Miners Falls is a waterfall located near Miners Castle Point and Miners Beach on the western end of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. I really enjoyed these three and they are quick to do all together in a morning or afternoon.
Miners Falls
This waterfall drops 40 feet over a sandstone wall. From the parking lot, the dirt-and-gravel trail is 1.2 miles roundtrip. Benches dot the path for visitors to rest their feet.
At the end of the trail, there is an upper overlook; however, most of the waterfall was obscured by trees and leaves.
To get to the lower viewing platform, climb down 64 steps. Here you get beautiful, unobstructed views of the river flowing over the drop. It is one of my favorite waterfalls we saw in the area.
Miners Castle Point
Miners Castle was named by explorers looking for minerals in 1771. Though it was a poor mining spot, the name stuck. This cliff area is the only one in the national lakeshore accessible by vehicle. Visitors can take boat tours to view the rocky cliffs up close.
From the parking lot, it is a short, paved trail to the upper overlook. Colorful patterns in the rock are caused by mineral stains on the surface – blue and green stains are copper; black is manganese; and yellow, red, and orange are iron.
A lower overlook takes a path down some stairs and several switchbacks. This platform leads directly next to Miners Castle.
Miners Beach
Nearly a mile long, Miners beach is a popular attraction. Cars were parked along the road from the main parking area. Visitors can also park at the Miner’s Castle parking lot and take the North Country Trail down. You get a great view of how long the strip of beach is from the lower Castle Point overlook. We saw the more secluded eastern edge from the back country lot.
Miners area is a perfect way to get a little bit of everything in Pictured Rocks – a waterfall, cliff, and beach! Plus, they are all relatively easy to reach. Make sure to check out Miners Falls and Miners Castle while you visit the lakeshore.
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