Pictured Rocks derives its name from the 15 miles (24 km) of colorful sandstone cliffs northeast of Munising. The cliffs reach up to 200 feet (60 m) above lake level. They have been naturally sculptured into a variety of shallow caves, arches, and formations resembling castle turrets and human profiles. Near Munising, visitors can also visit Grand Island, most of which is included in the separate Grand Island National Recreation Area.
The U.S. Congress designated Pictured Rocks the first National Lakeshore in the United States in 1966. It is governed by the National Park Service (NPS), with 22 year-round NPS employees as of May 2006, and received 476,888 visitors in 2005."
We drove to Munising yesterday and took a cruise to see the Pictured Rocks, since they're almost impossible to see from land. Our 2 1/2 hr cruise really got us up close and personal with the beauty of the ever changing rock formations. After we got back, we stopped as proper Yoopers and had pasties for lunch. It was our third Great Lake we've been to up here in Michigan, after Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.