Twelvemile Beach via Lake Superior Overlook - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Mrs Coot - Looking for solitude (and pretty rocks) along Twelvemile Beach

As I mentioned in a previous post, what made the Lake Superior Overlook at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore most special for me was the great access it offers to Twelvemile Beach.  Together, on a blustery September day, Mrs Coot and I slowly wandered about a half mile up the beach from the overlook, feeling the lake winds across our faces, as we looked to find some total solitude for ourselves.

We concentrated on walking on the stabilized wet sand rather than the very fine loose dry sand that covers the beach, while also avoiding the bigger waves. Lake Superior's waters never get much above a bone chilling temperature, and neither one of us really wanted to get our feet cold and wet on a windy autumn day.

A gnarled and burnt (but photogenic) pine that caught my eye

Solitude Found - Mrs Coot along the shores of Gitche Gumee

One thing that Lake Superior shores are famous for is the tremendous array of rocks that can be found on it's shores.  The huge variety of different rocks, minerals, and semi-precious gems are literally pieces of bedrock from as far away as Hudson Bay, they are a legacy of the most recent ice age.

Red Alligator? - No, it's just another chunk of rock left behind by the last Ice Age

During the time period that the first human civilizations were being established in the region around Mesopotamia and the so called "fertile crescent", the Lake Superior region was still feelings the effects of the most recent Ice Age that sent giant glaciers moving as far south as St Louis.

Lake Superior's array of rocks, minerals and semi-precious gems - Twelvemile Beach

Just know that actual rock collecting is not allowed within the boundaries of Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.  You can look, you can touch, but when it's all said and done, even the prettiest specimens must remain on the beach for others to admire.  It's not a terrible sacrifice, as there is plenty of other shoreline available for rock collectors on the world's largest freshwater lake, and plenty of attractions to observe by the shores of Gitche Gumee, by the shining big sea waters . . . 

Burnt pine on Twelvemile Beach

Lake Superior Overlook - Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Loving life (and the smell of the wind in my face) overlooking Lake Superior

 On Alger County Road H-58 between Twelvemile Beach Campground and Hurricane River Campground is the beautiful Lake Superior Overlook, a recent addition to the attractions to be found at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Mrs Crippled Coot and I visited the overlook on a blustery Saturday afternoon in early to mid-September while we were camping and vacationing this year in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.

Set on a flat sandy bench of land (that I believe is an older Lake Superior beach from when the lake was at a higher level sometime after the most recent ice age,) the overlook itself is completely handicap and wheelchair accessible. It's to be found directly off of a small paved parking lot conveniently provided by the cooperative efforts of the Alger County Road Commission and the National Park Service, not to mention being funded by franchise fees paid to the National Park Service by Pictured Rocks Cruises.

Looking North-Northwest from the Lake Superior Overlook at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Looking Northeast from the Lake Superior Overlook at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Yes, as you can see from the pictures, the view from the overlook is very nice.  Of the drive-in Lake Superior overlooks to be found in the park, this one is the closest to the lake, as well as being the best place to get a quick look at, and capture the feel of, Twelvemile Beach.

While the overlook is nice, what makes the site most special for me is its quick and easy access to Twelvemile Beach, which is well worth exploring.  On the northwest side of the site, there is a convenient set of stairs giving quick and easy access to the beach.

Looking west up Twelvemile Beach

Mr Coot only blocks a little of the view east along Twelvemile Beach

When I was young and relatively healthy, I backpacked the length of the park, so I can't help adding that the solitude of the beach here can be really special.  Despite the passage of more than 20 years since that previous visit, I can say with certainty that my prior experience is still available, and it doesn't take hefting a backpack to get that feel either.

Mrs Coot and I visited the beach on a Saturday, just 5 days after the Labor Day holiday, and for most of the day we had the beach entirely to ourselves.  There were fairly strong winds whipping across Lake Superior from the north, and the days temperature's were probably in the lower 60's, a perfect day to my eyes because the winds helped to create dramatic waves along the beach for our visit.  Still, the busiest the beach ever became was when we shared the view with a grand total of 5 other folks, and none of them wandered more than a short way across the beach.

Crowded!?! - For a short while we shared the beach with 5 other people (and a bird.).