Lake of the Clouds is a lake in the Porcupine Mountains in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that sits in a valley and is surrounded by trees. You can see Lake of the Clouds from different vantage points. The easiest way to see it is from an overlook that is very accessible from a really nice boardwalk. This is how we saw Lake of the Clouds the first two times that we visited the Porkies. The picture below was taken from the overlook.
 |
| photo by mrbturner |
The third time that we went to the Lake of the Clouds, we hiked the Escarpment Trail. In my opinion, this 4 mile trail is the best hike in the Porcupine Mountains. The sheer cliffs and the view of the lake far below are definitely worth the work it takes to make it up (or down) the frequently steep trail.
 |
| www-personal.umich.edu |
The best time to see many places in the U.P. is in the Fall. Lake of the Clouds is no exception. It is an absolutely amazing sight once the leaves on the trees have changed colors.
 |
| photo by dturner |
 |
| photo by mrbturner |
I am always surprised when I go to the U.P. that it's never crowded. In
fact, my wife and I have hiked many times for several hours without
seeing another person. I remember a conversation that we had when we
were staying at a resort near the Porcupine Mountains. We were sitting
in some lawn chairs at the edge of Lake Superior. I looked around and
said to my wife, "It's kind of crowded here." She just laughed. I said,
"What?" She said, "There are six other people here..." I guess I had
gotten a little used to having the U.P. all to myself.
 |
| photo by mrbturner |
These pictures are gorgeous and i would defiantly want to see it in the fall when all the leaves are changing colors. I think it would add more beauty to the sites. I love how fall trees look when they are changing colors. I can only imagine how they look on a hiking trail in the U.P.
ReplyDeleteI think if i was away from people and then went back to the "real world" i would have thought 6-10 people was crowded too lol
I've been to the U.P. during every season, and Fall is my favorite. The colors in the U.P. seem so vibrant too. Have you ever been to the Keweenaw Peninsula in the U.P.? We went to Copper Harbor and drove through the "Tunnel of Trees" during the Fall. WOW! You may have just given me a good idea for this week's blog post...
DeleteThis looks amazing. Are the trails pretty easy to navigate. I don't want to get lost!:P
ReplyDeleteThe trails are all pretty well marked. We always get a map before we hike so we have something to follow as we go. The escarpment trail on the side of the Lake of the Clouds is well marked and easy to navigate if you don't mind a little steepness.
Delete