Lighthouses of the United States: Michigan's Southern Upper Peninsula

The United States of America is a federal union of 50 states and a capital district. The state of Michigan comes in two parts: the Lower Peninsula (between Lakes Huron and Michigan) and the Upper Peninsula (between Lakes Michigan and Superior). Putting the two together the state has an astonishingly long coastline, so it is not surprising that Michigan has more lighthouses than any other U.S. state, by quite a large margin. The Directory has information on more than 170 Michigan lights. 

The first European outposts on the Upper Peninsula were established by France beginning at Sault Sainte Marie in 1668. Control passed to Britain after the Seven Year's War in 1763. Britain retained control of Michigan following the American Revolution, finally withdrawing in 1796-97. The U.S. Congress established Michigan Territory in 1805; for many years it included a large area of the northern Great Plains. Michigan with its present borders was admitted to the Union as the 26th state in 1837.

This page includes lighthouses of the south coast of the Upper Peninsula in Mackinac, Schoolcraft, Delta, and Menominee Counties. There are separate pages for the Eastern Upper Peninsula (Chippewa County) and Northern Upper Peninsula lighthouses.

The state's lighthouse heritage is well recognized. Michigan is the only state that supports lighthouse preservation with a program of annual grants from the state to local preservation groups. All over the state volunteers are working hard to save and restore lighthouses. There is a state preservation society, the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy, and the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is also based in the state.

Aids to navigation on the Upper Peninsula are maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Sault Sainte Marie but ownership (and sometimes operation) of historic lighthouses has been transferred to local authorities and preservation organizations in many cases.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. USCG numbers are from Volume VII of the United States Coast Guard Light List.


Martin Reef Light, Lake Huron
St. Ignace Tourist Development photo

General Sources
Seeing the Lights: The Lighthouses of Michigan
A site by the late Terry Pepper, with photos, accounts of visits to many of the lighthouses, and historical information.
Michigan Lighthouses
Excellent photos and historical information posted by Kraig Anderson.
Maintained by Neil Schultheiss, this fine site has excellent photos and accounts for most of the state's lighthouses.
Lighthouses in Michigan, United States
Aerial photos posted by Marinas.com.
Lake Huron Lighthouses and Lake Michigan Lighthouses
Photos by C.W. Bash.
Leuchttürme in USA
Photos by Andreas Köhler.
Lighthouses of the Great Lakes
Photos by various photographers available from Wikimedia.
Leuchttürme USA auf historischen Postkarten
Historic postcard images posted by Klaus Huelse.
Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association
GLLKA encourages lighthouse preservation throughout the Great Lakes states, but it is best known for its work preserving the St. Helena Island and Cheboygan Range Front Lights in the Straits of Mackinac area.
Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy
This organization is dedicated to the preservation of lighthouses and life saving stations throughout the state.
Lighthouses of the Straits of Mackinac
Fine photos posted by Keith Stokes.
Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program
This state program provides grants annually for lighthouse preservation.
U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center: Light Lists
The USCG Light List can be downloaded in pdf format.
NOAA Nautical Charts
Official nautical charts for the coast can be viewed online.
Navionics Charts
Navigation chart for the Upper Peninsula.
 
Seul Choix Light
Seul Choix Light, Gulliver, August 2009
ex-Flickr Creative Commons photo by Heidi Raatz

Mackinac County Lighthouses

Lake Huron Lighthouse
Martin Reef
1927. Active; focal plane 65 ft (20 m); red flash every 10 s. 52 ft (16 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, incorporating 3-story keeper's quarters; solar-powered 200 mm lens. Lighthouse painted white, lantern roof red. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. The original 4th order Fresnel lens is on display at Point Iroquois Light (see the Eastern Upper Peninsula page). A photo is at the top of this page, Michael Thiel has a nice photo, Pepper has a good page for the lighthouse, and the Coast Guard has a 1927 historic photo, but the lighthouse is only a faint blur in Bing's satellite view. In 2013 the lighthouse became available for transfer under NHLPA. No suitable organizations asked for the lighthouse and in July 2018 it was placed on auction. It sold in October for $52,777. The new owners are active in maintaining the lighthouse and have established a preservation organization. Located on a reef in Lake Huron about 7 miles (11 km) southeast of Port Dolomite. Accessible only by boat; shallow water makes navigation hazardous in the area. Can be seen very distantly from MI 134, 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of Port Dolomite. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: Martin Reef Light Historical Preservation Society . ARLHS USA-480; USCG 7-12205.

