Erik Frosh
One of the stops on the Grand Island Bus Tour is the Stone Quarry Cabin, an 1850s settler’s home.
Looking across from Munising to Grand Island or even passing in a guided Pictured Rocks cruise by its iconic East Channel Lighthouse, you’d probably never guess that a good way to get to know this remote, intriguing spot is by bus.
Grand Island, a half-mile off the Munising shore, is home to the U.S. Forest Service’s Grand Island National Recreation Area. Its pristine sandy beaches, breathtaking overlooks and wild scenery draw those ready to bike, hike, boat, camp or snowmobile in winter. There are few services available other than well water, and private vehicles are not allowed.
Erik Frosh
Sightseers also get to experience Grand Island beaches, inland lakes and lookouts for viewing the mainland cliffs at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore.
But an island visit isn’t only for the rugged outdoor types. Grand Island Bus Tour, offered through Alger County Transit (Altran), takes passengers for up to a 3-hour, 14-mile loop, making eight to 10 stops along the route, depending on the passengers and their physical abilities.
“We give access to the island to people who just would not be able to do it on their own, as far as being able to walk it or bike it,” says Erik Frosh, Altran’s main bus driver for the last nine years. He also provides a history narrative and other important local tidbits.
For the tour, Altran partners with Grand Island Ferry Service, which handles bus tour reservations and fees. The tour fees include a ferry crossing of just a few minutes.
Stops feature the recently restored 1850s settler’s home called Stone Quarry Cabin, three of the island’s beaches, as well as inland lakes and lookouts for viewing the distant mainland sandstone cliffs at Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. The Historic Mather Lodge, former resort getaway of William G. Mather of the Cleveland Cliffs Iron Company, was purchased by the Forest Service in 2012 and also can be toured.
Although the East Channel light is well known, the route does not include close-up views of either of the island’s two lighthouses because both are still privately owned.
Tours do draw a mix of people, including elderly sightseers. The bus has a wheelchair lift, but not all of the tour is fully accessible at every stop. (Those with limited mobility can choose to stay on the bus.) “Most of the stops, people are walking maybe a couple of hundred feet,” Erik says. On the last stop, there are 39 steps down to a beach, or at the top, there is a viewing platform.
Even for hikers or bikers, the tour can be a great introduction to a grand island.
Tours from June 10 to Oct. 8.
New rates and reservations:
Grand lsland Ferry Service, www.grandislandferry.com,
906-387-2600, or Alger County Transit, www.altranbus.com,
906-387-4845.