The ice goes out and the falls run.

Spring brings a quieter kind of magic to Lake Superior. Waterfalls roar with melting snow, winter ice retreats from the shoreline, and longer days invite you to explore awakening forests and scenic trails. Nestled between Marquette and Munising, Heritage Lodge offers a peaceful log cabin retreat for up to 10 guests, where outdoor adventures end with the warmth of a relaxing sauna.

A narrow waterfall running down a sandstone cliff into the blue water of Lake Superior, pale new leaves on the trees along the top of the cliff — Bridalveil Falls in spring at Pictured Rocks, about 34 minutes to Munising. Photo: NPS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Cold at the start, soft by May.

March
35° / 21°F
Average high and low on the lake. 14 inches of snow in a typical March, and the days now 12 hours long.
April
46° / 31°F
Snow still falls, about 8 inches in a typical April, and melts as it lands. The shore stays colder than inland until May.
May
59° / 41°F
The first green leaves. Almost no snow, and the woods start to fill.

11 hours of daylight on 1 March, 15 hours 49 minutes by 21 June.

The sun rises at 7:29 am and sets at 6:36 pm on 1 March. The clocks go forward on the second Sunday in March. By 1 May it is up from 6:35 am to 8:59 pm, and on 21 June from 5:57 am to 9:46 pm.

The lake lets go of its ice.

The ice on Lake Superior goes out between March and early May, depending on the year, and the shore across M-28 changes from week to week. On a clear March night the northern lights can show over the water.

The lake, across the road

Large flat slabs of broken ice with a dusting of snow floating on the open water of Munising Bay under a heavy grey sky, a dark wooded shore beyond — Munising Bay as the ice breaks up in March, about 34 minutes away. Photo: NPS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

A river fanning out over sand into Lake Superior in a haze, with banks of white ice along the shore and out on the lake — Miners Beach in early May, where the river meets the last of the ice, about an hour away. Photo: NPS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Waterfalls with the melt.

The falls run hardest as the snow melts, usually April into May. 3 to start with, nearest first.

Morgan Falls
A 20-foot fall that runs with the melt. The trail is 2.8 miles from the Noquemanon South trailhead, which is 15 to 18 minutes from the lodge.
Laughing Whitefish Falls
About 30 minutes from the lodge, an easy visit for families and dogs.
Munising Falls
About 50 feet high, about 37 minutes away.

Drive times and more days out

Chapel Rock, a sandstone pillar with a lone white pine on top, on the Lake Superior shore, green water in front and young leaves on the trees behind — Chapel Rock at Pictured Rocks on 6 June 2019, with the trees just leafing out. The lone white pine on top is estimated to be about 250 years old. Photo: NPS, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons, resized.

Trails open when they dry.

On our land: 2 trails cross the lodge’s land. The Noquemanon Trail Network posts conditions for the trails in and around Marquette, so check it before a ride. The trails from the door
Black flies: They are at their worst from mid-May to mid-June.
Birds: The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory runs its Waterbird Count from 15 April to 31 May. It is about 3 hours each way, so it is a long day.
Last of the snow: March can still bring the snow for skiing and snowshoeing. Cross-country skiing

Home at the end of the day.

The sauna is indoors, the great room has deep sofas and the open kitchen beyond, and the fire pit by the pond is for the evenings. There is a washer and dryer for muddy boots, room to park trucks and trailers, and beds for 10 in 5 bedrooms.

Inside the lodge