Mineral-streaked cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Home / Guides / Munising and Pictured Rocks

Upper Peninsula, Michigan

Munising and Pictured Rocks

The gateway to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: streaked sandstone cliffs, sea arches, waterfalls, and the clearest Lake Superior water.

13 things to do8 free2 ready-made trips

Photo: Mineral-streaked cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain

Munising sits on a bay of Lake Superior at the west end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The cliffs, stained red, orange and green by minerals, run for miles to the east like a painted wall.

Waterfalls are everywhere. Munising Falls is right in town, and Miners Falls, Chapel Falls and Sable Falls are inside the lakeshore. Be adventurous and chase them all.

Show

Free No charge to enter · Cheap A small entry, permit or parking fee · Paid Tickets, tours or rentals

Outdoors and nature

Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.

Munising Falls in winter
Free

Munising Falls

A short paved walk to a 50-foot falls in a sandstone grotto, right by town.

Miners Castle above Lake Superior
Free

Miners Castle

A sandstone formation and overlook above Lake Superior, with stairs down to views of the cliffs.

Free

Chapel Falls and Chapel Rock

A longer hike past a waterfall to Chapel Rock, a pillar with a pine growing on top.

Free

Miners Beach and Miners Falls

A sandy Superior beach and a forest walk to a waterfall.

Free

Sable Falls and Grand Sable Dunes

A waterfall stairway down to the beach, near giant dunes at the east end.

Free

Log Slide Overlook

A dizzying view from the top of a huge sand dune over Lake Superior and Au Sable Point.

Cheap

Wagner Falls

A short boardwalk to a waterfall just south of town. Recreation Passport needed for parking.

Paid

Pictured Rocks Cruises

Boat tours along the cliffs from the Munising dock.

Season Runs roughly May–mid-Oct (check before you go).

Paid

Glass-bottom shipwreck tour

See shipwrecks in Munising Bay through a glass-bottom boat.

Season Roughly late May–Sept (check before you go).

Sights and attractions

Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.

Au Sable Light Station
Free

Au Sable Light Station

An 1874 lighthouse reached by an easy walk along the shore at the east end.

Paid

Grand Island

A large island across the bay with trails and beaches, reached by passenger ferry in summer.

Book a tour or activity

Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.

Tour

Guided sea kayaking at Pictured Rocks

Guided kayak trips along the cliffs. Seasonal and weather-dependent.

Season Seasonal, check official site.

Also bookable, listed above

These are in the lists above, so we don't repeat them here.

Part of our Upper Peninsula guides.

Make it a weekend

Why stay the night

  • The cliffs by boat and the waterfall hikes are two different days.
  • Superior sunsets at Miners Beach are long and late in summer.
  • Grand Marais and the Grand Sable Dunes at the east end take a full day.
Book flights, cars and tours on Vulpeca Travel ↗

Nearby and worth the drive

Mackinac Islandabout 2 h 30 · Guide ↗

A car-free island via the Mackinac Bridge.

Grand Marais, Michiganabout 60 min

Grand Sable Dunes and Au Sable Light Station.

Ready-made trips with Munising and Pictured Rocks

Good to know

  • Pictured Rocks: nps.gov/piro. Some roads and trails close in winter.
  • Tourism: munising.org.
  • We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.

Photos on this page

Photo: Mineral-streaked cliffs of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Victoria Stauffenberg, Public domain

Photo: Munising Falls in winter, NPS, Public domain

Photo: Miners Castle above Lake Superior, rboed*, CC BY 2.0

Photo: Au Sable Light Station, Joe Passe, CC BY-SA 2.0

My trip (0)