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Pictured Rocks National LakeshoreLake Superior's Au Sable Light Station, built in 1874 by the U.S. Lighthouse Service, is located within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
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Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Operating Hours & Seasons
 
Miners Castle Road during the fall color season.
National Park Service photo
Miners Castle Road in autumn
 
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is open year-round, 24 hours day, though many roads are closed by snow in the winter. There is no entrance fee.

 
Four Seasons to Enjoy
There is no particular "best" season to visit the Lakeshore for each has its own charm and variety of activities. In the spring, wild flowers bloom in great profusion to add to the beauty of the natural area. The summer brings pleasantly warm weather and abundant sunshine. Autumn boasts a colorful display as the hardwood forest changes color. A mantle of snow sets the stage for winter activities.

 
Operating Hours - Visitor Centers
The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore - Hiawatha National Forest Interagency Visitor Center is open year round, Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (closed Sundays and federal holidays). It is open daily from Memorial Day weekend through mid-September with extended operating hours.

The Grand Sable Visitor Center, Miners Castle Information Center, and Munising Falls Interpretive Center are open from the Friday just before Memorial Day through Labor Day Monday.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Grand Sable and 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Miners Castle and Munising Falls.

The Au Sable Lighthouse and Maritime Museum is open with guided interpretive tours from mid-June through Labor Day.  The Au Sable Light Station grounds are open year round.

Park headquarters at Sand Point in Munising is open year round, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, but closed on federal holidays.  

For more information about about visitor centers ...

 
Miners Castle is disabled accessible and easily reached by automobile.
Miners Castle
Drive directly to the Pictured Rocks at Miners Castle.
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The Interagency Visitor Center of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Hiawatha National Forest is located in Munising, Michigan.
Interagency Visitor Center
Please make the IVC your first stop.
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Trees covered with snow on a sunny winter day.
It's a winter wonderland
with many outdoor opportunities
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Alger County Road Commission trucks grades a gravel road.
Construction on Alger County Road
H-58 in 2009 and 2010
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Dune grass thrives on the Grand Sable Dunes near Grand Marais, Michigan, in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  

Did You Know?
On October 6, 1972, ceremonies in Munising marked the establishment of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, America's first national lakeshore. To symbolically link the park's two gateway communities of Munising and Grand Marais, water was poured from two glass containers into a third.
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Last Updated: May 29, 2009 at 08:55 EST