Your next northern destination
All the places you should stop on your next trip to Pictured Rocks.
By Isabelle Abraham
If you’re looking for a fun adventure this fall, Pictured Rocks in Munising, MI, is a flawless choice.
There, trees dappled with colorful leaves stand stark against the striped stone cliffs. Instead of sweating under the searing summer sun, warm jackets and thick knit hats ward against the sharp bite of Lake Superior’s cooling winds.
Earlier this fall, after booking a small cabin with a flimsy heater and selling our souls for a full tank of gas, my friends and I set out for adventure.
Our first stop was Miner’s Beach. We arrived at the beach exactly five minutes before the sun slipped below the horizon. We rushed along the sandy path, the pink-tinted clouds pulling us from the cover of trees.
If you’ve never been to Miner’s Beach before, you should add it to your bucket list. Especially to see the sunset.
As we stood on that beach, pink, orange and purple light painted itself across the horizon. The bright colors shrouded everything in a rosey haze. Including the rocks to our left and right that glowed beneath the diminishing sun.
Another great spot to add to your itinerary is Chapel Loop. Chapel Loop is a ten-mile hike that brings you to well known spots like Mosquito Falls, Mosquito Beach, Chapel Rock, Chapel Beach and Chapel Falls.
It also includes a walk along the northern cliffside. The views of Lover’s Leap, Indian Head and Grand Portal Point make the long walk well worth it.
It’s hard to put the bold beauty of the hike into words, but I’ll try my best.
The light sandstone streaked with traces of iron and copper divides the deep green of pine trees from the cerulean blue of the water below. The elegance of it is impossible to capture in a photo. You’re left with the only option of standing frozen in awe, trying to take in as many details as possible and praying that you will never forget.
The repeated slap of water against stone as waves crash against fallen rock only adds further to the other-worldly ambiance.
Even when you’re not looking down at the water, you’re encased in the rare beauty of the forest. The trees along the path are so tall you feel like an ant crawling through unmowed grass. The golden light of the sun dances in the leaves of the canopy. The sparse vegetation exposes the winding of the path far ahead.
Chapel Loop was by far the highlight of my trip. If you don’t think you can handle the ten miles, then still stop at the Chapel Falls Trailhead to take some of its shorter routes.
Another necessary stop is Miner’s Castle. Only half a mile from the parking lot, the outcropping of rock is seen sticking nobly out of the cliffside. Over time, erosion has shaped this stone into a shape remarkably similar to a castle tower.
On your way out of town, be sure to pull to the side of the road to see Alger Falls. Easily seen from the shoulder of E9051 M-28, Alger Falls is the perfect spot to say goodbye before you pack up the car and drive home.