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Hunts' Guide to Michigan's UPPER PENINSULA

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MUNISING
POINTS
OF INTEREST

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Sandstone bluffs up to 300 feet high have been shaped by wind, waves, and ice into dramatic columns and caves, and stained red, blue and green by seeping minerals to form colored "pictures" ... more

Hiawatha National Forest/ Pictured Rocks Visitor Center. This is a recommended first stop for every new visitor---for maps, handouts, scheduled talks and walks on nature and history, and customized, impartial advice from a knowledgeable staff of adults who live here and know the area well. Also a nature bookstore ... more

Pictured Rocks Cruises. This cruise is the way to see the Pictured Rocks, preferably in the late-afternoon light, unless you have your own boat or take a kayak tour, ... more

Glass Bottom Boat Shipwreck Tour. This tour combines perspective about shipwrecks with the chance to peer down through a large boat's viewing wells at three shipwrecks south of Grand Island. ... more

Lake Superior. Of all the U.P.'s features, none rival the largest freshwater lake in the world. ... more

Central Munising. A wonderful picnic spot, with grills and gazebo on Munising Bay; a popular coffeehouse-bookstore, some specialty stores; and a kids' castle playground ... more

Alger County Heritage Center. Here you'll see an authentically furnished 1830s fur trader's cabin from Grand Island, and vintage Munising Woodenware products (clothespins, hand-painted bowls, and lots more), once marketed nationally ... more

Northern Waters Sea Kayaking. An adventurous way to see the cliffs, caves, and shipwrecks by Grand Island and the fabled Pictured Rocks ... more

Grand Island Scenic Overlook. A breathtaking vista out beyond Munising Bay of Grand Island ... more

Munising-area Waterfalls. Avoid crowds and visit four delightful, secluded falls in and near Munising: Horseshoe Falls, a quaint private attraction; the Twin Waterfall Plant Preserve; and Wagner Falls off M-94 ... more

Valley Spur Cross-Country Ski and Mountain Bike Trails. Artfully laid out, meticulously groomed, this 38-mile trail system is a favorite destination of dedicated cross-country skiers from far and wide ... more

McQuisten Recreation Area. The views from boardwalks on this beautiful pond are hidden gems for birders and naturalists, within walking distance of the Super 8 and Comfort Inn motels. There's an elaborate playground, too ... more

MUNISING

Northern Waters Sea Kayaking

Proprietor Carl Hansen has led guided sea kayak trips on Lake Superior since 1987. He rents kayaks for Lake Superior and inland lakes and streams. His staff of experienced paddlers offer guided day trips and longer excursions to the Pictured Rocks, to the sandstone cliffs, sea caves, and shipwrecks of Grand Island, or to Isle Royale.

Grand Island's cliffs and caves are like Pictured Rocks, but on a smaller scale. The island has become a premiere kayaking destination.

Even on a calm day, a kayak allows one to feel exposed to the power of this greatest of all lakes. In a kayak, more stable than a canoe, you're low on the water and can quietly get right up to the massive cliffs and look up at them.

All guided trips include instruction for people with no previous kayaking experience. A mix of solo and tandem kayaks is used.

The one-day guided trip ($95/adult, $75/youth) goes either to Pictured Rocks or Grand Island, depending on lake conditions and the group's abilities and requests. There are discounts for groups of seven or more. Reservations are required. It may be possible to make day-trip reservations the night before. For longer trips it's best to reserve two weeks in advance, especially in August and for holidays. The three-day Pictured Rocks or Grand Island camping trip ($319/$255 complete, including tents, gear, and food) involves more training, possible hiking, and a more leisurely exploration of Lake Superior's scenery. Overnights allow for seeing sunsets on the water, possible moonlight paddles, stargazing, and, if you're lucky and up late enough, seeing the Northern Lights.

Notes: safety standards say that on a perfectly calm day with beginning paddlers, there should be no more than six boats per instructor. If some paddlers have passed safety courses, more boats could go out without having another instructor. Based on a 2003 experience, we recommend the kayak tour only for fit people. Kayakers carry their craft down a somewhat steep slope to the water.

Sea kayaks can be rented for unguided Lake Superior trips after a four-hour safety course. Instruction includes learning paddle strokes, braces, and rescues (you will get wet!), followed by dry-land instruction on how to enjoy kayak camping. Other kayaks can be rented for use on inland lakes and slow streams after just 15 minutes' instruction. These are stable enough for families, fishing, and dogs. A tandem kayak rents for $49/day. Visitors are welcome to stop by and see a free video on sea kayaking. Northern Waters sells a wide variety of kayaks and accessories for fishing, hunting, whitewater rivers, small lakes, and circumnavigating the Great Lakes.

Northern Waters' retail store is downtown at 129 East Munising/M-28, across from Subway. (906) 387-2323. Open from May through September. Daily 10-5 at least. Call for directions to the dock from which trips depart. Handicap accessible: call.

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