When I was researching tours we could do in the Pictured Rocks and Munising area, I came across Grand Island Ferry Company and the Grand Island Tour they offer. We done 2 Munising Bay tours in the past – the Shipwreck Tour and the Pictured Rocks Sunset Tour, so we had been close to Grand Island. But it seemed like a really cool place to get to explore for a day. So, after asking my family if they thought it would be a fun thing to do, we purchased our passes.

Unfortunately, Maddie was not feeling well the morning we were to leave to go to Munising. So, we made a quick stop in at the cabin to let my parents know that she was going to be at the house and to see if they could check on her at some point. Then we were off. It is 2 hour or so drive to get to Munising from Trout Lake, so we knew we had to manage our time well in order to make the ferry and not miss our tour. I had done a lot of research and discovered that one of the biggest complaints about Grand Island is the bugs. So, I had bug spray, bug lotion, and bug jackets with hoods in an effort to keep my people protected. Before we got on the ferry, we got all decked out and ready for the swarms that were sure to be following us on the island. I’m sure the people around us thought we were crazy.

Once we were across the bay, we were directed to a small bus to drop off our things (we had to bring drinks and lunch with us) and then to a small museum about the island. We met our tour guide there and, after a little bit of history about how the island went from an indigenous island, to an island with indigenous people and fur trading settlers, to an island owned by an iron company and harvested for lumber extensively, to an island that was owned by the U.S. Forest Service and considered part of the Hiawatha National Forest, we were off on our tour bus to take in the sites.

Our first stop was at one of the historical cabins on the island – Farrell Cabin. We were not there for the building, though, we were there for the waterfall in back. If you know me, you know that this was the thing I was most excited to see. I love waterfalls! Farrell Falls was low flow but it was actually quite a group of cascades. I could have stayed there for quite a while, but there were more sights to see.

Our next stop was a Stone Quarry Cabin – this one used to be owned by a cooper – someone who made wooden barrels. We got to see some lovely views of Lake Superior and other parts of Grand Island – I can see why you would want a cabin in that spot!

The next stop on our tour was the cemetery. This is where we got to see the biggest trees on the island because they had been excluded from the lumber harvest. It was pretty impressive and made me sad that they had taken all of the other big trees from the island. Of course, big trees are hard to photograph, so instead, have some shots of headstones. They are broken because snowmobilers came to the island on the ice bridge a few years ago and did a fair bit of damage to the cemetery. People such sometimes.

The next few stops were beaches and vistas where we got to see parts of the island’s shore and also parts of the Pictured Rocks in the distance. I kind of wish we had time to stop for a picnic by the water, but we had to keep moving.

Our next stop, and the one with the most bugs I think, was the biggest lake on the island. There is apparently sometimes an eagle that likes to hang out there, but no luck for us. Only mosquitos.

After the lake, we headed to the opposite side of the island to a hunting lodge that was pretty spacious and divided into two sides so that the women who worked in the kitchen did not have to mix with the hunters. We enjoyed some original cane chairs on the porch to just take in the view.

The very last stop on our tour was Waterfall Beach. I was really excited that we might see another waterfall, but it was just a drainage culvert. It was still a beautiful beach and I think Charlotte would have stayed collecting rocks for at least 3x as long as we had. I would definitely be up for renting kayaks someday and heading back there.

The weather was looking a bit stormy when we headed back to the ferry, so we were anxious to get back to our car. I did get photographic evidence that Keith and I were there and not fighting – check out those clouds!

Overall, this was much more my kind of island. I enjoyed the views the most – I didn’t realize the tour would be mostly the houses and not just the natural views and maybe the cemetery. I also didn’t realize that we would not circle the whole island – we did just a fraction of the shores and inland. I think kayaks would be the way to see it for me – or jet skis if that was an option. It would also be really cool to see the ice caves in the winter, but I don’t foresee a winter UP trip in our future anytime soon. I can report that the mosquito jackets were a big hit and will be used again and again for our UP trips. There were a couple bites from bugs getting in at the neck when we were on the bus and unzipped, but otherwise they did their jobs well and get 5 stars from us.

Have you ever been on or around Grand Island? Was it a boat tour or did you explore the island? Did you find ways to combat the bugs? Let me know in the comments! 🙂