Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located in the Upper Penninsula of Michigan between the towns of Munising and Grand Marais. Its colorful standstone cliffs and beaches that line the Lake Superior shore present an inviting landscape to see from either the shore or from a boat. Inland visitors can experience the hardwood and conifer forests of the north woods.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was established as Americaʼs first National Lakeshore on October 15, 1966

"in order to preserve for the benefit, inspiration, education, recreational use, and enjoyment of the public, a significant portion of the diminishing shoreline of the United States and its related geographic and scientific features."

Public Law 89-668

Today, about 400,000 people per year visit Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

The Pictured Rocks

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore gets its name from the multicolored sculpted cliffs that line the shore of Lake Superior. Their colors come from mineral stains. Iron, manganese, and copper leave streaks of red, black, and blue-turquoise on the high cliffs.

There are 12 miles of colorful cliffs among the 42 miles of park shoreline.

The "rocks" of Pictured Rocks are made up of three distinct sandstone formations. A hard limy sandstone called the Ordovician Au Train Formation lies on top. Beneath it is the white to grey Munising Formation.

The Munising Formation is about 500 million years old and makes up most of the cliff areas in the park. Beneath the Munising layer is the reddish Jacobsville Formation. It is the oldest rock exposed and is often seen at waterʼs edge.

Miners Castle (right) when seen from Lake Superior, nicely illustrates these primary layers of rock exposed along the lakeshore. Miners Castle is the iconic landmark of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

Photographs: Craig Rademacher

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