National Park Summer Internships in Sleeping Bear

Posted on by farlane
Let's get Backpacking by Lee Eckstrom

Let’s get Backpacking by Lee Eckstrom

The post about summer jobs available through the Michigan DNR was really popular so here’s a related opportunity via Leelanau.com …

The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is currently seeking summer interns interested in gaining hands-on experience in areas including wildlife and plant communities, history and cultural resources & outdoor recreation and stewardship while exploring one of the most beautiful places in the country.

Benefits include:

  • Cross-training opportunities in multiple fields
  • Contribute to meaningful projects that make a real impact
  • Opportunity to work alongside NPS professionals
  • Housing (in Empire) for some mainland staff

Head over to the Lakeshore’s website for available internship opportunities and all the details.

Lee took this while backpacking with his Boy Scout Troop on North Manitou Island way back in 2008. You can see more from the island & Leelanau County in his Manitou Island Backpacking gallery on Flickr.

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Michigan Ice Fest is taming frozen falls in the Upper Peninsula

Posted on by farlane
Ice Climber by James Marvin Phelps

Ice Climber by James Marvin Phelps

Frozen Flow by James Marvin Phelps

Frozen Flow by James Marvin Phelps

Michigan Ice Fest is an annual ice climbing event that kicks off today and runs February 11-15, 2026 in Munising in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The event is an annual celebration of the sport of ice climbing with competitions, clinics, and plenty of social fun! National Parks of Lake Superior Foundation has an interview with Michigan Ice Fest organizer Bill Thompson below that you should check out.

James took these photos last January in the Pictured Rocks. See more in his Michigan Waterfalls gallery and visit James Marvin Phelps Art to view & purchase his work!

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Measuring Michigan’s Progress

Posted on by farlane
Porcupine Mountains by Daniel

Porcupine Mountains by Daniel

“We should not measure human progress solely on the basis of what we’ve built, but also on what we have preserved and protected.” – Michigan Governor William Milliken

Today is the 189th birthday of the great state of Michigan, and I thought it fitting to share the words of Michigan’s longest serving Governor on what he believed Michiganders were called to do. The Great Lakes State has definitely risen to his challenge with 103 state parks and recreation areas, 140 state forest campgrounds with almost 14,000 campsites & cabins, and 360,000 acres of land within state parks and recreation areas drawing nearly 40 million visitors every year!

Daniel took this back in October of 2017 in the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. Follow him on Instagram for his latest!

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Michigan DNR seeking summer workers

Posted on by farlane

Bear Triplets by Ross Ellet

Are you looking for a summer job in the outdoors or do you know someone who is? The Michigan Department of Natural Resources is looking for new members for their 1,300 person team of summer park workers and spend the season in Michigan state parks, boating facilities, and other amazing outdoor spaces. You’ll welcome visitors, help campers, and keep our parks looking their best. With flexible scheduling, these positions are perfect for college students, teachers, retirees or anyone interested in working at Michigan state parks. Apply online today!

While you may not be able to hold three bear cubs like DNR worker in these photos, you might be able to! You’ll also be making the state better for everything that Michigan in Pictures is about, so if you do get a summer internship with the DNR and want to share a photo here every so often with a link to support you, just send me an email and we’ll work it out!

Ross took these shots of baby black bears being held during a bear den visit way back in April of 2014. See more in his awesome Wildlife gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his work at rossellet.com.

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Double the 2026 Calendars from James Eye View

Posted on by farlane
DH Day Barn by James Eye View Photography

DH Day Barn by James Eye View Photography

This holiday season I’m encouraging folks to consider Michigan photo calendars from many of the photographers I feature on Michigan in Pictures as the perfect gift to share your love of the Great Lakes State.

James has TWO calendars for the Michigan lover on your list, a 2026 Northern Michigan Calendar and a 2026 Michigan Birds Calendar! Click the links to purchase and for sure follow James Eye View Photography on Facebook for his latest!

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Mark your Waterfall Wednesdays on a Craig Sterken calendar!

Posted on by farlane
Manabezho Falls on the Presque Isle River by Craig Sterken

Manabezho Falls on the Presque Isle River by Craig Sterken

I feature a lot of waterfalls on Michigan in Pictures. Because I’m a sucker for alliteration, many of them are shared on “Waterfall Wednesdays”. This tasty shot of Manabezho Falls in Porcupine Mountains State Park is one of three waterfalls in the 2026 Michigan Four Seasons Wall Calendar from Michpics regular Craig Sterken.

Follow Craig Sterken Photography on Facebook for his latest and view & purchase his work on his website!

Check out more Michigan photo calendars on Michigan in Pictures.

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Michigan Fall Color: Double Rainbow Edition

Posted on by farlane
Fall Color Tour in Northern Michigan Rainbow edition by James Eye View Photography

Fall Color Tour in Northern Michigan Rainbow edition by James Eye View Photography

mLive’s Mark Torregrossa shares that if you think there’s more rainbows out there than usual, you are correct! He explains the science behind Michigan’s rainbow bonanza:

To have rainbows, we need rain and sun at the same time. What weather pattern is classic for rain and sun at the same time? The current lake-effect rain shower situation is perfect for rainbows. The rain showers are small, maybe only five miles wide. There is a lot of clear sky around the rain showers.

…So we know why we have had and currently have a lot of rainbows in Michigan in the past few days- the spotty lake-effect showers combined with sunshine. But why have there been numerous double rainbows? It has to do with the angle of the sun, combined with the daily weather pattern.

For a double rainbow, the sun has to be fairly low on the horizon, lower than 40 degrees above the horizon. It just so happens the lake-effect showers reach their peak intensity and coverage during the late afternoon heating of the day, when the sun is low on the horizon.

James took these last Friday on the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. You can follow him on Facebook & Instagram. For sure visit his website to view & purchase his work including 2025 Photo Calendars.

Wildly enough, I featured Double Rainbow Sunrise from James last year – he clearly has a next level knack for rainbows!!

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Happy 55th, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore!

Posted on by farlane

via Leelanau.com…

At the End of the Trail by James Banks

At the End of the Trail by James Banks

Today is the 55th birthday of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Normally, I would lead with a photo of the Dunes, but the creation of the National Lakeshore on October 21, 1970 preserved a whole lot more!!

Here is the tale of the tape on Michigan’s magnificent national lakeshore as of August 1, 2024!

  • Annual Visits – 1,589,248
  • Employees – 46 permanent, 83 seasonal
  • Volunteer Hours – 58,389 from 1,659 volunteers
  • Natural and Cultural Resources
  • Area – 71,318 acres
  • Lake Michigan Shoreline – 65 miles (35 miles on the mainland)
  • Inland Lakes – 26
  • Miles of rivers and streams – 12
  • Terrestrial plant species – 908
  • Bird species – 246
  • Federally threatened or endangered species – 6
  • Historic structures on List of Classified Structures – 369
  • Sites on National Register of Historic Places – 8
  • Cultural Landscapes – 9 (4,500 acres)
  • Prehistoric archeological sites – 150
  • Historic boats – 21
  • Lighthouse – 1
  • Historic artifacts – 70,158
  • Archived documents – 21,325
  • Infrastructure
  • Buildings – 370
  • Employee housing units – 38
  • Campgrounds – 9 (357 sites)
  • Picnic Areas – 5
  • Visitor Centers – 3
  • Outdoor ampitheaters – 2
  • Miles of roads – 23
  • Covered bridge – 1 (Pierce Stocking Drive)
  • Miles of trails – 105
  • Lake access ramps – 9
  • Signs and wayside exhibits – 3572
  • Major photovoltaic power systems – 3
  • Motor vehicles in fleet – 54
  • Large boats – 8

James took these in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore back in fall of 2023. See lots more great shots in his Top 100 gallery on Flickr!

I also added a hand colored photo of “the Bear” from 1940 by Leelanau photography legend Fred Dickinson whose work you can see at the Dickinson Photo Gallery on Glen Lake & who you can read more about on Leelanau.com.

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Looking around at Chapel Beach

Posted on by farlane
Chapel Beach Storm by Gary McCormick

Chapel Beach Storm by Gary McCormick

Although we were just in the neighborhood on Monday for the Seven Wonders of Michigan, I couldn’t resist encouraging you to take a look around at one of my favorite Michigan hikes when Gary shared this photo of a storm rolling into Chapel Beach yesterday! The river you see in the foreground is the Chapel River that flows from Chapel Falls (pictured below).

You can see lots more in Gary’s Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore gallery on Flickr and view & purchase his photos of Pictured Rocks & elsewhere at Footsore Fotography!

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7 Wonders of Michigan: Chapel Rock edition

Posted on by farlane
Chapel Rock by Craig Sterken Photography

Chapel Rock by Craig Sterken Photography

Michigan has some truly incredible sights, but I have to think that Chapel Rock in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore belongs at or near the top of any list of the 7 Wonders of Michigan. Apparently I started to compile a list back in 2015 & added Mackinac Island’s Arch Rock to it. Let’s add Chapel Rock as well. If you have suggestions for the list, share in the comments and then we can vote on them all!

The Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore says:

The Chapel area was named by early European explorers and is found on early maps as La Chappelle. Chapel Rock is a remnant of Cambrian age sandstone that was carved by Lake Nipissing high water some 3800 years ago. Continual erosion has carved the rock into the beautiful sculpture it is today. There once was an archway connecting the rock to the mainland (see pic below!). The arch collapsed in the 1940s. The lone white pine on Chapel Rock is estimated to be about 250 years old. 

Atlas Obscura adds that a member of the Douglass Houghton expedition exploring Lake Superior’s southern shore described a single pine tree that grew like a “spire” out of the sparse dirt covering the top of the outcropping. Till this day, the same resilient pine stands sentinel over Chapel Rock, connected to the mainland by its extensive root system.

Craig shares that the cool weather has him thinking about autumn colors, and that he was honored to have this photo purchased by National Geographic for a book on national parks! I will for sure share the book when it’s out. You don’t have to wait to see more from Craig though! Follow Craig Serken Photography on Facebook and view or purchase his work on his website!

Chapel Arch by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Chapel Arch by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

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