Where the wild things really are

Children benefit from exploring outdoors

At Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore on Michigan’s eastern Upper Peninsula, families can explore 42 miles of shore, examine incredibly colored rocks, spot shy animals, learn why the cliffs look painted and bodysurf down a former log slide.

In the late 19th century, lumberjacks slid logs by wooden chute down this steep incline, to be loaded on schooners waiting on Lake Superior. Speeding logs sometimes generated enough friction that the dry chute caught fire. The chute’s long gone, but the sand slide offers fun for all ages.