When you get home, become a 

WebRanger by visiting 

www.nps.gov/webrangers/

Welcome to the Pictured Rocks 

National Lakeshore Junior Ranger Program

Being a junior ranger means more than just completing this 

booklet. Being a junior ranger is a way of life. It is a life that 

believes in living lightly on the land. It is learning about our 

natural and cultural resources such as plants, animals, historic 

buildings, and archeological sites. A junior ranger helps to take 

care of all these things. 

How to Become a Junior Park Ranger

It’s easy! How old are you? _____ That is the number of 

activities you must complete to become a junior ranger, but 

feel free to do more.

Once you have completed your activities, take it to a park 

visitor center. A park ranger will review your work and sign 

your certificate. You will then be sworn in and receive your 

own Junior Ranger Badge.

Activities are marked by this symbol
Did you know that the National Park Service was created on August 25, 1916? We 

are now in the next century of national parks. As part of the celebration, we want 

you and your family to connect with your parks and share your story. Take a family 

road trip to the far reaches of the country or find a park right in your backyard.

Parks come in all shapes and sizes. From the large national parks to your local 

playground; they connect us to our land, our history, and to each other. There are 

so many types of parks, it can be hard to decide which ones to visit. To help you, 

try and think of the parks near your home. Can you name one local park near your 

community? Can you name one state park and one national park in your home 

state or area of the country?

Local Park: ________________________

State Park: ________________________

National Park: ________________________
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore is a 

part of the National Park Service.

The National Park Service was established in 1916 

to preserve and protect the natural and cultural 

resources and values of the National Park System 

for the enjoyment, education and inspiration of this 

and future generations. More than 292,000,000 

people visit our national parks each year! 

There are over 400 areas across the country 

managed by the National Park Service. Five of them 

are located on Lake Superior.

The National Park Service is represented by the arrowhead as pictured above. The 

symbol stands for many things. The Sequoia Tree and the Bison represent the plants 

and animals protected in parks. The Mountains and the Lake represent the scenery 

and the resources found in the parks. The Arrowhead shape represents the history, 

culture, and artifacts preserved in our parks. 

How many National Park Service arrowheads can you 

find in the park? _______

America's First National Lakeshore

Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore was the very first national lakeshore and was 

established on October 15, 1966. The park protects over 40 miles of shoreline, 

which includes 15 miles of cliffs that can reach up to 200 feet above Lake Superior, 

spectacular waterfalls, over 100 miles of hiking trails, and sand dunes that can be as 

high as 300 feet.
Now it’s your turn! 

Design your own symbol that shows 

what you would protect in your park.
Attend a Ranger Program

The ranger program that I attended was:

Some things I learned at the program were:

Park Ranger Signature: __________________________________________________

Interview a Park Ranger

What is your job at Pictured Rocks?

What is your favorite part of the park?

Why is the National Park Service important?
Lakeshore Bingo

Use your detective skills to look for, but not collect, the items 

pictured below. Each square is something interesting found in the 

park. If you cross off four in a row, you have a BINGO!

Lake Superior Maple Leaf

Spider

Cliffs

Animal Tracks

Wildflower

Clouds Park Ranger

Park Entrance Sign

Raven Evergreen Tree

Red Squirrel

Hiking Trail Sign

Shipwreck Beach Stones

Maritime Exhibits
Things are Always Changing

Things are always changing in the park. What is here 

today may be gone tomorrow. What was small last 

year may be huge next year. During your visit, 

list or draw things that are...

Older than you__________________________________

Smaller than you ________________________________

Something with wings ____________________________

Rough to the touch ______________________________

Wet and slimy __________________________________

Something warm ________________________________

Something smooth _______________________________

Something cold to the touch ________________________

There is always something new and different in nature. Be careful 

with each item you identify, and make sure to leave them in the 

park for others to enjoy too.
LEAVE NO TRACE

Whether you are hiking, camping, or just enjoying 

the view, help keep Pictured Rocks as pristine and 

natural as possible. Make sure to pack up all your garbage and 

dispose of it in the proper receptacle. Encourage others to do so 

as well.

Take a look at how long these common items can stay in nature!

Aluminum Can

50 years

Plastic Bottles

Indefinitely

Paper

2-4 weeks

Plastic Bags

10-20 years

Banana Peel

Up to 2 years

Cotton T-shirt

1-6 months

While you are exploring Pictured Rocks, 

collect 5 pieces of litter and dispose of them in the 

proper trash receptacles.

Use caution when picking up trash and be sure to 

wash your hands after you’re finished.
Stretching Your Senses

You have five senses you use to explore your environment: 

sight, hearing, touch, smell, and taste. Sit quietly in the park 

using four of your senses (we recommend you don’t taste what you don’t 

know, unless it’s your lunch). Look, listen, smell and feel to help you 

complete the following sentences. 

The colors of the landscape look

Today the air smells

The wind around me sounds

The weather feels 

What was your favorite place in the park to use your senses?
Wildlife Clues

6

4

3

1

Animal tracks are not to scale.

2

Pictured Rocks and the Upper Peninsula 

of Michigan have lots of different animals. Even 

though you may not see some of these animals during 

your visit, you may notice the evidence they leave 

behind. See if you can identify the animal tracks on 

this page. Match the animal tracks to the proper 

animal name.