North Channel (Straits of Mackinac) Lighthouses
The Straits of Mackinac (pronounced "mackinaw") connect Lake Huron on the east and Lake Michigan on the west, separating Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. Bois Blanc Island, 12 mi (19 km) long and 6 mi (10 km) wide, divides the eastern part of the strait into the North Channel and South Channel. The Mackinac Bridge, completed in 1957, carries the I-75 freeway across the narrowest passage of the strait near St. Ignace.

*
Six Mile Point Range Rear (2) (relocated)
1907 (station established 1895). Inactive for many years. 49 ft (15 m) tapered round cylindrical steel tower, painted white. A 2012 photo is available, C.M. Hanchey has a 2011 photo, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This tower was built on the St. Marys River south of Mission Point, a few miles southeast of Sault Sainte Marie. The light has been relocated to the grounds of the Les Cheneaux Maritime Museum in Cedarville. Located on MI 134 at Lake Street, a short distance east of MI 129 in Cedarville. Site open year round, museum open daily during the summer, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Les Cheneaux Maritime Museum. ARLHS USA-1091.
Bois Blanc Island (3)
1867 (station established 1830). Inactive since 1924. 38 ft (11.5 m) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached church-style to a 2-story brick keeper's house. Lighthouse is unpainted brick with yellow trim, lantern painted white. The active light (focal plane 32 ft (10 m); white flash every 2.5 s) is on a 17 ft (5 m) white cylindrical "D9" tower nearby. Second oldest light station in Michigan. The first lighthouse, built too close to the lake, collapsed in a storm in Decmber 1837 and was replaced in 1839. The lighthouse is a private summer residence, well cared for by its owners. Pepper has a good page for the lighthouse, Christie King has a 2018 photo, a nice 2004 photo is available, Xander Wroblewski has a 2021 drone view, and Google has a satellite view. The Coast Guard's historic aerial photo also shows the fourth light, a skeletal tower. Located at the end of a long peninsula on the north side of Bois Blanc (pronounced "bob-lo") Island. The island is accessible May through November by ferry from Cheboygan on the Lower Peninsula, but the best way to see the lighthouse is on lighthouse cruises from Mackinaw City. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. . ARLHS USA-068. Active light: USCG 7-12535.
Old Round Island Point (Round Island)
1896 (Frank Rounds). Reactivated (inactive 1955-1996, now privately maintained); focal plane 53 ft (16 m); two white flashes every 10 s. 53 ft (16 m) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 2-1/2 story brick keeper's house. Light tower unpainted, lantern painted black, keeper's house painted red below and white above. This light is a sibling of the Two Harbors light in Minnesota. C.M. Hanchey's photo is at right, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Gary Emmert has a 2018 photo, Mark Edwards has a 2022 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and Google has a satellite view. The abandoned lighthouse was damaged by a storm in 1972, leading to the placement of protective riprap in 1974 and repairs to the building in 1977. More recently the lighthouse was restored through efforts of the Boy Scouts and the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association beginning in 1995; these efforts are now carried on by the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society. In October 2014 the forest service began work on a historic structures report, the first step toward a thorough restoration of the lighthouse. In March 2015 the society announced it would replace the main entry door. Open house tours formerly offered in July were suspended in 2018 pending interior restoration needed to make the building safe for visitors. In 2020 the Mackinac Island Community Foundation set up a fund to support preservation of the lighthouse; $250,000 was needed for riprap to protect the building from high water levels in the lake. Located on a narrow sand spit at the northwestern tip of Round Island, opposite Mackinac Island and just east of the Straits of Mackinac. Accessible only by boat. Visible from the Mackinac Island ferries; lighthouse cruises are also available. Site open, tower closed. Owner: U.S. Forest Service (Hiawatha National Forest). Site manager: Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society Old Round Island Point Light . ARLHS USA-706; USCG 7-12585.
Old Round Island Light
Old Round Island Point Light, June 2012
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.M. Hanchey
Round Island Passage
1948. Active; focal plane 71 ft (21.5 m); red flash every 5 s. 60 ft (18 m) hexagonal concrete and steel tower; 190 mm lens. Lighthouse painted white with a single red band at the base. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. Jim Frazier has a good photo, Andy Kralick has a 2022 photo, John Wachholtz has a 2017 closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. In 2013 the lighthouse became available for transfer under NHLPA; when there were no takers the lighthouse was and sold at auction for $65,500 in September 2014. The new owner was identified as Edward Glosemeyer of St. Louis, Missouri; his plans for the lighthouse are not known. Located off the end of the breakwater on the south side of Mackinac Island. Accessible only by boat. Visible from the Mackinac Island ferries; lighthouse cruises also available. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. . ARLHS USA-710; USCG 7-12580.
* Wawatam (St. Ignace)
2006 (relocated; tower built 1998). Active (maintained by City of St. Ignace); focal plane 65 ft (20 m); white flash every 5 s. 62 ft (19 m) octagonal tower with lantern and gallery. Lighthouse painted white with red trim; lantern roof is red. Steve Burt's photo is at right, another good photo is available, Mark Herman has a 2018 closeup photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, Jared Alderink has a street view, and Google has a satellite view. This lighthouse was originally built by the Michigan highway department as a faux lighthouse at the Monroe Welcome Center on I-75 in the southeastern corner of the state, near the Ohio state line. When the welcome center was renovated in 2004 the highway department donated the structure to the City of St. Ignace. The lighthouse was installed at the end of the former railroad ferry pier, where for many years the ferry Chief Wawatam loaded and unloaded railroad cars crossing the Strait of Mackinac. After a wait for Coast Guard approval the lighthouse was inaugurated as a privately maintained aid to navigation on August 20, 2006. Accessible by walking the pier. Owner/site manager: City of St. Ignace (Wawatum Lighthouse). . ARLHS USA-1468; USCG 7-12608.
Wawatum Light
Wawatam Light, St. Ignace, August 2009
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Steve Burt

