Pictured Rocks through the Year
Are you curious what takes place through the year at Pictured Rocks?
Take an informative ride throughout the year at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore- from winter to summer- find out what you can expect while visiting anytime throughout the year.
January
It's deep winter at the Lakeshore. Chickadees, nuthatches, and ravens call in the woods. Most years we experience a "January thaw" with temperatures rising into the upper 30's. It's dark - sunrise at 8:30 a.m., sunset at 5:30 p.m.
White-tailed deer are yarded up in white cedar swamps away from lake effect snow - waiting out the cold. The evenly cut browse line is visible on the lower tree branches. Some 150-200 inches of snow are common in this neck of the woods.
Hardy fisher folk have set up their shanties on Grand Sable Lake and Munising Bay. Whitefish are biting in Munising Bay and lake trout are taken on Grand Sable Lake.
February
Since the turn of the December solstice we can see the days growing longer. On warm days raccoon and skunk wander about, especially creek side.
Barred owls are nesting and their young are born amid lashing storms of late winter. Tracks of mice and voles they feed on are written across the snow.
Black bear cubs are born in the den, weighing a kilogram (2.2 pounds) In 40 days their eyes will open.
March
Seagulls return after a short, late winter absence. Bald eagles return to nest in old white pines.
The run is on! Local maple sugar makers boil sap into syrup by mid-month. Local Ojibwa historically moved to Grand Island to process sap there. Red squirrel gnaw maple branches to lick the sap.
Sandhill cranes return to marches on Sand Point, their rattling calls a welcome sound.
April
Early wild flowers begin to bloom in the park. Hepatica, bloodroot and spring beauty begin the show in the Beaver Basin and the Miners area mid-month.
Much of the hardwood forest is free of snow late in the month. Spring peepers call loudly from wetlands later in the month as the ice melts in warm spring sun.
Peregrine falcons return to nest along the Pictured Rocks cliffs and Grand Island.
May
Residents watch annual records for when ice normally "goes out" of Munising Bay the first week of May.
Red maple bloom into the first week of the month. Aspen leaves are the first to turn into a bright green "squirrel ears".
Marsh marigold and service berry (shadbush) bloom in wetlands and on the Kingston Plains, scene of turn of the century white pine logging.
June
Apple blossoms decorate old farmstead landscapes scattered through out the park.
The Lakeshore experiences over 15 hours of daylight near the summer solstice.
Visitors note that black flies and mosquitoes are at their peak of the season.
July
Bald eagles fledge from their inland nests high atop a white pine. Young fledge from nests along Lake Superior a bit later.
This and month of August are the busiest vistor months, accounting for half of the annual visitation to the park.
Blueberries and huckleberries ripen in pine savannahs along the Lakeshore. Thimble berries and raspberries ripen along roadsides and old woods openings.
August
Nighthawks and neotropical birds begin to migrate south.
Lake Superior's water is finally warm enough to swim in (some years)!
The first hints of fall color glow in red maples at the edges of wetlands.
September
The fall run of steelhead and coho salmon occurs in park streams.
Beaver are busy in the park wetlands cutting and storing winter food sunk in "beds" near their lodges.
Beech nuts ripen. Black bear climb trees to feed on the nuts. Watch for claw marks on the beech bark throughout the park.
October
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was authorized on October 15, 1966. Happy Birthday
Visitors flock to the park to see fall color of hard and soft maple the first two weeks of the month. Aspen and birch turn later near the lake. Tamaracks turn golden yellow late in the month.
The first snow often falls around Halloween.
November
The "gales of November" lash the shoreline, sending giant waves crashing against the cliffs. In some places, the spray flies up and over the cliffs on the howling wind.
Loons congregate on bays in large groups as they migrate south.
With the first snows, varying or snowshoe hare change from grey to white. Their tracks are common among wetland conifers.
December
The Lakeshore is usually blanketed in snow by mid-month creating a winter wonderland.
Winter begins with the "shortest day" of the year. The Lakeshore experiences only 8 1/2 hours of daylight on the solstice.
In winter, this is the second cloudiest place in the continental U.S.
Pictured Rocks Links of Interest
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Picture Rocks is America's first national lakeshore and home to Munising, Michigan. Pictured Rocks gets its name from the sandstone rock cliffs that are exposed along the lakeshore, known as the Pictured Rocks
Pictured Rocks Backcountry Regulations & Safety
A permit is required for backcountry camping, Permits may be obtained at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Hiawatha National Forest Visitor Information Center.
NPS Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Wild Beauty on the Lake Superior Shore. Sandstone cliffs, beaches, sand dunes, waterfalls, lakes, forest, and shoreline beckon you to visit Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore.
Michigan Upper Peninsula Attractions
Munising, Michigan
Munising, Michigan - Things to do, lodging, hotels, motels, shops and restaurants. Munising is home to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and the gateway to Hiawatha National Forest.
Munising, Michigan Tourist Directory
Munising, Michigan is a Midwest vacation travel of treasures. Little known, the quiet little city of Munising in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, is one of the most beautiful cities in the Mid West.
Au Train Recreation Area
The area is rich in natural resources and the perfect area for a quiet and peaceful vacation get-away for the entire family. Enjoy Michigan Upper Peninsula in Au Train, Michigan.
Munising, Alger County Michigan Attractions
The City of Munising, Michigan will provide your entire family with an avalanche of outdoor recreation activities and enjoyment- Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter.
Gwinn, Michigan Marquette County Attractions
Four fun-filled seasons to explore, located in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Gwinn, Michigan is known as the Heart of Michigan's Upper Peninsula,