Moose

Black Bear

Raccoon

Beaver

Chipmunk

Raven

5
Shipwreck Maze 

The 277 foot long bulk freighter Gale Staples 

wrecked on Au Sable Point on October 1, 1918. 

The ship was heading for Port Arthur, Canada, 

loaded with a shipment of coal. High winds and 

waves drove the ship towards the land where it 

ran aground and broke up in plain view of the 

Au Sable Light Station. No lives were lost on this 

wreck, though the ship was a total loss. 

Port Arthur, 

Canada

Stop at Hurricane River to view some shipwrecks in the park . Please remember 

that all shipwreck remains are protected by law and cannot be removed.

Au Sable 

Light Station, 

Michigan
Harmful Invaders

Although Pictured Rocks has an abundance of plants and animals, 

some of these species are not naturally found in the area. Many 

species were brought over from other parts of the world by accident or on purpose. 

Some of these species that are harmful and overwhelm an ecosystem are known as 

invasive species. Try matching the description of the invasive species to its picture.

A parasitic fish that feeds 

on lake trout, coho 

salmon, and whitefish.

An escaped garden plant 

with Velcro-like seeds that 

stick to hikers and animals.

Before you go 

hiking, make 

sure you use one of 

the boot brushes to 

clear off seeds of 

potential invaders!

The seeds from this plant 

can live in soil for 10 years 

before sprouting.

Forget-Me-Not Sea Lamprey Spotted Knapweed
Sandstones Cliffs

The sandstone cliffs that are found along Pictured Rocks National 

Lakeshore are 15 miles long and act like a history book, reaching back into 

time. The oldest rocks are found on the bottom and the youngest are found on top. Minerals 

make up the beautiful colors that are found throughout the cliffs. Each mineral adds its own 

unique color. For example, green and blue colors are copper; orange and red colors are iron; 

white colors are calcium; and black colors are manganese. Can you label the correct minerals 

below?
History Crossword

The park has a rich human history. Native Americans, explorers, fur 

traders, lumberjacks, sailors, and lighthouse and rescue crews were all in 

this area. See what you can learn from the crossword below.

Birchbark Shipwreck Barge Ax Collier Wigwam

Lighthouse Anchor Cant hook (don’t use the space in the puzzle) Voyageur Kiln

Across:

1. A type of tree bark commonly used by the Native Americans to make canoes and containers

3. A tool traditionally used for chopping wood

4. A tower or structure with a light near the top that is used to guide ships at sea

5. A sunken boat or vessel

9. A person who worked in the fur trade during the 1690s until the 1850s

10. A tool used by loggers to handle and turn logs 

Down: 

2. A type of ship carrying coal

3. A heavy object attached to a rope or chain that is put on the sea bottom to hold a ship in place

6. A dome shaped hut or tent used by several Native American Tribes

7. An oven used in the making of pottery

8. A flat-bottomed boat used for carrying freight
Bigfoot (Chi Sawbe) —The Big Dipper including the belt is called the 

Nanabush Anung. The Ojibwa feel that Nanabush is the older brother 

and teacher to their people. Nanabush Anung will at times take the form 

of a furry giant, and is also called a trickster. Some of the elders will joke 

that this could give him the name Bigfoot (Chi Sawbe) constellation.

Native People of the Lakeshore

Many legends and stories can make up a culture. The Ojibwa people have stories that 

give life to the moon and stars. The Ojibwa were the first people to travel and live at 

the lakeshore and surrounding area. Their legends date back hundreds and thousands 

of years. Read the following stories, and if you can, read them under the night sky.

Northern Lights—(Wassnodae)—Ojibwa 

ancestors are dancing and meeting those 

people that have passed on, leading them 

to the Milky Way, which is called the 

Jiibay Mikana (Ghost Road).

Moon—The man in the moon is a 

Nishnaabe man (Original Man). He is 

bending forward with his head 

somewhat down praying for “Mother 

Earth”. If you look close when he is in full 

moon, you will see feathers on his head. 
National Parks are great places to get to know the animals that are 

nocturnal (wildlife that is awake at night and asleep during the day). Sit 

quietly and listen for those creatures. What sounds do you hear?

__________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________

Can you trace Cassiopeia 

in the photo above? 

In the summer months, 

Cassiopeia is visible in the 

northern sky and is “Queen in 

her high chair.” She makes a 

zigzag (or crown) shape 

across the sky. 

Can you trace the Big 

Dipper in the photo 

above?

In the summer months, the Big 

Dipper (part of the Ursa Major 

constellation) is visible in the 

northern sky. 

A Dark Lakeshore Sky
Think about your next trip to Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. See if you can find 

some useful things in this picture and circle them. Then find some things that 

would be better left at home and cross them out. Be ready to tell a ranger why. 

Gather Your Gear 
Think of what you would like to remember most about your visit to Pictured Rocks 

National Lakeshore. Write a nature poem about it using the “haiku” format. Haiku 

is a traditional Japanese form of poetry about nature. Haiku have been written for 

hundreds of years. Unlike other forms of poetry, haiku does not have to rhyme.

Directions: Line 1: 5 syllables (or beats)

Line 2: 7 syllables

Line 3: 5 syllables 

Example: Syllables in each line:

Rock fall, water fall Rock| fall,| wa| ter| fall

All things tumble to the lake all| things| tum| ble| to| the| lake

To Superior! to| Su| per| i| or!

Haiku Cove