Sights Around Munising and Marquette, Michigan

MUNISING

Our campground was just three miles from the small town of Munising. Our Pictured Rocks boat tour departed from Munising Bay Marina. It was very conveniently located to take in the sites of the town.

Munising Front Range Light

Range lights are a pair of light beacons used in navigation forming a straight line to indicate a safe passage for vessels entering a shallow or dangerous channel.

Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Lighthouse is open to the public.

We have climbed a few lighthouses in our day, but this one was really steep.

The front range light and Lake Superior can be seen from this view on top.

Just south of Munising, Wagner Falls is a State of Michigan Scenic site.

Wagner Falls is a beautiful and easily accessible waterfall with a height of 20 feet.

Nearby Alger Falls is named after the county and is visible along the side of the road.

We stopped at a roadside scenic area that has a very interesting feature.

This is an artist rendition of a carving that was left by a French voyager in 1820 as a tribute to Powers of the Air, the only survivor of the peaceful Chippewa band of Indians who lived on Grand Island in the 19th century but were persuaded to battle the Sioux Tribe in a bloody battle fought in Minnesota.

After searching the cliffside, we located the worn remnant of "Face in the Rock".

Halfway between Munising and Marquette, we found Lakenenland Sculpture Garden with over 100 art sculptures. For over 25 years, Tom Lakenen has been making outdoor iron sculpture, turning junk metal and scrap iron into works of art. Admission is free.

You can either walk or drive around a forest loop trail.

Bay Furnace Ruins is what remains of an 1870's iron blast furnace used to make "Pig Iron".

MARQUETTE

This is the largest city in the Upper Peninsula with a population of about 21,000. It is about 38 miles west of our campground.

Michigan Iron Industry Museum

Similar to Minnesota, iron ore is a significant industry in the Upper Peninsula. The free museum had many exhibits including a twenty-minute film about the hisitory of iron ore production in the area.

Marquette Maritime Museum covered shipwrecks, lighthouses, and rescues on Lake Superior.

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse

The Lighthouse was built in 1866.

Freighter taking on taconite at the Marquette Ore Dock.

This historic iron ore dock is no longer used.

PRESQUE ISLE PARK

We hiked out to the Black Rocks at Presque Isle Park near Marquette.

The black rocks are ancient ocean crust brought to the surface by rifting.

We watched as people jumped off the cliffs into the cold waters of Lake Superior.

St. Peter Cathedral in Marquette

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was authorized by Congress in 1966 as the first national lakeshore. The 73,000-acre park preserves over 40 miles of the south shoreline of Lake Superior. We spent about four days exploring this national treasure.

Munising Falls is one of the many waterfalls found in the area.

Years ago, tourists were allowed to walk behind the falls.

Historic Administrative Park Headquarters at Sand Point

Sand Point was aptly named for the expansive sand bar and beach.

The best views of Pictured Rocks are from the water by boat.

Virginia's sister, Cathy, and husband, Jim, joined us in Munising for four days. 

The view of Miners Castle formation from the water.

The name Pictured Rocks comes from the streaks of mineral stain decorating the face of the cliffs.

When viewing the stained cliffs, people see different paintings.

Indian Head Rock

The water is only two feet deep under the Arch.

Up close and personal at Chapel Cove.

Our captain had to carefully back the boat out of Chapel Cove.

Kayaks explore the numerous sea caves under the cliffs.

Our tour boat made a close pass by the scenic East Channel Lighthouse on the east shore of Grand Island.

Returning to the marina at Munising. It was a beautiful day for a boat ride.

View at dusk from the deck of Cathy & Jim's Air BnB overlooking South Bay and a Glass Bottom tour boat.

Mama turkey and her 8 poults stopped traffic.

Sisters

Miners Castle Scenic Overlook

We watched as our tour boat passed by the cliffs.

Miners Beach Overlook

Log Slide Scenic Overlook is where loggers built a long wooden chute on the dune slope to slide logs down into Lake Superior where they could be easily floated to sawmills in Grand Marais. We didn't climb down this steep 500-foot, 45-degree slope so we didn't have to climb back up.

Grand Sable Dunes

Grand Sable Lake Overlook

Short path (with over 200 stair steps) down to the Sable Falls.

This is where Sable Dunes and Sable Creek meet the lake.

Water from Sable Falls flows directly into Lake Superior.

Hiking across the river to the top of Sable Dunes.

Fisherman Memorial and harbor light at Grand Marais.