Michigan's Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore + Rock River Wilderness

Posted January 17, 201213 yr

Waking up along the shores of Lake Superior at Five Mile Point was quite the experience. After car camping for the night, I came to and rushed out with my tripod to set up for the morning photograph. Grabbing a whiff of the crisp and chilly air as it rolled in from the shore, I felt refreshed and with awakened senses, I waited. With predictable results, the sun popped out over the horizon, providing subtle hues of warm light along the rocky and barren coastline, bounded only with the evergreens that hug the edge lines.

3 Living in the Subaru for a few days was actually quite fun. I enjoy frugal road trips.

For the morning, I wanted to venture to Laughing Whitefish Falls, but roadway conditions led to an early detour and defeat. Following Deerton Road, I came to the small community of Deerton. The Detroit, Mackinac & Marquette Railroad constructed a station for the lumbering camp, and a post office opened in 1922. In 1926, a small school was constructed at the junction of Deerton-Onota Road. Today, not much is left in the community – most of the residences are abandoned, although the school still operates.

5 The railroad was dismantled only a few years ago, and is today part of the Duluth, South Shore and Atlantic Railway Rail Trail, open to snowmobilers, cross county skiers and cyclists.

Following Peter White Road south to Laughing Whitefish Falls, I came across increasingly deteriorated roadway conditions. The two-lane gravel roadway soon became one, and then dirt. And that generous dirt path became rutted before ending at a washed out bridge over West Branch Laughing Whitefish River.

I turned around and headed back to Deerton, only slightly discouraged. There were other waterfalls to check out that were nearby, of course! I ventured onto a dirt road and proceeded eastbound towards Rock River and descended southward towards Rock River Falls in the Rock River Wilderness. I turned onto a nearly unmarked Forest Road 2276 and followed this single lane route for 4 miles and turned left onto Forest Road 2293. After coming to the small trailhead at the end of a remote and rough dirt road, I hopped out of the car with my camera gear and headed down the trail. The Rock River Falls Trail, while not marked, is fairly well worn and follows portions of logging roads before coming to the waterfall, which has a height of 15 feet and an approximate crest of 30 feet.

After departing Rock River Wilderness, I took a drive over to Chatham for lunch at the Rock River Cafe, which serves local cuisine that was locally sourced. The cafe was also vegetarian and vegan friendly, which was a bonus, and served some great house coffee roasted in Michigan. Near to the restaurant was the former Munising Railway Company (MR) depot, which was later used for a private business and is now for sale. The rail line is today part of the Coalwood Trail.

Heading further east along Michigan State Route 94, I stopped for a photograph of the Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad (LS&I, MR’s successor) crossing that was built in 1930. The bridge was built over Au Train River, and the pipe that runs through the center is overflow for the Cleveland Cliffs Basin lake.

After following the LS&I long enough, I ventured to Miners Falls at Pictured Rocks. After parking at the trailhead, I ventured on a well groomed path that was .6 miles long and included 77 steps to the viewing platforms. Unfortunately, access further down and to a lower waterfall along Miners River is inaccessible.

It was only a short drive to Miners Castle, which is one of the most photographed rock formations at Pictured Rocks. But the viewing platforms were expectedly overcrowded and the lighting was poor, so I headed eastward along the Lakeshore North Country Trail, which generally hugs the Lake Superior Coast through the National Lakeshore. The paved path through a thick canopy of pines soon gave way to a single track dirt trail that sharply descended to the Miners River valley before coming to the backwaters of Lake Superior. I was able to capture two anglers who were trying their luck in capturing some steelhead trout for dinner.

On the other side of the sand dune was Miners Beach, which is a mile long and completely devoid of people .

18 The Lakeshore North Country Trail ascends a small bluff overlooking the beach, passing through acres of crimson red blueberry bushes.

20 With the sun waning, I packed my gear and headed further east to the overlooks above Lake Superior for a sunset. The light began to fade fast so I hiked at a brisk pace on a gradual upward course to the bluffs.

21 I wasn’t wholly satisfied with the first overlook that I came to, so I ventured a bit further east to the top of Bridalveil Falls. It was a natural clearing and was prime for a sunset. As the light faded, the storied sandstone warmed up with hues of amber.

It was at Bridalveil Falls that I met storied photographer Craig Blacklock, best known for his book The Lake Superior Images and other visuals from the Great Lakes region. Craig has been photographing the region for decades, and is also a passionate conservationist who co-founded the Blacklock Nature Sanctuary and was influential in the formation of the Lake Superior Water Trail of Minnesota. Also, thanks for the book, Slot Canyon. Your gift was warmly received!

Fantastic inspiration for a trip that has so far been marked with photographs of nature at its best when it is isolated and free in an area that is depopulated and isolated.

Further Reading

a. New Senses (blog): http://www.americanbyways.com/2012/01/10/new-senses/

b. Deerton, Michigan: http://www.abandonedonline.net/neighborhoods/rural-towns-of-michigan/deerton/

c. Rock River Wilderness: http://www.americanbyways.com/recreation/rock-river-wilderness/

d. Lake Superior and Ishpeming Railroad: http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/lake-superior-and-ishpeming-railroad/

e. Munising Railway Company: http://www.abandonedonline.net/railroads/lake-superior-and-ishpeming-railroad/

f. Miners Falls: http://www.americanbyways.com/recreation/pictured-rocks-national-lakeshore/miners-falls/

g. Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore: http://www.americanbyways.com/recreation/pictured-rocks-national-lakeshore/