Lake of the Clouds Overlook in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park

This photo was taken near the Lake of the Clouds Overlook in Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. A headlamp will be useful on the path if you are hiking to arrive by sunrise or leaving after sunset. By Car to the parking lot: - From Ontonago, take M64N for 13 miles - At the intersection of M64N and the 107th Engineers Memorial Highway W, go straight for 10 miles - Make a slight left into the Lake of the Clouds parking lot Hike from the parking lot: - Go up the stairs onto the boardwalk - Where the boardwalk splits, veer to the left (this arm of the boardwalk will end at a rocky outcrop that is just east of the main overlooks for Lake of the Clouds) - Carefully walk up onto the rocky outcrop and go east, staying fairly close to the woods - Head for the far left corner of the low wood and stone guardrail that runs along the rocky outcrop (this is the end of the guardrail that hugs the woods, NOT the edge of the cliff) - Carefully climb over or slide under the guardrail at this far left corner near the woods - Using great caution, hike east along the gently sloping rock, staying near the woods until the rock flattens out and provides a clear view of the lake.

October is generally the best time to capture the varying fall color and misty conditions. The peak colors at this location will vary from year to year, but since you're close to Lake Superior, the colors tend to turn a little later than in the surrounding areas. The colors could peak on October 1st or they may not peak until October 8th or 9th.

Visit this place during sunrise since you're facing east at the overlook.

Try to bring more than one lens! If you have two lenses, you can have a wide-angle and capture the entire scene or zoom in on the bluffs and have a more compressed image. It's also nice to bring panoramic gear for another perspective.

Try to balance your foreground, the lake, and sky in your composition.

It's good to try some bracketing or use a neutral density filter to balance out the dynamic range.

It is possible to work the scene by moving around, but it does tend to be crowded so I think it’s a good idea to scout out your location in advance. I usually scout it out the night before just because it is going to be dark when I get there and will be crowded.

The area has a lot of recreational opportunities since it's the largest wilderness forest in the state of Michigan. It's also right next to the escarpment trail that runs a couple of miles along the edge of the cliff, so you can go either east or west on the trail to shoot some great shots of the river valley and mountains.

Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park has a tremendous amount of hiking and waterfalls very close by — make sure to head there as well!