Our big trip this summer was camping completely around Lake Michigan – but when I read about the shipwrecks and Miner’s Beach in Munising, Michigan it quickly became the #1 spot on my list to stay and explore. And I was not disappointed – there are so many beautiful things to do in Munising!

Even though it rained and stormed most of the time we were there we didn’t let that deter our adventures. I grabbed my GoPro and ran down to the shoreline! Absolutely stunning nature there. (Do NOT MISS these 2 cruises right in Munising – shipwrecks, waterfalls and caves!)

After spotting Miner’s Beach on Pinterest I KNEW it was on our list to see. My fear, however, was that this stunning little waterfall would be somewhere off the beaten path that we wouldn’t see so I made sure to stop at the Miner’s Castle ranger station to ask about it before we headed down to the beach. It is located inside of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.

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So I’ll spoil the tip for you right in the beginning of this post! When you head down the stairs to Miner’s Beach walk to the right of the stairs on the beach until you can’t walk any further – there you’ll find a stunning cove of rock ledges and the beautiful waterfall I found on Pinterest! (go east!)

The rock ledges were awesome to climb around on but unfortunately we couldn’t make it right over to the waterfall. At the time we were there the water was too high and the waves and rip tide were too dangerous for me to feel comfortable wading over there with the kids. It was still worth the hike over there to check out though!

This was my first trip to Lake Superior and I was absolutely blown away with how clear and blue green the water was! You’d think we were in Mexico (minus the bleach white beach sand!) because the water color and clarity was so stunning. And cold of course – but the cold water didn’t deter my kids!

All week I gushed over how amazing the views and lakeshore was in the area. We also went on the Shipwreck Tours boat as well as the Pictured Rocks Cruise which are both well worth it….and also another post worth!

We spent several hours there hiking up and down Miner’s Beach. I have to say though that I was NOT prepared for how difficult it was to walk in the sand there and how dangerous the riptides were the day we went!

We didn’t go very far into the water because of the unpredictable waves – made worse by the cruise boats back and forth every half hour or so. So do be cautious of the weather patterns and conditions on the water when you go!

I took this with my GoPro Silver just so you can see how clear the water is! No special filters or anything! It was absolutely amazing!

Although you can’t take any rocks from the lakeshore it didn’t deter my kids from carrying them around and tossing them back into the lake all day. We found all sorts of beautiful chunks of granite and agates along with the occasional piece of sandstone. Just look at the color of the lake here!

I’ve been in Lake Michigan numerous times and expected Lake Superior to look similar but boy was I wrong! Untouched beauty.

If you’re headed to Munising definitely look up more spots on Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore – there is plenty to see and do! Along with the 2 cruises I mentioned make sure to check out the many local waterfalls too.

Wagner Falls is incredibly easy to get to and there are others you can literally stay in your car and drive right past. We picked up a waterfall map at the Shipwreck Tours office which nicely laid out everything we needed to see as a tourist.

Also downtown Munising you can picnic right off the lakefront with free parking near where you board for the Pictured Rocks cruise. We were even able to pick up a small handful of sea glass right on the shore there! Munising Falls is another easy to see waterfall location that seems popular in the area as well.

If you’re looking for an extremely family friendly campground check out Otter Lake Campground – it was great for families with children.

Here’s a list of many of the waterfalls in the Picture Rocks area.

The Secret of Miner’s Beach:

Imagine sitting on the edge of this rock amidst the waterfall and taking in the incredibly breath taking view of Lake Superior – with no one else around. This secret waterfall at Miner’s Beach is a fabulous hidden gem that you can’t see from stairs leading down to the beach but it perhaps one of the prettiest spots you can stumble across from the lakeshore.

Here you can see a view from above the hidden waterfall area at low tide. When it’s high tide you can still see the waterfall but Lake Superior comes above those rock ridges and the waves can be incredibly dangerous so take caution! You can absolutely see it though if you walk to the east end of the beach no matter what time of day it is though! It’s a fabulous hidden gem!

Heading to the Munising area?! Click below for more to do: