PICTURED ROCKS NATIONAL LAKESHORE

ALGER COUNTY, MICH. -- Firefighters have contained a 46-acre blaze that has been burning since Sunday afternoon south of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, according to a joint statement from the National Park Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. At 1:52 p.m. on Sunday, July 17, a large smoke plume was spotted roughly three-quarters of a mile south of Pictured Rocks’ Twelvemile Beach Campground. “Thank you to the DNR firefighters who are continuing to work the area throughout this week.”A cause for the wildfire has not yet been determined. “We remind everyone to be mindful and careful with any activities that might potentially spark a fire.”For more information about fire regulation at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, visit https://www.nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/firewood.htm. RELATED:Ropes crew rescues Pictured Rocks visitor stranded at Miners FallsDNR firefighters use marsh buggies to contain 200-acre wildfire in U.P.

A 46-acre wildfire that started Sunday afternoon is now contained, according to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

MUNISING, MICH. -- Park rangers and a ropes rescue team at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore successfully rescued an individual who injured themselves at the base of one of the park’s waterfalls this week. The incident happened Wednesday at the 50-foot-tall Miners Falls, the park’s most powerful waterfall and a popular tourist attraction. Rangers worked with Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals, or S.H.A.R.P., an all-volunteer technical rope rescue team comprised of local rock climbers and guides, to successfully complete the rescue. In the Facebook post, park officials urged people to stay on designated trails and not go beyond fences at overlooks. “Many areas with overlooks have fences to ensure safety of visitors, especially in areas with tall cliffs,” the post said.

A dog visiting Miners Castle at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with his family had to be rescued after he jumped off a cliff and plummeted 25-30 feet to a ledge below.

A dog visiting Miners Castle at the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore with his family had to be rescued after he jumped off a cliff and plummeted 25-30 feet to a ledge below.

A dog visiting the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan was rescued by park rangers after jumping over a railing and falling up to 30 feet down a cliff, according to the National Park Service.

MUNISING, MI – An adventurous dog was successfully rescued Friday, July 8 after plummeting down a cliff at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. Related: No longer a hidden gem, Pictured Rocks inundated with record touristsNational parks staff and John Miller, a volunteer from the Superior High Angle Rescue Professionals rope rescue team, jumped into action to save the dog. After 25 minutes, the dog finally ran to Miller and Pictured Rocks Chief Ranger Joe Hughes. National Parks Service staff and a rope rescue team were lowered down a Pictured Rocks cliff Friday, July 8, 2022 to rescue a dog. (Photo provided by the National Parks Service)“The parks shoreline can be very unforgiving from the cold water to the sheer cliffs and drop offs,” Hughes said.

The number of tourists who each year trek into the Upper Peninsula to see the spectacular and colorful cliffs at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore hit a new record each of the last seven years. 77 Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore“We’ve ramped up our schedule quite a bit in the last few years. Tourists on a Pictured Rocks Cruises tour at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore near Munising on Tuesday, May 17, 2022. Terry Winkles and his children, Jacob, 12, and Kyleigh, 14, are recent visitors to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. But the influx of entrance fee revenues will not arrive in the budget for Pictured Rocks operations until at least next year.

MUNISING, MI – Vehicle access to the most famous feature of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will be unavailable for a two-day stretch next week. The National Park Service announced Thursday that the Miners Castle parking lot and surrounding area will be closed on June 8 and June 9 as crews with heavy equipment and cranes work to install a septic tank and sewer main. The formation is the only cliff area in the park accessible by vehicle.

MUNISING, MI – The best and most colorful way to see Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is from the waters of Lake Superior. Spring water from deep underground presses up through the face of the famous sandstone cliffs, drips and runs down to the waterline below and leaves behind rainbow colors of mineral stain along the 15 miles of national shoreline. That was how the national park in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula derived its name.

This past week, the Whitmer Administration announced that the National Parks Service and Michigan are partnering to promote accessibility to national parks.

