seen ferns, wildflowers, and an occasional mink. The trail is fully accessible. - Miners FallsMiners FallsMiners Falls is a waterfall located on Miners River in the western portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County, Michigan. The falls drops about over a sandstone outcrop with a crest. The falls can be accessed by trail, with stairs leading to a lookout.-References:**...
—This self-guiding interpretive trail passes Miners Basin and ends at Miners Falls. There are 77 steps leading down to the viewing platform. The falls drops 50 feet (15.2 m) over the sandstone outcrop.
- Bridalveil Falls—Bridalveil is a seasonal waterfall. In the summer, it may not exist or be only a trickle.
- Mosquito Falls—This falls drops over an 8 feet (2.4 m) rock shelf on the Mosquito River. River otters and beavers live in the stream along the trail.
- Chapel Falls—Two viewing platforms along the way provide views of the scenic Chapel Basin. Chapel Falls cascades some 60 feet (18.3 m) down the sandstone cliffs on its way to Chapel Lake.
- Spray Falls—This waterfall is best seen from Lake Superior. The 1856 shipwreck of the Superior is at the base of the falls in 20 feet (6.1 m) of water.
- Sable FallsSable FallsSable Falls is a waterfall located on Sable Creek in the eastern-most portion of the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Alger County, Michigan. The main access road to the falls is H-58 west of Grand Marais, Michigan. The falls tumbles 75 feet over Munising and Jacobsville sandstone formations. ...
- Sable Falls tumbles 75 feet (22.9 m) over several cliffs of Munising and Jacobsville sandstone formations on its way to Lake Superior.
Grand Sable Dunes
The Grand Sable Dunes, at the eastern end of the Lakeshore, are a perched dune formation. Sand washed ashore by waveWave
In physics, a wave is a disturbance that travels through space and time, accompanied by the transfer of energy.Waves travel and the wave motion transfers energy from one point to another, often with no permanent displacement of the particles of the medium—that is, with little or no associated mass...
action was then blown upslope by northerly prevailing winds
Prevailing winds
Prevailing winds are winds that blow predominantly from a single general direction over a particular point on Earth's surface. The dominant winds are the trends in direction of wind with the highest speed over a particular point on the Earth's surface. A region's prevailing and dominant winds...
until it came to rest atop a glacial moraine
Moraine
A moraine is any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions, such as those areas acted upon by a past glacial maximum. This debris may have been plucked off a valley floor as a glacier advanced or it may have...
. The Grand Sable Dunes today form a sand slope that rises from Lake Superior at a 35° angle. The summits of the tallest dunes are as high as 275 feet (85 m) above lake level.
Climate and weather
Further reading
- Stonehouse, Frederick. Dangerous Coast: Shipwrecks of Pictured Rocks, Avery Color Studios, June 1997. ISBN 093221293X.
External links
