Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Trip Report

I wouldn't recommend camping for just any family reunion.  Especially when there aren't any showers.  It has to be the right kind of family.  The kind that doesn't mind going to bed with smores smears on their fingers.  And hair.  The kind that enjoys not having cell service for five days.  The kind that looks forward to a dinner of soggy ramen.  Basically, the kind of family that loathes the rest of humanity enough to tolerate any sort of torture in order to get away from human interaction for a week. 

And where in the States does society cease to exist?  The Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is an accessible wilderness stretching along the coast of Lake Superior.  It contains hundreds of miles of trails, pristine beaches, dozens of waterfalls and lighthouses, sand dunes, and of course lots of rocks and rock formations.  We chose to camp in 12 Mile campground because of its proximity to the beach. 

Everyone seemed to have a different appreciation for the beautifully colored rocks.  Mom collected boxes of them.  Pinge arranged them into cryptic messages in the sand.  Copen tested how far he could throw them into the lake.  Story tasted each one individually.  It's hard to explain but the rocks really are one of the highlights of the place. Some other unique features:

• "Clean" sandy forest floor blanketed with ferns, pine needles, and mushrooms
• "Tropical" aqua shore but without that memorable ocean/dead-fish smell
• Lush evergreen vegetation with pockets of pure deciduous trees
• Supposedly the wildlife includes bears, elk, moose, wolves, and bobcats (we didn't encounter any of these but we did see a lot of snakes and chipmunks) 
• I can't speak for all seasons, but in September I didn't see a single mosquito

The campsites:

• No showers but there is a small tap of overly-chlorinated drinking water
• 1 minute walk to a pristine, deserted beach (but water is frigid)
• Sequestered sites in a thick forest with plenty of firewood lying around
• Each is large enough for two or three tents with a fire-ring and picnic table
• Access to the North Country Trail which follows the coast over 40 miles through the entire park
• Pit toilet
• 30 miles from the nearest "town"

We didn't really take advantage of the trail network.  It's kind of difficult to get 2 year olds motivated for a good through-hike.  Besides looking at rocks, we spent most of our time taking idiotic pictures, singing around the campfire, skipping stones, and yelling at little kids.  We did do a couple little hikes though, to some epic waterfalls and the Au Sable Lighthouse - 4 days seemed to be enough time to get a good feel for it though of course there was a lot we didn't get to do (like kayak along the shore); however, that was about the limit for a shower-less family reunion camping trip.  Overall, I would definitely recommend the place to any anti-social family looking for a unique destination in the States.