Lover's Leap Arch | Pictured Rocks

Lover’s Leap Arch, located in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, near Munising, Michigan, is one of the park's most iconic and photographed spots. The towering 200-foot cliffs and turquoise waters, are often photographed from the water as kayakers paddle through it.

The cliffs colors, created by mineral staining, show streaks of red, orange, green, blue giving the area its "painted" appearance and inspiring the park’s name. According to Native American legend, Lover's Leap got its name from a heartbroken woman’s jump to her death after her lover failures to return from a journey.

This section was part of our 22-mile backpacking trip along cliffs; a section of the Niagara Escarpment. This day was particularly stormy causing Lake Superior’s waves to continually crash into the cliffs, often reaching their full height. These waves and cliffs lead this area to become on of the most dangerous shipping routes the country, infamously with the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.