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Lake Superior

Great Freshwater Sea

By World Wild Places

Living in the Midwest, Lake Superior became my favorite place in the States. She is a real mainland sea, the size of Ireland or Czech Republic. At times the seas are glass calm but also could get very rough and are known for sinking thouthents of ships.

It takes 1300 miles (2100 km) to drive around the lake, through three US states and the Canadian province Ontario. Each region offers a unique, not alike experience of the lake and it's landscapes.

Munising area

Munising Area

The Northwoods bring together a precise array of superior elements. That were revered by the Native Americans, who left a strong heritage that is still honored and felt today.

Ancient volcano rock outcrops and sandstone formations, acidic bogs and pine tree forests, rare and exotic plant and animal species, precious earth minerals and pristine, sweet water are just a few of these elements to behold in the north. The vast wilderness and drastic seasonal changes experienced here are singular, invoking a communion with nature and the changes of oneself.

Black Rocks, Marquette

Lake Superior

Michigan

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a well known and visited area on Lake Superior. In the summer, visitors can enjoy Pictured Rocks Cruises and view spectacular 60m tall sandstone cliffs and arches along the coast.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Chapel Rock has a single tree perched atop its column. After years of erosion there remains hardly any topsoil. The tree's root system extends over the edge of the rock to the main bluff for nutrients.

Pictured Rocks, Michigan

Chapel Rock

Five square miles of Grand Sable Dunes, left by glaciers, are perched atop the 300-foot high Grand Sable Banks.

Pictured Rocks, Michigan

Grand Sable Dunes

Munising Area

Little Presque Isle near Marquette

Little Presque Isle

Little Presque Isle Beach

Little Presque Isle Beach

Little Presque Isle

Little Presque Isle

Presque Isle River and Tahquamenon Falls

Michigan

Presque Isle River Falls

Tahquamenon Falls

Aurora over Ontonagon Beach. September is theist month to see the northern lights. There is often a weak green glow over Lake Superior during this time of year. On special occasions, when the sky is clear and the aurora is strong, bright, dancing lights can be seen in the night sky.

Ontonagon Beach

Porcupine Mountains

The best time to experience the leaf color change on the south shore of Lake Superior is mid-September to mid-October. The Canadian side of the lake is mostly boreal and does not provide such a variety of colors as in the States.

Lake of The Clouds, Porcupine Mountains

Huron Mountains

Most of the Huron Mountains near Marquette are owned by the Huron Mountain Club, preserving some of the finest but inaccessible wilderness in the Eastern US.

Lake Superior

Isle Royale

Isle Royale National Park is an island on Lake Superior. It is a great place to experience pristine, untouched wilderness. Numerous trails and campgrounds makes it easy move around and to spot local wildlife.

Rock Harbor

Lake Superior

Rock Harbor

Loons

Moose

Canyon Falls, Michigan

Canyon Falls

Canyon Falls

Lake Superior

Wisconsin

Apostle Islands

A friend of mine wrote about our trip to Devil Island at Apostle Islands:

Carrying everything you need to survive in the wilderness in your kayak, you launch from the mainland. You pass the docks and stroke into the open waters of Lake Superior. It is three miles to the first stop, Sand Island. The sun is shining and the water is cold, clear, and calm—the surface a peacefully glimmering mirror. In just minutes however, this serene scene can morph into merciless waves complete with white caps. Talk to any local who has experience with Mother Superior, she is beautiful but has been known to wreck ships. However, when you connect with this power, prepare for anything, and decide you will learn to paddle across open miles of freshwater inland sea, you may discover a whole new side of the world, and yourself.

The Apostle Islands National Lakeshore is formed of ancient sandstone bedrock that was subject to glaciations and varying lake levels. Over centuries of freezing, thawing, and constant wave action, the soft sandstone was carved into the formations we see today. The most striking of these are the sea caves—from shallow shelters to deep, cavernous rooms. When the waves allow for kayaking inside the formations of Devil’s Island, you will embark on an expedition to the past. There is nothing quite like the drippy thunder of the Lake’s waves resounding in ancient sandstone sea caves. There are also various types of windows, arches, and cliff face formations around each corner of many of the islands.

Lake Superior

The resulting layout of the 22 islands, with distances between 2 and 22 miles apart, provides an unlimited combination of routes. Sea caves can be found on Devil’s Island, Sand Island, and on the mainland. There are varying degrees of primitive campsites on each island as well as six scattered lighthouses. There are also many rare habitats found on the islands including sand dune environments, acidic bogs, rock face communities, and old growth forests.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior

Devil Island

Devil Island

Storm at Madeline Island

Devil Island Lighthouse

Sand Island

Lake Superior

The day after Storm at Madeline Island, Apostle Islands:

Ontario

Canada

Sea Lion Rock and Sleeping Giant

The Canadian side of the lake feels significantly more wild as you leave Thunder Bay on the West or Sault Ste. Marie on the East. The forest becomes boreal with a fewer settlements.

Lake Superior provincial park near Sault Ste. Marie offers a very rugged, rocky terrain, while Sleeping Giant mesas near Thunder Bay rise aggressively from the lake.

Two areas that I really look forward to explore in the future are Michipicoten Island and the islands of Nipigon Bay.

Pictograph of Mishipizheu creature at Agawa Rock from mythologies of the Ojibwe people in Lake Superior PP, Ontario.

Gargantua River Falls near Warp Bay in Lake Superior Provincial Park

Stones on the beach of Marathon

Nipigon Bay near Dublin Creek

Sleeping Giant

House on the shore of a ghost fishing town. Lake Superior PP,

Minnesota

The Minnesota coast of the lake is called the North Shore and offers the tallest lake cliffs. Duluth is the biggest city on the lake and the largest freshwater port in the world, 2300 miles (3700 kilometers) from the Atlantic Ocean.

Split Rock Lighthouse

To see more photos from the lake, see my other post: Winter at the Great Lakes

© 2026 World Wild Places

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