One of our stops in the Upper Peninsula while moving Kari back to Kentucky from Michigan was Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, which was a relatively short drive from Marquette.

National lakeshores are owned and operated by the National Parks Service, which means they usually have more well-maintained trails, historical markers, and maps; however, it also means that they have more rules. We had Kari’s beautiful adventure pup, Kindi, with us, and the NPS does not allow dogs on many trails due to interference they can cause with local wildlife (including bears). But there were still many beautiful spots we could access and keep Kindi by our side!

Kari, Kayla, and I are all waterfall enthusiasts, so of course, the first trail we visited was Miners Falls. Unfortunately, we had misread the information about the trail online and dogs were not allowed on it, but Kari chilled at the trailhead while Kayla and I took the 20-minute out-and-back hike to the falls.

We then drove to Miners Castle Overlook, 75 feet above Lake Superior, where we could get a view of some of the sandstone cliffs that give the lakeshore its name. The rock is stained with minerals that cause color variations; however, the best way to see the cliffs is by boat tour, which was way too expensive for these broke college students.

I particularly liked this diary entry from an explorer being shown the area by their Canadian guide for the first time that the NPS has posted at the overlook: “[We'] were wholly unprepared to encounter the surprising groups of overhanging precipices, towering walls, caverns, waterfalls, and prostrate ruins, which are here mingled in the most wonderful disorder, and burst upon the view in ever-varying and pleasing succession.”

To finish off our time at Pictured Rocks, we got a little beach time in at Miners Beach. By hiking a little ways along the shoreline, we got to a secluded beach bordered on one side by a creek and the other by Lake Superior. Without another soul in sight, we could sit and listen to the waves while Kindi chewed on driftwood and dug exuberant holes in the sand.

On our way out of the area, we also couldn't help but stop at Munising Falls, a lovely little waterfall tucked off the road back to Marquette. Even though we were well into spring, the waterfall still managed to show off some winter ice!

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