{"id":4695,"date":"2019-05-14T12:29:25","date_gmt":"2019-05-14T12:29:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4695"},"modified":"2019-05-14T12:29:25","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T12:29:25","slug":"is-that-the-pictured-rock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.intothewideopen.com\/?p=4695","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;Is that the Pictured Rock?&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<body><p><\/p>[Please note that this was originally posted on 5.14.19 <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/2019\/05\/14\/is-that-the-pictured-rock\/\"><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">here.<\/span><\/a>\u00a0Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!]\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was established in 1966 and while it encompasses about 115 square miles, people new to the area may not be aware of all it has to offer!\u00a0 While leading kayak tours along the Lakeshore last summer, I encountered several people pointing to an interesting feature of the cliffs and asking, \u201cIs that the Pictured Rock?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is more than just a single rock.\u00a0 It contains about 40 miles of lakeshore composed of giant sand dunes, beaches, and of course the iconic cliffs towering 200 feet above Lake Superior.\u00a0 These cliffs are probably the most recognizable feature of the area, and for good reason.\u00a0 The rocks as we know them today were formed approximately 500 million years ago.\u00a0 The last glacier in the Great Lakes area retreated about 10,000 years ago, eventually forming Lake Superior as well as the plethora of inland lakes that make the area so special.\u00a0 The approximately 12 miles of sandstone cliffs are incredibly porous.\u00a0 While hiking above them, you may hear water dripping into the large lake and you may notice the array of colors gracing the cliffs\u2019 surface.\u00a0 Red, orange, white, black, and even blue\/green make an appearance.\u00a0 These colors are caused by flowing water depositing minerals on the surface of the rocks.\u00a0 There are also some unique parts of the cliffs that stand out, including Chapel Rock and Miner\u2019s Castle (these locations are featured on several of our hikes!).\u00a0 However, there is much more to the Lakeshore than these two iconic rocks!<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4008\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4008\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4008 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hiawathahiking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/sunset-spot-4x6-1024x683.jpg?resize=640%2C427&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4008\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Cliffs in the spring<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Lesser known, but equally beautiful scenes can be found at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.\u00a0 These are areas that you won\u2019t see on the cruise boat or on a kayak tour and they are discussed below:<\/p>\n<p>The stunning Grand Sable Dunes rest 300 feet above Lake Superior on the east end of the park.\u00a0 A feature known as the \u201clog slide\u201d is a must see if visiting the dunes.\u00a0 Timber production began in the Upper Peninsula in the 1860\u2019s.\u00a0 Cut logs were sent down the log slide to be placed on ships and sent to saw mills.\u00a0 Views of the Au Sable Light Station (built in 1874) are also afforded near the log slide.\u00a0 In fact, we offer an overnight backpacking trip that will get you up close and personal with this iconic light house.<\/p>\n<p>12-Mile Beach, Chapel Beach, and Miner\u2019s Beach are also wonderful places to explore at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.\u00a0 Dig your toes in the sand, feel the breeze on your skin, and listen to local waterfowl.\u00a0 These beaches also have rivers flowing near and through them.\u00a0 Rivers and waterfalls abound in the Lakeshore!\u00a0 Some you can practically drive on top of, but some are nestled in the park and you\u2019ll need to lace up your hiking shoes.\u00a0 We have a <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/day-hikes\/\">day hike<\/a> that features Chapel Falls and Mosquito Falls and longer <a href=\"https:\/\/hiawathahiking.com\/backpacking-trips\/\">backpacking trips<\/a> featuring Spray Falls.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4021\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4021\" style=\"width: 640px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-4021 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hiawathahiking.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/DSC08507-1024x768.jpg?resize=640%2C480&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" loading=\"lazy\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4021\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">12-Mile Beach<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>So when you visit, know that there is so much more to see than the cliffs!\u00a0 Let Hiawatha Hiking Company show you those iconic cliffs AND those areas off the beaten path.\u00a0 If you\u2019re looking for a shorter jaunt, we have a half-day hike in the Beaver Basin Wilderness, featuring Beaver Lake, Little Beaver Lake, and Beaver Creek.\u00a0 See where the creek meets the big Lake and enjoy a healthy snack on a sandy beach.\u00a0 You can also explore more of the greater Munising-area by joining us at the Grand Island National Recreation Area or surrounding Hiawatha National Forest!<\/p>\n<p>The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is so much more than a single formation.\u00a0 There are miles and miles of beauty to discover.\u00a0 We are excited to share the cliffs, sand dunes, beaches, rivers, lakes, and waterfalls with you!<\/p>\n<\/body>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[Please note that this was originally posted on 5.14.19 here.\u00a0Hiawatha Hiking Company is our new business!] \u00a0 The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was established in 1966 and while it encompasses about 115 square miles, people new to the area may not be aware of all it has to offer!\u00a0 While leading kayak tours along the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center 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