Backpacking the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore (Michigan)
*This post is a Work in Progress!
There are so many different ways to enjoy Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and I am by no means an expert (yet!), but if you have a group of friends that want to go to Pictured Rocks and some want to backpack and some want to camp and do short hikes, then this is for you!
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, located on Lake Superior, is an iconic Midwest destination on the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It takes about 8 hours to get there from the Quad Cities, but the drive is straightforward.
I knew the first time I went I absolutely HAD to backpack it. The 42 mile thru-hike of Pictured Rocks (part of the North Country Trail) can be summed up like this:
“ This trek is a walk between two towns, Grand Marais and Munising, past lighthouses and shipwrecks, giant sand dunes and towering standstone cliffs, beaches on Lake Superior and beaches 200 feet above it. ”
Know Before You Go
Permits:
You need one. They are hard to get.
Here’s what you gotta do: You need to determine your trip itinerary to purchase your permit on recreation.gov. I started by laying out my ideal itinerary (ie. daily mileage and which campsites I would need to stay at to achieve that) and then changed my campsites and dates based on the availability I saw. Flexibility is a must! There is a $15 reservation fee, and a $5 user fee per person, per night.
Drive-in sites are $25 per night and reserved separately from your backpacking itinerary, if you are using any of those.
All vehicles also need to pay an entrance fee of $25. Since we were leaving a vehicle at the visitor center during this hike, that vehicle needed to pay the $25 entrance fee.
My itinerary:
Of the 3 nights, I only stayed at my booked backcountry site the first night and the other 2 I met up with my friends at their campsites for the night. But here is the permit I purchased and would have hiked:
Night 1 - Mosquito River Backcountry Site
Night 2 - Pine Bluff Backcountry Site
Night 3 - Benchmark Backcountry Site
Specialized equipment:
A water filter is required.
The 10 essentials (always)
Hiking poles are highly recommended
Ursack recommended. The backcountry sites all have bear lockers, however at least one of them was allowing critter access and we talked to several people who lost food and we saw shredded food/wrappers in there for ourselves as well. I opted to hang my bag in a nearby tree, but it felt like a gamble. I would have preferred to have a Ursack and put it in the locker and/or hung it.
Navigation:
The trail is pretty straightforward and can probably be done without a trail map. However, I’ve created a map you can use with AllTrails to navigate if you wish. I always feel safer hiking with my AllTrails running in case I get off trail! Plus, I’ve included waypoints for the camping and meetup spots each day.
To download, go to the bottom of this guide and enter your email address. You’ll get instant access to download the GPX map. Check your inbox for instructions on how to upload the GPX to AllTrails and use it to navigate while on your trip.
Planning:
Check what time the sun sets on the first day of your hike and work back at LEAST 8 hours. More if you want plenty of time to make camp, prepare dinner, and enjoy the sunset on the lake.
Review Leave No Trace principles.
Review the 5 W’s of making a backcountry camp. The sites are pretty well maintained, but you still need to watch out for red flags.
How difficult is the hike?
This is a moderate route as far as backpacking goes. Daily mileage is 10-13, however your pack can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE in whether this feels like a very difficult hike or not. This was my first backpacking trip without a big group to split gear among, and my first 4 day/3 night trip. I thought I had been so good with my ultralightgear, but my pack was WAY heavier than what I should be carrying and I was very fortunate to be able to slackpack days 3 and 4. I will be making some big changes to my setup before taking on more backpacking trips in the future.
💧 Be mindful of filling up on water at times when you have access. Much of the hike takes place well above the water with no ability to hike down. Come prepared to filter your water as you will be drinking mainly from the lake!
The Night Before Your HIke
Mileage: 0 miles
It’s best to drive up the night before you are starting your hike and camp near Pictured Rocks. We chose the walk-in “Rustic Tent Area” at Munising Tourist Park Campground and LOVED them. Sites are $30. From the parking lot, you will take a very short trail walk to your site, which is right on water. After setting up camp, make a fire and take in the sunset! Once it’s dark, be prepared for a gorgeous, starry sky. We didn’t catch them, but it’s possible to see the Northern Lights here sometimes.
Day 1 - Munising Falls Visitor Center to Mosquito River Backcountry Site
Mileage: 12.5 miles
Park your car at Grand Sable and drive or shuttle to Munising Falls Visitor Center. Pay the fee, and start your hike! I recommend making the short trek to Munising Falls before starting on your thru-hike.
Open AllTrails and find the map you uploaded for this trip either in your downloads, a list, or in your activities. Press the three dots and choose “Navigate using this route”. Make sure to push “Start”.
A spot just below camp at Mosquito River backcountry site
Day 2 - Mosquito River Backcountry Site to Little Beaver Campground
Mileage: 10miles
Wake up and start hiking!
Day 3 - Little Beaver Campground to 12 Mile Beach Campground
Mileage: 11.5 miles
Wake up and start hiking!
Day 4 - 12 Mile Beach Campground to Grand Sable Visitor Center
Mileage: 13 miles
Wake up and start hiking!
Finish at the Grand Sable Visitor Center
Future Itineraries in the Region
Itinerary 1 - Best of the Thru Hike approx 27-30 miles
I would love to go back and only hike from Miner’s Castle to Grand Sable Dunes (spending the final night at Masse Homestead to enjoy the forest, even though it would mean backtracking a little to the car). If you don’t care about tagging the entire NCT length, but want the thru-hike experience, then this is the hike I recommend.
Itinerary 2 - Chapel Loop approx 10 miles
I hiked part of this loop as it is on the thru-hike, but I’ve heard it’s a great overnight.
Itinerary 3 - Kayak it!
Kayak the 120mile Hiawatha Water Trail
Itinerary 4 - Grand Island
Kayak(27mi circumnavigation) and Hike(20mile backpacking loop) Grand Island