Gerlach's Point

Place: Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Location: Gerlach's Point, Lake Superior, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Where exactly is Gerlach's Point? I couldn't tell you, because I honestly don't know! Don't bother looking on a map either, because you won't find it. In reality, it is an unnamed location which I simply call Gerlach's Point because I was brought there by nature photographer John Gerlach. Getting there required a 30 minute hike through muddy hillsides and I could never find it again on my own, but it was well worth it for this view of Lake Superior. Superior, by the way, is the largest, deepest, coldest and most untouched of all the Great Lakes.

I am frequently asked about the unusual color of the cliffs in this photo. This is caused by mineral deposits in the rocks and, when the sun is low in the sky, the cliff's yellow and deep red striations seem to glow. That is one of the reasons why this area has been named "Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore".