Perched on the northern edge of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, Munising draws outdoors enthusiasts to enjoy its unique natural features, including the unusually shaped shoreline formations of Pictured Rocks National Seashore, the many waterfalls that cascade over sandstone cliffs, and the white sand beaches. Human-made attractions abound, too — both accidental, like the shipwrecks lying beneath the surface of Lake Superior, and purposeful, such as the 1874 lighthouse built to prevent more boats from suffering the same fate. The town of Munising is a welcoming place to explore from. It offers a taste of local culinary traditions in the form of craft beers and pasties, the region's portable pies, which make a handy snack to pack when hiking, kayaking, snowmobiling, and snowshoeing around the area.

Flights from Detroit, Chicago, and Minneapolis arrive at Sawyer Airport (MQT), 41 miles west in the town of Gwinn, almost daily. From there, you can rent a car or take a shuttle to Munising, which should take 45 to 60 minutes. Otherwise, you’re looking at a six-hour drive from either Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport (ORD) or the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW). While Munising’s town center is walkable, and many of the attractions are accessible by boat, some lodgings and many of the parks and trailheads for outdoor activities require driving, so renting a vehicle is advisable.

Munising's location on Lake Superior brings year-round clouds but also keeps temperatures milder than they might otherwise be in this northern paradise. The temperatures stay relatively pleasant for outdoor recreation in the busy summer season, when the cabins are booked and the calendar fills up with events and festivals, including a popular car show in the fall. Winters in Munising are cold, but the significant snowfall also makes the town a playground for snowmobiling and other winter sports until late April. But before the snow melts away, everyone celebrates the town's frozen beauty with the Michigan Ice Fest, a February ice-climbing event.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Sandstone cliffs rising as high as 100 feet from the surface of Lake Superior make for an epic panorama. The iconic rock formations Miner's Castle and Chapel Rock share the shoreline with isolated beaches and the impressive slopes of Grand Sable Banks and Dunes. Boat tours and rental kayaks bring you the full view of Pictured Rocks from the water; on land, the park offers outdoor activities for every season, including hiking, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, and more.

Alger Underwater Preserve

The lack of natural harbors on Lake Superior left many ships wrecked below its surface over the years. While Munising's unique land formations didn't keep the ships afloat, it has preserved them underwater, attracting divers who explore the wrecks among the shallow sandstone caves.

Waterfalls

The Upper Peninsula is home to almost 200 dramatic waterfalls, and Munising is an easy base for visiting many of them, beginning with the eponymous 50-foot Munising Falls, where twin staircases lead to a wide viewing platform. Equally impressive in its frozen winter state as it is in summer, the cascade can be seen from various hikes, boats, and beaches in the area.