Miles of colorful sandstone cliffs from 50-200 feet high rising from directly from Lake Superior's rugged shoreline and long stretches of white sand beach invite kayakers to explore the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
Within the national lakeshore, put-in points for kayaks are Sand Point, Miners Beach, Twelvemile Beach and Hurricane River. Additional put-in points in the Munising area include Grand Island Landing, Munising City Marina, Munising/Brown's Addition boat ramp, and the Anna River. In Grand Marais, you may launch at the Grand Marais harbor beach and marina.
Lake Superior is unpredictable! Kayakers must be prepared for cold temperatures, high winds, fog, and rough seas that may occur at any time. Be constantly alert to changing conditions and should consult the current before starting any trip (NOAA 1-906-475-5212 or Marine Band Radio Channel 16).
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backcountry camping permit is required for overnight stays at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Reservations are possible, and there is a fee for backcountry camping.
Pets are not permitted in the lakeshore's backcountry.
Campgrounds easiest to identify from Lake Superior are Mosquito Beach, Chapel Beach, Beaver Creek, and Sevenmile Creek. Other campgrounds (Coves, Pine Bluff, Benchmark, and Au Sable Point East) have special markers -- three wood posts at beach level -- to identify them from the water. Backcountry campgrounds NOT accessible from Lake Superior are Cliffs, Potato Patch, Coves group site, Trappers Lake, and Masse Homestead.
Front country
drive-in campgrounds also accessible by kayak from Lake Superior are Twelvemile Beach and lower Hurricane River. These campgrounds are first-come, first-serve only; no reservations.