Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park|Rocks, the Cedar Tree, Lady Superior, and so much more!
- Lori Chown
- Aug 3
- 6 min read
I just spent a beautiful week camping on Lake Superior at Porcupine Mountain. It is one of a handful of places I've found that speaks to my soul.
From the energy of the volcanic rock that caresses the water as if an extension of it, to the majesty of Lake Superior, I didn't think that I could be more impressed but then I met the cedar tree.
There is an ancient healing that comes from the cedar tree. It has been used ceremonially and in cleansing practices by many Indigenous people for generations, helping to release traumas and stuck energies. I think I would have been drawn to this tree no matter what name she would have been given. The way she stood so strong, while bending out of the volcanic bedrock, as if reaching for something. Her trunk took a full ninety-degree turn as she came from the rocky earth and stretched towards the sun. Her battered bark, twisted from the wear and weather. She reminded me of someone. Maybe it was me. Maybe it was a reminder of the "broken" me that was forced to evolve and reshape myself. Whatever it was, she was a kindred soul. I spent each morning with her, sharing a moment of mindfulness or meditation. There were so many meaningful moments at Lake Superior, but my mornings with the Cedar were by far the most healing.
The Rock
The basalt bedrock that cradles Lady Superior brings an ancient wisdom with it. Its layers of bedrock, each revealing a history that began more than one billion years ago. From smooth surfaces, to fossilized sections, and jagged edges, as you walk along the path created you can't help but hear the stories. Running my hadn't across the warm basalt, I wondered how many stories it had quietly held. Stories of the ancient humans that walked here, and all the creatures that followed. How the molten rock shaped it all, and the ice age glaciers that helped carve the path, all coming together in one sacred stone.
Lake Superior - Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park
Big water always calls to me, and Lake Superior with her crystal clear waters, and her ability to reshape the weather with each changing mood is no exception. On this trip we paddle boarded, kayaked, swam, and rock hounded. In our seven days, we saw every personality that Lady Superior had to offer, but we had plenty of time to enjoy her as well.
My maiden voyage out on the paddle board I was in awe at the clarity. One of the great things about paddle boarding is it gives you a different perspective. From this vantage point you can easily see twenty feet down, and on hazy days you can probably see more depth than distance!
I was just starting my paddle and was maybe thirty feet off the shore, when I saw something trailing towards me on the surface of the water. It was weaving in the water and leaving a tail behind it. At first I thought maybe a snake, but no, not here in this cold, deep water. Maybe some parts, but on this section of the lake, it is solid rock bottom and there is no vegetation. Not pebbles, but boulders butted together, with clear fault lines that are so straight you'd believe they were cut by hands.
As it came closer, I could clearly see the smaller fish being tailed by a lake trout about the size of my forearm. The smaller fish zigged just as it reached my paddle, followed by the lake trout. I don't know how it ended, but in my mind the smaller fish escaped, thanks to my board.
We paddled as far east as our bodies would let us, watching the schools of fish swim underneath us. In the skies, the seagulls and occasional eagle flew overhead, and in the water, loons snorkeled and dived while we tried to remain invisible. I could have spent another week there and not gotten tired of paddling.
Sunrise, Sunsets and a Full Moon
I didn't think anything could match the beauty of a sunrise or sunset on Lake Superior, but the moon did its best to compete. We sat on one of the many boulders that appeared to have been thrown there from a volcanic eruption. The boulder consisted of hundreds of little rocks encased in lava. We sat and watched as the full buck moon rose over the horizon. The orange sphere that appeared in the sky did not disappoint.
It's hard to decide what is more beautiful the sunrise or sunset, but the aura of colors made me believe that an entire palette of colors exists only on Lake Superior. From the pinks and oranges, to the deepest teal blue I'd ever seen, I was in love with the colors. The sound of Lady Superior caressing the shore seemed to silence all the other noises of the day.
Lake Superior Sunset Wood and Rock Hearts in Nature Eddie at Presque Isle Park Eddie at Presque Isle Park Lake Superior Sunset Pebble Rock Varieties on Lake Superior Sunrise and Lava Rock on Lake Superior Agates on Lake Superior Rocks All the Blues of Lake Superior Lake of the Clouds Basalt Bedrock Lake Superior Lake of the Clouds overlook Full Buck Moon August 2026 Cairns at Sunset on Lake Suprior Bond Falls Upper Penninsula Birch Trees on Lake Superior Basalt Rock Two if by the Sea
Lake of the Clouds
As if Lake Superior wasn't enough of a treat, at Porcupine Mountain you get an entirely unique experience at Lake of the Clouds. It's a 133 acre freshwater lake that is formed in the valleys of the mountain and on some days, the fog and low lying clouds settle over the valley, covering the lake in the clouds. We loved her so much we took two trips up. The first was a beautiful blue sky day, where the woods, water, and sky painted a canvas that your eyes would still see when you close them.
Then on one of the cloudy days, we decided it was time for a hike along the Escarpment Trail, which ran the ridgeline of the mountain, overlooking the lake. It was an easy hike, for limber bodies, that took you up mild inclines, and rocky terrain. While much of the trail is a majestic wooded forest with massive birch, sugar maple, and red oak, the overlooks were the highlight. It gave you an entirely different view of the lake than the highly trafficked scenic overlook. The hike was perfect, but sitting on the rock ledge, Earthing, and admiring the lake was the true highlight.
Agates
If you know me, you know I love rocks and gemstones. Amazonite, tiger eye, amethyst, quartz, and pebbles, each with their own personality and healing properties. They too speak to my soul. On the beaches of Lake Superior, just west of the Porcupine Mountain campground is an abundance of rocks, and after a good storm, you may be lucky enough to find an agate. My hunt is never just for agates, but for any stone that speaks to me. On this trip, I met the twenty-five-pound limit that Michigan allows. There was such a beautiful variety and while most were very common, I may have found one agate, some fossils, and a few rarities, but the excitement of racing the tide or calmly sitting on the shore brought me so much joy.
Waterfalls
As if all of the other wonderful activities weren't enough, Porcupine Mountain is surrounded by beautiful waterfalls. While they are all spectacular, one of my favorites is Presque Isle, followed closely by Bond Falls, which is about an hour north of the park. At Presque Isle it isn't so much the waterfalls as it is the familiar basalt rock that cascades with the river. Just below the suspension bridge you will see a mesmerizing display of eddies, small spiral, half circles carved into the rock to create little whirlpools.
There is a beautiful beach that borders Lake Superior, and I am told is another excellent place for rock hounding!
The Woods
I've gained a strong appreciation for trees over the years. Experiencing the forest on the Porcupine Mountains you get to see a variety of trees in one area. There are varieties of maple, oak, basswood, hemlock, white pine, spruce, and balsam fir, all comingling and making the forest stronger, more beautiful, and even more diverse. We didn't hike at the Porkies, we forest bathed. Appreciating each tree, each branch, each root system for the beauty that it added.
There is so much that makes Porcupine Mountain so magical, but having all of these nature healers in one area is perhaps what makes it the best.
Not because of any one tree, rock, waterfall, or sunrise, but because together they remind us what wholeness looks like.
Thank you Lake Superior. I'll see you soon.
