Our amazing array of lighthouses are part our Michigan DNA. We have nearly 130 of them edging both of our peninsulas and standing sentry on our islands - more than any other place in the U.S.
Some are perched on rocky and remote shorelines. Others flank sandy beaches and have become Instagram beauty spots. A few look like castles, while some are stocky and built purely to withstand the lashing of Great Lakes’ waves.
National Lighthouse Day falls on Wednesday, Aug. 7 this year. But in Michigan, every day can be a celebration of these life-saving landmarks.
And many continue to be vacation stops. “Michigan ranks no. 1 nationally with more than 120 lighthouses along our 3,288 miles of Great Lakes coastline,” said Kelly Wolgamott, interim vice president of Travel Michigan.
“National Lighthouse Day provides an opportunity to honor the vital role these historic beacons have played in our state’s rich maritime culture and to celebrate our Great Lakes lighthouses as a source of inspiration to visit Michigan during all four seasons.” Grand Haven south pierhead outer lighthouse. (Cory Morse | MLive.
com) It’s no surprise that Michigan tops the national lighthouse list. Surrounded by the Great Lakes, our state’s maritime industry needed these lights to guide ships and keep crews and cargo safe. These days, many lighthouses continue to have automated lights that serve as navigation aids and are serviced by the U.
S. Coast Guard. Some are owned by local governments, by nonprofits, or by public-private partnerships.
Some are solely privately owned. Lighthouses with public access make an excellent addition to any Michigan vacation that includes coastline stops. Many are open for tours or have guided history programing.
A handful even allow overnight stays. And more than a few are said to be haunted. Those most-photographed lighthouses? Most of those are in West Michigan and Up North.
These include the vibrant Big Red near Holland, the wind-swept Point Betsie light north of Frankfort, and Ludington’s Big Sable Point tower. And ferry boats take more than a million vacationers each year past Round Island Light on their way to Mackinac Island. If you’ve ever wanted to plan a vacation around Michigan’s cool lighthouses, Pure Michigan has a couple different trip itineraries for you.
Here are the highlights: The flag over the "Big Red' lighthouse in Holland whips back and forth in the wind at Holland State Park in Holland on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018. Neil Blake Neil Blake If you’re a lighthouse enthusiast, you can show your love by purchasing a “Save Our Lights” license plate for your vehicle.
It funds the Michigan Lighthouse Assistance Program, which since 2000 has awarded more than $2.9 million in matching grants to help repair and restore lighthouses in our state. Love reading about lighthouses, or adding lighthouses to your next vacation? See more tips here: This Michigan forest is home to 6 lighthouses, making it one of a kind in nation Lighthouse mystery: Air Force pilot crashes, leaves heartbreaking note before vanishing You can once again climb to the top of this historic lighthouse on Lake Huron 3 of Michigan’s most haunted lighthouses Iconic Fresnel lens finally visible at Pictured Rocks lighthouse.