Northshore Lake Michigan Lighthouses

St. Helena Island
1873. Active; focal plane 71 ft (21.5 m); white flash every 6 s. 71 ft (21.5 m) round brick tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house; 250 mm lens. Tower painted white, gallery black, lantern red. Sibling of Point Iroquois Light. Bash's photo is at right, Pepper also has a page for the lighthouse, Lana Hawkins has a photo, Laurie Massie has a 2021 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse has been restored through efforts of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA) and many local volunteers. The Coast Guard granted the Association a license to manage and restore the lighthouse in 1986 and Congress conveyed ownership of the light station to GLLKA in 1997. In 2000 GLLKA leased property at Poupard Bay on US 2 opposite the island as a site for a dock to provide regular access to the light station. In 2001 the Little Traverse Conservancy bought the 266-acre (108 ha) island from its private owners as the St. Helena Island Nature Preserve. In June 2002 Pepper reported, "Restoration of the keeper's dwelling is now nearly complete. The privy and oil house have been restored, the assistant keeper's dwelling has been rebuilt by the Boy Scouts, and work is well underway on the restoration of the boathouse." In 2023 a $20,000 grant financed an extension of the dock, allowing more visitors to dock at the lighthouse. Located at the southeastern end of an island at the western end of the Straits of Mackinac, about 2 miles (3 km) from the shore of the Upper Peninsula. Accessible only by boat. Site open, buildings open to GLLKA guided tours. Owner/site manager: Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association . ARLHS USA-794; USCG 7-17720.
[Naubinway Island (2)]
Date uncertain (station established 1931). Active; focal plane 32 ft (10 m); white flash every 4 s. 30 ft (9 m) white round cylindrical "D9" tower without lantern. This tower is similar to many of the modern pierhead lights on Lake Michigan. A photo is available, ARLHS also has a photo and Google has a satellite view. Located on a small island about a mile off Millecoquins Point in Naubinway. Visible from the Point and from beaches throughout the Naubinway area. Accessible only by boat. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-1083; USCG 7-21580.
St. Helena Island Light
St. Helena Island Light, St. Ignace, 2006
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.W. Bash
Lansing Shoal
1928 (lightship station established 1901). Active; focal plane 69 ft (21 m); white flash every 10 s. 59 ft (18 m) square cylindrical steel and concrete tower with lantern, centered on a square concrete keeper's house, mounted on a concrete and stone crib; solar-powered 190 mm lens (1985). The tower is unpainted concrete; lantern is gray. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. The original 3rd order Fresnel lens has been on display at the Michigan History Museum in Lansing since 1985. Rob Ptacek's 2021photo is at right, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, BeaverIsland.net has a page with photos, Marinas.com has aerial photos, and the Coast Guard has a historic photo, but the light is only a blur in Bing's satellite view. This lighthouse marks an important turning point where vessels westbound from the Straits of Mackinac turn to a southwest course. The crib was slightly damaged by collision with a freighter in 1995. In May 2014 the lighthouse became available for transfer under NHLPA but no groups came forward to request ownership. In July 2017 the station was placed on auction sale by the General Services Administration. Bidding was slow, but in November the lighthouse finally sold for a modest $26,000. The new owner was not identified. The photo at right does not show any progress in restoration, but there is now a web page for the lighthouse with claims that restoration is intended. Located in northern Lake Michigan between the Beaver Islands and Naubinway. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private (Lansing Shoal Light Station). . ARLHS USA-428; USCG 7-21535.
 