MUNISING, MICH. -- They say April showers bring May flowers, but in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, those showers also bring waterfalls. While summer is the most popular time of year for visiting Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, spring is actually the best season to see the region’s many waterfalls at their peak, thanks to a few factors. Want to plan a Pictured Rocks waterfall tour? Details about the waterfalls that fall within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore are at nps.gov/piro/planyourvisit/waterfalls.htm. Entrance fee now required for Michigan’s Pictured Rocks National LakeshoreHistoric Sleeping Bear Inn to reopen as B&B, public open house scheduled for AprilIsle Royale National Park entrance fees to be cashless this summerSleeping Bear Dunes vacation: 50 unforgettable things to see and do

MUNISING, MICH. -- Visitors to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will now be required to pay an entrance fee for the park. The fee went into effect March 1, 2022, marking the first time in the park’s 55-year history that it has required visitors to purchase a park pass. The park had proposed the fee change early last year, citing infrastructure strains due to a surge in visitors over the past decade. After the proposed entrance fee was approved in December, park officials said it would provide much-needed funding for park improvements. Here are 12 tips from the pros7 secret spots to explore in Michigan’s Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

MUNISING, MICH. -- If your dream job involves the great outdoors, then Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore might be the next stop on your career path. The 70,000-acre national lakeshore in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is currently accepting applications for the 2022 and 2023 commercial operating seasons for a handful of park-centered business permits. The park is seeking permit applicants in five categories: guided backpacking, guided kayaking, guided photography workshops, guided ice climbing and transportation services. Only a limited number of permits will be issued for these services. The most qualified applicants will be chosen based on relevant experience, operating history and ability to provide for visitor safety while protecting park resources, according to officials.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will soon begin charging visitors entrance fees for the first time in the 55-year history of the tourist destination in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will begin charging an entrance fee for the first time on March 1, 2022.

MUNISING, MICH. -- For the first time in its 55-year history, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore will begin charging visitor entrance fees. Park officials today announced that the Upper Peninsula park will be implementing visitor fees starting March 1, 2022. Additionally, camping fees and lighthouse tour fees will increase as of January 1, 2022. The park had proposed new and increased fees earlier this year, citing infrastructure strains due to the increase in visitors over the past decade. A public review and comment period about the proposed fees yielded generally positive feedback, park officials said.

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI – Fall in West Michigan means vibrant fall colors, fresh apple cider, bonfires and cozy sweaters. Here’s a list of events happening in Muskegon County:Depot to Depot Fall Color Tour, through Oct. 23Experience the fall colors by taking a self-guided tour up and down the lakeshore. Fall Colors Walking Tour, Oct. 14Hackley Public Library is hosting a walk in the woods at P.J. Muskegon County Fairgrounds Fall Festival, Oct. 23-24On Saturday and Sunday Oct. 23-24, a fall festival will take over the Muskegon County Fairgrounds, 6621 Heights Ravenna Road. The free event will feature a flea market, trick or treating, outdoor games, pumpkin decorating, food vendors and carnival rides.

MUNISING, MICH. -- This time of year there’s seemingly no end to all the beautiful Michigan destinations for fall color — but if you had to make a list, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore would easily be in the top 10. Here’s what she had to share:County Road H58 is a beautiful drive through Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Details hereRELATED: Best spots for fall color at Sleeping Bear Dunes National LakeshoreOne of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore's iconic sandstone formations. Take a scenic Pictured Rocks boat tour: One of the best ways to admire Pictured Rocks’ sandstone cliffs in the full glory of fall color season is to take a relaxing ride with Pictured Rocks Cruises, the only National Park Service-authorized concessionaire offering narrated boat tours of the lakeshore. RELATED:9 of the most beautiful spots for fall color in MichiganBest spots for fall color at Sleeping Bear DunesThe best fall color drives in Michigan

Officials have identified the two kayakers found dead along the coast of Lake Superior near Pictured Rocks in Northern Michigan last week.

The two kayakers who went missing in Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore have been identified as Troy resident Kimberly Aiello and David Delegato of Shelby Township.

