12 Amazing Natural Wonders in Michigan

 Tourism is big business in Michigan as some $18 billion are spent by tourists every year in the state and much of that money is spent by visitors going to the beautiful natural wonders in Michigan.

Forests, lakes, waterfalls, beaches and sand dunes are major natural attractions in the state and so many tourists come every year that almost 200,000 people in Michigan make a living working in the hotels and motels and other travel destinations that support tourism in the state. Camping, fishing, hiking, swimming and hunting are all popular vacation activities in Michigan around the beautiful natural wonders in the state.

Here are 12 amazing natural wonders in Michigan.

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is located along the shoreline of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan stretching some 42 miles between the towns of Munising and Grand Marais. This beautiful stretch of lakeshore is a popular tourist attraction in Michigan full of natural wonders like waterfalls, rock archways and formations, colorful sandstone cliffs and sand dunes. Camping is available in the park and there are also plenty of motels and accommodations for tourists and vacationers in the area.

Sleeping Bear Dunes

Sleeping Bear Dunes is located in Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore along the northwest coast of Michigan along Lake Michigan. The outstanding natural wonder of Sleeping Bear Dunes is the huge sand dune bluffs that reaches heights of 450 feet.

Isle Royale National Park

Isle Royale is the largest island in Lake Superior and measures 45 miles in length and up to nine miles in width. It is located about 40 miles northwest of Copper Harbor which about the northernmost part of the mainland on the Michigan Upper Peninsula. Isle Royale is contained in Isle Royale National Park and even though the island is only about 10 miles from Minnesota and Canada it is part of the state of Michigan. Tourists can take boats from Copper Harbor or Grand Portage, Minnesota to visit Isle Royale National Park.

Arch Rock on Mackinac Island

Arch Rock is a natural limestone arch that is a scenic natural wonder located on Mackinac Island in Lake Huron just east of the Straits of Mackinac which separates the Upper and Lower Peninsulas in Michigan. Arch Rock stands some 145 feet above Lake Huron and is a popular tourist attraction on Mackinac Island in Michigan as both the Arch Rock Road and Arch Rock Bicycle Trail lead tourists and visitors to the natural wonder rock formation.

Silver Lake State Park

Silver Lake State Park is located along the eastern Lake Michigan shoreline in Golden, Michigan about 25 miles north of Muskegon. The natural wonder in Michigan located in Silver Lake State Park is the beautiful huge sand dunes found in the area. The sand dunes are a popular tourist attraction in Michigan and visitors can drive their cars and jeeps over some of the dunes.

Tahquamenon Falls

Tahquamenon Falls is located in Tahquamenon Falls State Park in the northeastern part of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. There are two waterfalls in the park along the Tahquamenon River with the Upper Tahquamenon Falls dropping 48 feet spread out over some 200 feet in length and the Lower Tahquamenon Falls consisting of a number of smaller cascades down the river. Tahquamenon Falls is a popular tourist attraction and the 3rd largest volume waterfalls east of the Mississippi River after Niagara Falls and Cohoes Falls in New York State. The falls are known for their brown root beer color which results from tannins in the water from cedar bogs.

Lake of the Clouds

Lake of the Clouds is a natural wonder in Michigan located in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park in the western part of the Upper Peninsula. Beautiful Lake of the Clouds is a popular hiking, fishing and camping location with tourists and visitors that has stunning vistas above from the two ridges in the Porcupine Mountains the lake is situated between.

Waterfalls Along the Black River in Michigan

There are number of beautiful and scenic waterfalls along the Black River in the western part of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan as the Black River drops some 200 feet near the where it flows into Lake Superior.

Kitch-iti-kipi (Big Cold Water) in Palms Book State Park

Palms Book State Park is located in the southern part of the Upper Peninsula near the town of Manistique. Located in Palms Book State Park is a natural wonder called Kitch-iti-kipi or "big cold water," which is also known as the Big Spring. Kitch-iti-kipi is a large spring that releases some 10,000 gallons of pure clear cold water into a large 40 foot deep and 300 feet by 175 foot long pool that is a beautiful blue green hue. The Big Spring is major tourist attraction in Michigan and there are plenty of hotels and accommodations for visitors in Manistique.

Bond Falls

Bond Falls is a 40 foot high 100 foot wide natural wonder waterfall located along the middle branch of the Ontonagon River in Bond Falls State Park in the western part of the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Bond Falls is a popular tourist attraction that can get crowded with tourists and vacationers during the summer.

Copper Harbor

Copper Harbor is located near the northern tip of the Upper Peninsula as it juts into Lake Superior in Michigan. Copper Harbor is a popular resort town in Michigan and tourists and vacationers come to Copper Harbor to see the dramatic fantastic scenery and views of the Lake Superior shoreline.

Turnip Rock