Lanisng Shoal Light, Lake Michigan, August 2021
Google Maps photo by Rob Ptacek
 

Schoolcraft County (Manistique Area) Lighthouses

**** Seul Choix Point
1892. Active; focal plane 80 ft (24.5 m); white flash every 6 s. 78 ft (24 m) round brick tower with lantern and gallery attached to a 2-story brick keeper's house; rotating DCB-24 aerobeacon (1972). Tower painted white with black trim and gallery; lantern roof is red. Original brick fog signal building, assistant keeper's house, two oil houses and other buildings: a complete light station. Heidi Raatz's photo is at the top of this page, Bash has a good photo, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Roselle Serrano has a 2018 photo, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo of the station, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This lighthouse was the last designed by O.M. Poe; it was built 20 years later than his other towers such as the Au Sable Light (see the Northern Upper Peninsula page). The light station is a museum, fully restored and operated by the Gulliver Historical Society. Original fog horns are on display. The assistant keeper's house (built as a barn in 1892 and converted to a residence in 1907) was moved about 0.3 mi (500 m) away as a private home in the 1960s; donated to the historical society in 2006, it was moved back to its original location in 2016. The building is being renovated as a genealogy research library. The lighthouse was repainted in 2013 and again in 2017 when the first paint job failed to withstand the severe winter weather. It was again repainted in 2023. Note: the name Seul Choix is pronounced "Sis-shwa" in Upper Michigan. Located on a prominent cape at the end of county road 431 about 8 miles (13 km) southeast of Gulliver. Site and tower open daily late May through late September. Owner: Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Site manager: Seul Choix Point Lighthouse Park and Museums . ARLHS USA-749; USCG 7-21490.
* Manistique (East Breakwater)
1916. Active; focal plane 50 ft (15 m); red light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 35 ft (11 m) square pyramidal cast iron tower with lantern and gallery; 300 mm lens. The original 4th order Fresnel lens is on display at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum in Manitowoc. Tower painted bright red, lantern and gallery black. The 2-1/2 story keeper's house is in use as a private residence. C.M. Hanchey's photo is at right, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Robert Widigan has a closeup, Edward Halstead has a street view, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo, and Google has a satellite view. Google also has a street view and a satellite view of the keeper's house. In 2012 the lighthouse became available for transfer under NHLPA. In June City Council agreed to partner with the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy to acquire the light. Engineers estimated in October that the lighthouse needs $155,000 for restoration. Apparently this price tag was too high for the city, and it pulled out of the agreement. In June 2013 the lighthouse was sold at auction for $15,000 to Bill Collins, an Ohio lighthouse fan who also owns the Skillagalee Lighthouse in Lake Michigan and the Liston Range Rear Light in Delaware. Collins immediately had the lighthouse repainted, and he planned some repair work for 2014. Collins also started a preservation organization called Light Keepers Preservation . Located at the entrance to the Manistique River just off US 2 in Manistique. In 2000 the Corps of Engineers replaced the concrete breakwater with rip rap, cutting off public access to the lighthouse, but in recent years access has been restored. Accessible in good weather by walking the pier, and there are also views from Lakeview Park just off US 2. Site open, tower closed. Owner: private (Manistique East Breakwater Lighthouse ). Site manager: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ARLHS USA-469; USCG 7-21475.

