Michigan isn’t exactly known for its caves, but maybe that’s because they’re quite a bit different from the underground rock formations found in states with more volcanic activity. That doesn’t mean we don’t have them. In fact, thanks to the sandstone cliffs found in places like Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, or the many, many caverns created by miners in the 19th century in Copper Country in the Upper Peninsula, we have many more caves than you might expect. They also come as dramatic ice formations, created along our lake shores during the winter months.
- A build up of ice in a Traverse City cavern
Bruce Bodjack/Flickr The ice looks like rare diamonds, almost.
- Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
Devonshire Media/Flickr Probably Michigan’s most famous caves, the Pictured Rocks caverns are a favorite for kayakers to explore.
Rebecca Armstrong/Flickr
- Adventure Mining Company, Greenland
DebMomOf3/Flickr Located in Ontonagon County at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the western side of the Upper Peninsula, the Adventure Mining Company offers four guided underground tours of one of the best preserved copper mines in the state.
- An ice cave on Lake Michigan at Kirk Park, West Olive
John Winkleman/Flickr This cave is rather seasonal in nature, in that it only makes its appearance during the icy, wintery months.
- Bats of Copper Country
GollyGforce - Living My Worst Nightmare/Flickr What was once the epicenter of Michigan’s copper mining industry is now home to these nocturnal creatures.
- Copper mines, Upper Peninsula
rosefirerising/Flickr It’s either the bats, or the daring tourists who take up space in these old mines.
- Hoar frost on icicle, Upper Peninsula
David Marvin/Flickr I’m getting shivers just looking at this ice formation.
- Miner at Work in Copper Country, Upper Peninsula
Don…The UPNorth Memories Guy… Harrison/Flickr This was what a lot of Michiganders in the UP call “back in the day.”
- Native copper-replaced cross-bedded sedimentary rocks, Upper Peninsula
James St. John/Flickr Just look at the out-of-this-world results of this rock formation.
- A Polar bear cave at Detroit Zoo, Royal Oak
Valerie/Flickr OK, so not all of Michigan’s caves are the result of mining or natural phenomena. This Polar bear doesn’t seem to mind his man-made cave at the Detroit zoo.
Kinda surprising, huh? Tell us though, have you explored some mysterious caves and caverns in Michigan that we don’t know about? Tell us about them!
Bruce Bodjack/Flickr
The ice looks like rare diamonds, almost.
Devonshire Media/Flickr
Probably Michigan’s most famous caves, the Pictured Rocks caverns are a favorite for kayakers to explore.
Rebecca Armstrong/Flickr
DebMomOf3/Flickr
Located in Ontonagon County at the base of the Keweenaw Peninsula in the western side of the Upper Peninsula, the Adventure Mining Company offers four guided underground tours of one of the best preserved copper mines in the state.
John Winkleman/Flickr
This cave is rather seasonal in nature, in that it only makes its appearance during the icy, wintery months.
GollyGforce - Living My Worst Nightmare/Flickr
What was once the epicenter of Michigan’s copper mining industry is now home to these nocturnal creatures.
rosefirerising/Flickr
It’s either the bats, or the daring tourists who take up space in these old mines.
David Marvin/Flickr
I’m getting shivers just looking at this ice formation.
Don…The UPNorth Memories Guy… Harrison/Flickr
This was what a lot of Michiganders in the UP call “back in the day.”
James St. John/Flickr
Just look at the out-of-this-world results of this rock formation.
Valerie/Flickr
OK, so not all of Michigan’s caves are the result of mining or natural phenomena. This Polar bear doesn’t seem to mind his man-made cave at the Detroit zoo.
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