Searchers have recovered a second body after two kayakers went missing in Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

MUNISING, MI — Authorities have recovered the body of a second kayaker who went missing in the Upper Peninsula. The National Park Service confirmed on the afternoon of Saturday, Sept. 18, that U.S. Coast Guard personnel recovered both kayakers’ bodies at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore the previous afternoon. The severe weather contributed to the deaths, the National Park Service stated in a press release. “Specifically, the United States Coast Guard aviation and water borne assets who worked tirelessly to complete their mission in support of the National Park Service. Thank you.”Read more:One kayaker dead, one reported missing at Pictured Rocks National LakeshoreAbducted Saginaw Township women found alive, suspect in police custodySeizure of 10 pounds of crystal meth shipped from Mexico to Saginaw leads to woman facing federal charge

A kayaker has died and another paddler is missing in Lake Superior at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

MUNISING, MICH. -- A report of two missing kayakers at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore has turned into one confirmed fatality and an active search and rescue for the other missing person, according to the National Park Service. The two kayakers were first reported missing the evening of Thursday, September 16th, park officials said. The National Park Service, along with other federal and state agencies, responded with ongoing search and rescue operations that included the use of aircraft such as a C130 and a rescue helicopter. Crews are continuing to search for the other missing person. Superintendent David Horne said that the two kayakers had been out together paddling on Lake Superior, and that weather may have played a factor.

MUNISING, MICH. -- In honor of National Public Lands Day, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is hosting a volunteer beach and trail clean-up day this month, giving visitors the chance to give back to a beloved national park. Trash on the shoreline of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Photo by National Park ServiceNational Public Lands Days, held annually on the fourth Saturday in September, is the nation’s largest single-day volunteer event for public lands, bringing out thousands of people to restore and improve public lands around the country. This year’s National Public Lands Day builds upon last year’s theme of “More Ways to Connect to Nature,” highlighting diversity in public lands, people, and the ways in which we value and care for these spaces, officials said. Trash bags, gloves, and pickers will be provided at the Pictured Rocks event.

Officials have released the identity of a 21-year-old Lincoln Park man who died after falling from a cliff in the Miners Castle area in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

MUNISING, MI - National Park Service officials are investigating after a man fell to his death at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The man was near the upper viewing platform at Miners Castle when he fell into Lake Superior. Miners Castle is probably the best-known landmark in the national park, located east of Munising in the Upper Peninsula. It is the only cliff area in Pictured Rocks that can be reached by vehicle. From the overlook, visitors can see the expanse of Lake Superior as well as Grand Island.

GRAND MARAIS, MICH. -- A wildland fire burned within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and adjacent state forest land on Monday, July 19. Around 3:00 p.m., a U.S. Coast Guard vessel out of Station Marquette reported seeing a fire near Pictured Rocks’ popular Twelvemile Beach campground. Firefighters from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources responded to the area, with assistance from Burt Township Fire and national park rangers. Approximately 6 acres burned, on state forest and national park lands. “I would like to remind all park visitors to recreate safely.

A cliff wall broke away at a national park along Lake Superior in northern Michigan, stunning some boaters who captured it on video.

A cliff wall broke away at a national park along Lake Superior in northern Michigan, stunning some boaters who captured it on video. The park's cliffs are 50 feet to 200 feet (15.2 meters to 60.9 meters) above the lake. “We could hear the cliff wall popping and cracking and within 60 seconds a section of cliff approximately 200 feet wide fell before us," Jahn Martin told WLUC-TV.

ALGER COUNTY, MI -- An enormous section of the cliff face at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore crumbled into Lake Superior Saturday afternoon and the dramatic moment was captured on video. Video of the dramatic scene was shared with WLUC who posted it on their Facebook page. In 2019, a drone photographer captured a similar moment when a slice of the cliff fell into the lake as well. “It’s just one of the risks with sandstone; it’s very soft and always eroding,” said Sue Reece, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore’s chief of interpretation in a 2019 interview with MLive. “But it’s rare to catch it on film.”READ MORE:Pictured Rocks at sunset: How to capture one of Michigan’s most marvelous photo opsPictured Rocks cruises, waterfalls make Munising an unforgettable summer vacation spotPictured Rocks National Lakeshore proposes adding entrance fee, increased camping fees

MUNISING, MI – Visitors wanting to experience the unique beauty of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and nearby Munising often head to one of the park’s popular trails or rugged beaches. Miners Castle at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. HOP ON A PICTURED ROCKS CRUISEPictured Rocks Cruises offer narrated trips that mix a little bit of the area’s history with a lot of beauty. “People have this impression that Pictured Rocks is one rock, or that it’s something that people painted,” she said. Munising Falls is located near the Munising Falls Visitor Center, part of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in Munising, Michigan.

