Iona's Beach Scientific & Natural Area (SNA)

Beautiful "Pink Beach" as the locals refer to Iona's. Nice parking area with section of the paved Gitchi Gami State Trail connected, walk down this to the dirt path, remember to use the shoe scrubber or wash your shoe soles with your water bottle before heading down to the beach. As you get closer the trail will change to rocks. Take as many photos and videos as you want but leave the rocks alone. Listen to the sounds they make as you walk and as they are washed by the waves. The edge of the beach has Raspberry bushes and many other native berries and wild Hazel nuts, you are in a wilderness area and might see birds, squirrels, bears etc feeding if you are at a low visitor volume time of the day. Deer also come down to drink at the Lake. The color of the rocks and beach scene changes depending on the weather and lighting. I enjoyed watching the bumblebees foraging in the wildflowers on the little bluff and some of the lake birds during my shirt visit this week. Make sure to have good walking shoes as it's a very uneven surface, slippery if wet and as temps drop becomes ice covered pretty easily. There is an old iron bridge further up the paved trail that gives a good view of the beach. The trails would allow a wheel chair to get down to the beach in good weather but the rocks on the beach may be too much unless you have the bigger inflatable style action wheels. Just near the parking area is a marine dock for water access and sightseeing from our on the Lake looking back at the beach. The parking lot has memorial benches by the trail. It can be a nice picnic spot and place to burn off some energy with kids.

Also known as "Pink Beach," this place was pretty cool. If you are sun seeking, go here. There is not much for shade. The big rocks on the beach are not easy to walk on but the vast display of large smooth pink stones is worth checking out. The waters are crystal clear. So pristine. We found a Crack in the rock face that had a water pool inside and an access to the other side of the cliff to the lake. It was fun to explore. Waters get deep pretty quick, so bring a life jacket for the Littles.