East Breakwater Light, Manistique, August 2011
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.M. Hanchey

Delta County (Escanaba Area) Lighthouses

Green Bay Entrance Lighthouses
Green Bay is a large embayment on the northwestern shore of Lake Michigan, separated from the main part of the lake by Wisconsin's Door Peninsula and a series of islands. Recently the islands have been named the Grand Traverse Islands and a group called the Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands has formed to work for their preservation, perhaps as a new national lakeshore.

Poverty Island
1874. Inactive since 1976. 60 ft (18 m) brick tower, painted white, attached to a 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house. The lantern was removed in 1976 and abandoned on the beach; in 1989 it was salvaged, restored, and installed at Sand Point Light in Escanaba. 300 mm lens (1982) mounted on top of capped tower. The brick assistant keeper's house has recently collapsed in ruins. Corrugated steel fog signal building (1885) and oil house (1894). A photo posted by Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands is at right, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Gary Martin has a 2011 photo, WFMK Radio has a page with sad photos taken in April 2019, Patrick James has a 2021 drone view, the Coast Guard has a historic photo of the complete station, and Google has a satellite view of the station. The surviving buildings are gravely endangered by lack of maintenance and the station is on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List. This fine brick lighthouse, a sibling of the Sturgeon Point Light, deserves much better attention. In 2017 lightning set a wildfire that ignited peaty subsoils and was difficult to extinguish; the lighthouse appeared threatened for a time. It was expected then that administration of the island would be transferred from the Bureau of Land Management to the Fish and Wildlife Service, but so far this has not occurred. Poverty Island is the northernmost of the Grand Traverse Islands, just off Point Detour. Located on an island about 8 miles (13 km) south of Fairport. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Bureau of Land Management. . ARLHS USA-665.

Poverty Island Light, Grand Traverse Islands
photo formerly posted by Friends of the Grand Traverse Islands
St. Martin Island
1905. Active; focal plane 84 ft (25.5 m); white flash every 10 s. 75 ft (23 m) hexagonal cylindrical tower with lantern and gallery, formed by cast iron panels hung between six steel columns. 190 mm lens; the original 4th Fresnel lens on display at Point Iroquois Light (see above). Tower is white, lantern painted black. The original 2-1/2 story brick keeper's house is occupied in season by a caretaker. Brick fog signal building. Michael Mathewson's 2009 closeup photo is at right, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Gary Martin has a fine 2011 photo, the Coast Guard has a historic photo of the station, and Google has a satellite view. The "exoskeletal" design of this lighthouse is unique in the U.S., but Canada has a number of lighthouses built on related designs. The light station is managed by the Little Traverse Bay Band of the Odawa Indian Nation. The remainder of the island was purchased by the Nature Conservancy and in 2015 it became part of the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge. St. Martin Island is in the center of the entrance to Green Bay, halfway between Poverty Island and Wisconsin's Washington Island. Located on an island in the Rock Island Passage entrance to Green Bay, about 12 miles southwest of Fairport. Site and tower closed. Owner: U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs. Site manager: Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. ARLHS USA-802; USCG 7-21450.

Little Bay de Noc Lighthouses
Little Bay de Noc is a deep inlet extending north from the northern end of Green Bay into the Upper Peninsula. The ports of Escanaba and Gladstone were established on the bay to ship lumber and iron ore.