MUNISING, MICH. -- A popular shipwreck tour boat company in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore area will be sailing into the 2021 season at the end of this month. Glass Bottom Shipwreck Tours will kick off another summer of Munising-area shipwreck cruises and shipwreck scuba diving on Saturday, May 29. Online reservations for the tours are already open on the company’s website, shipwrecktours.com. The company also offers all-levels shipwreck scuba diving excursions in the Munising Alger Underwater Preserve. For more information about the tours, local shipwreck history, how to make reservations and more, visit shipwrecktours.com or the company’s Facebook page.

MUNISING, MICH. -- Visitors to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore this winter will have a new spot for enjoying the serenity of the woods on snowshoes. Park officials announced today the opening of a new snowshoe trail that has been a year in the making. The trail also connects to the park’s G-Loop ski and snowshoe trail for a possible additional 1.5 miles, and some spectacular views of Lake Superior. This new trail offers visitors a great opportunity to enjoy the quiet and solitude of Pictured Rocks’ woods in winter, officials said. Please come and enjoy it!”Visitors can access the snowshoe trail from the ski trail parking lot located east of Munising near the end of East City Limits Road off County Road H-58.

Michigan is filled with lots of natural beauty which gives you the opportunity to hike and experience it all. Here are some of the best places to go hiking in the state:Stretching 1,250 miles by foot, Michigans Iron Belle Trail is one of the longest designated state trail in the U.S. when its completed. The 1,800-acre Negwegon State Park sits along the Lake Huron shore and offers natural beauty on your hike. The TART trails are known for your ability to over look and see the views of parts of Lake Michigan and Silver Lake. These are just to name a few, you can find a full list of places to hike around the state here.

Across the state of Michigan we have many freshwater places to enjoy kayaking. Here are some of the best places to go kayaking in the state:The pretty blue water and rainbow-colored cliffs might is what you can find at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Makinac Island is one of the best places to kayak due to the stunning sunsets and sunrises. You can explore the natural rock formations, wildlife, and lighthouses of Mackinac Island, Mackinaw City, St. Ignace, Round Island, and Bois Blanc Island. Surrounding Lake Bellaire, the Grass River, Torch Lake, and more, the Chain O Lakes in Antrim County gives you lots of options.

A group of 18 kayakers paddling on Lake Superior on Monday had stopped to take in the scenic view along the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore when, suddenly, sections of the sandstone cliff wall collapsed into the water just yards in front of them. We noticed it first when some little rocks fell down just next to one of our guides who was just under the cliff, he said. Rigaux started recording and captured video of the massive rockfall as entire swath of the cliff cascaded into the lake, raising a plume of water and dust. We were kind of in shock and awe at the same time.The colored sandstone cliffs rise up to 200 feet high. The power of Lake Superior shapes the coastline on the the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, the National Park Service says.

MUNISING, Mich. - Kayakers on a tour of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore in northern Michigan narrowly escaped injury when a large section of cliff collapsed near them into Lake Superior. WLUC-TV reports the kayakers were in an area where sandstone cliffs stand up to about 200 feet (61 meters) above the water. Van Ouellette-Ballas of Northern Waters Adventures, one of the guides, says smaller rocks had fallen near the group Monday before the massive section fell. He says they thought we were at a safe distance and were paddling away when the large collapse missed them by about 50 feet (15 meters). MLive.com reports nature photographers Jon Smithers and Craig Blacklock were on a boat and Smithers turned a drone toward the sounds of the collapse in time to record video of it.

MUNISING, Mich. - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is switching to a reservation system for camping, a change that reflects the park's growing popularity in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. People who want to camp, starting July 11, will need a reservation by going to www.reservation.gov or calling (877) 444-6777. The reservation system opens Thursday. But Susan Reece of Pictured Rocks says they've been filling up by 10 a.m. in July and August, leaving visitors "scrambling and anxious" when there's no room. She says a reservation system will help visitors plan their trip.