Presque Isle Park & Morgan Falls (Marquette, Michigan)
Presque Isle (French for “almost an island”) is a 323-acre forested headland that juts into Lake Superior, located in the northern tip of the city of Marquette, Michigan. The park supports over 100 species of native plants and diverse habitats, including black rock beaches, bogs, and forest. It is rumored that albino white-tailed deer can be seen at the park, and their presence has made its way into local folklore.
One of the most enticing parts of the park is Black Rocks. The beach is, as its name suggests, composed of black rock (metamorphosed igneous peridotite) that is about 1.7 billion years old. This volcanic rock has been exposed through centuries of erosion.
An unofficial but well-known tradition in the area is to jump off the Black Rocks cliffs (about 20-30 ft.) into Lake Superior. This year, it was way too cold to attempt this, but I did brave the jump two years ago (only after being shamed by watching children jumping without fear before me).
Since Presque Isle doesn’t take too long (especially on a colder day when you’re not interested in sunbathing or cliff-jumping), we also decided to hit Morgan Falls the same day. Kari and I got lost on this hike two years ago, but because of the fall foliage and roaring Carpe River rapids, I winded up with some of the best photos I’ve ever taken—c’est la vie. This year, since Kayla hadn’t been, and Kari and I were now quite confident we knew where we were going, we thought it would make a good end to our day.
And while perhaps the views weren’t as unbelievably picturesque as a slightly overcast fall day, it proved to be the perfect leisurely hike (without the three hours of wandering around lost this time around). Kayla set up her hammock, and Kari and I watched Kindi while she waded into the creek (sometimes having to do a little more swimming than she bargained for). There’s nothing quite like closing out your day cocooned by forest and the sound of rushing water.
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