Michigan - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was established in 1966 as the first national lakeshore in the US. It stretches about 40 miles between Grand Marias and Munising in Michigan Upper Peninsula on the shores of Lake Superior, the largest and northernmost of the Great Lakes of North America. According to NPS, the name "Pictured Rocks" comes from streaks of mineral stain that decorate the face of the weather-sculpted sandstone. Stunning colors occur when groundwater oozes out of cracks and trickles down the rock face. Iron (red and orange), copper (blue and green), manganese (brown and black), and limonite (white) are among the most common color-producing minerals. Pictured Rocks offers magnificent views of sandstone cliffs towering up to 200 feet above Lake Superior, pristine beaches, dunes, waterfalls, and beautiful forest. It is a very picturesque place, especially when the landscape is filled with stunning colors during the fall season.
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