** Point Peninsula (Peninsula Point)
1866. Inactive since 1936; charted as a landmark. 40 ft (12 m) square cylindrical brick tower with lantern and gallery. Tower unpainted; lantern and gallery painted black. The 1-1/2 story keeper's house (formerly attached) was demolished after it burned in 1959. Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Peter Rathbun has a 2022 photo, Kerry Hill has a 2010 photo, a nice closeup photo is available, Ryan Harden has a 2016 street view, and Google has a satellite view. The Coast Guard has a 1914 historic photo of the light station, Ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Forest Service in 1937 and the Civilian Conservation Corps built nearby picnic facilities. Although its doors and windows have been removed to deter vandalism, the vacant tower is well maintained. In 2018 a crew from HistoriCorps and the Great Lakes Conservation Corps repaired the brickwork. This popular picnic location is also well known as a birding hot spot and for concentrations of monarch butterflies in the early fall. Located at the end of county road 513 on the point separating Big Bay de Noc from Little Bay de Noc east of Escanaba. Parking available. Site and tower open. Owner: U.S. Forest Service. Site manager:Hiawatha National Forest (Peninsula Point Lighthouse ). ARLHS USA-591.

St. Martin Island Light, Grand Traverse Islands, June 2009
Google Maps photo by Michael Mathewson
Minneapolis Shoal
1936. Active; focal plane 82 ft (25 m); white flash every 5 s. 70 ft (21 m) square cylindrical steel and concrete tower with lantern, centered on a square concrete keeper's quarters, mounted on a concrete and stone crib. Tower is unpainted white concrete with a single red horizontal band; lantern painted black. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) as needed. The original 4th order Fresnel lens was recently removed; its whereabouts is unknown. Sibling of Lansing Shoal Light (above). Dan Baldini has a photo, the Coast Guard has a 1966 historic photo, and Huelse has a historic postcard view, but the lighthouse is only a blur in Bing's satellite view. The light marks the entrance to the Little Bay de Noc. In May 2015 the lighthouse became available through NHLPA. No groups qualified to receive it and in August 2016 the lighthouse was put up for sale at auction. The auction was cancelled after weather prevented site inspections. It resumed in March 2017 and in August the lighthouse sold for the unusually low price of $28,000. The new owner is unknown. Located about 10 miles (16 km) south of Peninsula Point in the entrance to Little Bay de Noc and Escanaba Harbor. Accessible only by boat, but visible on the horizon from Peninsula Point. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-500; USCG 7-21610.
**** Sand Point (Escanaba (1))
1868. Inactive since 1939 (an unofficial light has been displayed since 1989). 41 ft (12.5 m) square cylindrical brick tower attached church-style to a 1-1/2 story brick keeper's house. Building painted white, lantern black; lantern and keeper's quarters roofs are red. C.M. Hanchey's photo is at right, Eric Imbault has a 2022 photo, Bash has a good photo, Pepper has a good page for the lighthouse, Bryan Penberthy has a photo by Dennis Kent, and Google has a street view and a satellite view. This is one of two Sand Point Lights in Upper Michigan, the other being at Baraga (see the Northern Upper Peninsula page). The first keeper of this lighthouse, Mary Terry, was also the first female keeper on the Great Lakes. She died in 1886 in a fire that gutted the interior of the building. Used as Coast Guard housing for many years, the building was substantially altered. It has been restored to its original shape and appearance by the Delta County Historical Society, which operates the light station as a museum. The original lantern was removed in 1939; in 1989 the lantern from the Poverty Island Light was installed and equipped with a 4th order Fresnel lens from the Menominee North Pier Light. In 2004 the boathouse was restored and the Society also plans to rebuild the demolished fog signal building. In September 2014 a replica 4th order Fresnel lens was installed in the lantern and the historic 4th order lens was put on display in the museum. The lighthouse was repainted in September 2016 and in July 2017 it celebrated its 150th anniversary. Located in Ludington Park at the end of Ludington Street in downtown Escanaba. Site open, museum open daily late May through early September. Owner/site manager: Delta County Historical Society (Sand Point Lighthouse ). ARLHS USA-726.
Sand Point Light
Sand Point Light, Escanaba, August 2011
Flickr Creative Commons photo by C.M. Hanchey
Escanaba (2)
1938. Active; focal plane 45 ft (14 m); white light, 3 s on, 3 s off. 40 ft (12 m) 2-stage square cylindrical steel tower mounted on concrete crib. Tower painted white with a single horizontal green band. Fog horn (blast every 30 s) on demand. Cynthia Tetzlaff has a 2021 closeup photo, Lightphotos.net has Köhler's closeup photo, a 2020 view from shore is available, the Coast Guard has a closeup historic photo, and Google has a satellite view and a very distant street view. Located offshore from the north side of Sand Point; good view from the Sand Point Light. Accessible only by boat but easily seen from the shore. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS USA-275; USCG 7-21635.
* Gladstone (2)
2010. Active (maintained by the town); focal plane 20 ft (6 m); green flash every 2.5 s. 28 ft (8.5 m) octagonal tower with lantern and gallery. The unpainted tower is made of composite material patterned to resemble stone; lantern painted black. Kerry Hill has a 2010 photo, John Mickevich has a 2012 photo, Jeff Burkland has a winter 2013 photo, Nedzad Bajramovic has a closeup 2022 street view, and Google has a satellite view. Construction of the lighthouse was part of a broader waterfront improvement project in 2009-10. The lighthouse replaced a light on a post. Located in Van Cleve Park in Gladstone, a town 9 miles (15 km) north of Escanaba. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Town of Gladstone. . ARLHS USA-1469; USCG 7-21695.

