Pictured Rocks Boat Cruise: A Must-Do Scenic Adventure in Michigan

Amazing. Scenic. Iconic. Spectacular. These are all words that can easily describe what it is like to see the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. We wanted to bring a group of people to experience Pictured Rocks for the first time. To start, there are two ways to do this. One is from land, and that is great in its own way, but right now we are focusing on the views from the water. To do that, we went out with Pictured Rocks Cruises. 

The first thing we did was decide on the cruise, which we went with the Spray Falls Cruise. This cruise is their most popular and includes many of the iconic landmarks at Pictured Rocks, including Spray Falls. Overall, this cruise lasts about two hours. We had some waterfall fans with us so seeing Spray Falls was a must. 

We started our day by exploring downtown Munising, shopping and getting coffee. It was a perfect summer day to wander around downtown. Pictured Rocks Cruises is located right downtown with easy access so when the time was right we headed to get ready for the cruise. The operation at Pictured Rocks Cruises is great. We started off in their new building that has all sorts of great Pictured Rocks gear. After deciding on some gear, we were then ready to board. Munising Bay was flat calm and it was looking like it would be a great day at Pictured Rocks. 

We set off on the cruise out towards Lake Superior where we the crew talked us through what we would be seeing on the tour and also explained some safety details. We arrived at the first big point of interest, and it was an iconic one. Miners Castle. This is also one of the easiest formations to see from land but we recommend seeing it from both ways! 

As the tour moved on it was stunning scenery non-stop. A cool thing about Pictured Rocks is that this scenery is always changing. Rainfall can create impromptu waterfalls, rock falls can happen after years of erosion, sun and clouds can all create different experiences. 

As we continued the cruise we passed well-known formations including Lovers Leap, Rainbow Cave, Grand Portal and Chapel Cove. We will just let these photos speak a bit for themselves.

The cruise then reached Chapel Rock, which has what we consider to be the most famous tree in Michigan. This is where there is a lone white pine that has its roots spanning across from the rock to the mainland to continue to provide nutrients for the tree. This spot was even featured on a Michigan quarter. 

After a quick cruise beyond Chapel Rock, that is when we reached Spray Falls. This powerful waterfall is about 70 feet tall and plunges over the cliff into Lake Superior. This is a remote waterfall that is best viewed from the water. 

After we reached Spray Falls, the catamaran turned around and headed back along the same route. This is good to know because it gives guests of the cruise the opportunity to see all of the lakeshore from both sides since it is an out and back cruise. 

While it can be seen on the way out, the last landmark on the tour is the Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse. Fun fact from the tour, at one point the keepers lived in this lighthouse with their twelve kids!

Overall, the Spray Falls Cruise with Pictured Rocks Cruises is a great way to witness all that is great with Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. One we were back on land we made the quick walk to eh! burger for dinner and an ice cream stop at Miners Pasty Kitchen to round out the day.