Menominee County Lighthouses

[Cedar River Range]
1889 (front light) and 1891 (rear light). Inactive since about 1912. Both lighthouses, square pyramidal wood skeletal towers, have been demolished. A historic photo shows one of them. The original 1-1/2 story brick and wood keeper's house and brick oil house survive. Pepper has a good page for the light station with several photos and Google has a satellite view. The house is a private residence. Don't be misled by a faux lighthouse across the street from the original location. Located on the south side of Big Cedar River and the west side of MI 35 in Cedar River, about 20 miles (32 km) northeast of Menominee. Visible at a distance. Site closed. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS USA-942 (front) and 1071 (rear).
** Menominee (Marinette) North Pierhead
1927. Active; focal plane 46 ft (14 m); red light occulting every 4 s. 34 ft (10 m) octagonal pyramidal cast iron tower mounted on a 1-story concrete equipment building over a crib at the end of the pier; solar-powered 300 mm lens. The original 4th order Fresnel lens was transferred to the Sand Point Light, Escanaba, in 1989 and is now on display in that lighthouse (see above). Tower painted red with a black lantern; concrete base is white. Heidi Blanton's photo is at right, Pepper has a page for the lighthouse, Damian Panek has a 2022 photo, a 2021 drone view is available, Marinas.com has aerial photos, the Coast Guard has a historic photo as well as a 1947 photo of the station in its original form, Don Krause has a 2017 street view, and Google has a satellite view. In 2005 the lighthouse became available for transfer under NHLPA and in 2008 it was transferred to the city of Menominee. For the next five years the city largely ignored the lighthouse, and by 2013 it was in deteriorating condition and much in need of maintenance. The city then launched an effort to seek grant funding for restoration. In 2016 an anonymous donor granted the funds (more than $400,000) to restore the lighthouse and make improvements at the base of the pier to facilitate public access. Tours began in August 2017. Located on the pier at the end of Harbor Drive off First Street in Menominee; the adjoining area is set aside as Lighthouse Ann Arbor Park. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower open for tours in the afternoons Thursday through Sunday in June, July and August. Owner/site manager: City of Menominee (Menominee North Pier Light ). ARLHS USA-490; USCG 7-21935.
* Menominee (Marinette) North Pier (Light 6 ) (2)
Date unknown. Active; focal plane 59 ft (18 m), continuous red light. 50 ft (15 m) square cylindrical steel skeletal tower with gallery, painted red.August Genz has a 2020 photo. Pepper has a photo of the earlier lighthouse, Ryan Harden has a 2016 street view, and Google has a satellite view. The lighthouse was replaced sometime in 2018-19. Located on the Menominee North Pier about 600 ft (180 m) from the pierhead lighthouse. Accessible by walking the pier. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. USCG 7-21940.

Menominee North Pierhead Light, August 2007
Flickr Creative Commons photo by Heidi Blanton

Information available on lost lighthouses:

Notable faux lighthouses:

Adjoining pages: Northeast: Eastern Upper Peninsula | South: Western Lower Peninsula | Southwest: Northeastern Wisconsin

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index

Posted May 2005. Checked and revised October 31, 2023. Lighthouses: 19. Site copyright 2023 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.