Sunday, August 7 is National Lighthouse Day! The state of Michigan hosts more lighthouses than any other state, due in large part to the role of Lakes Superior, Michigan, and Huron. According to Michigan Lighthouse Guide there are 129 beacons of light on the registers of such nautical data.

In the Paradise area there are three conveniently located with incredible life-saving stories, scenes, and artifacts. Paradise is located just north of the Tahquamenon River mouth on the Tahquamenon Scenic Byway (M-123) in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. We encourage you to take the entire family and spend some time at each location.

Whitefish Point Light Station is located 10 miles north of Paradise on North Whitefish Point Road which connects to the Tahquamenon Scenic Byway at the blinking light in Paradise. It is a privately owned and managed site by the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society and the fully operating tower is a component of the Shipwreck Museum. The present Whitefish Point Light tower was built under the authorization of U. S. President Abraham Lincoln in 1861 and has been offering safe pages to vessels entering Lake Superior from Whitefish Bay since 1849.

The Shipwreck Museum offers information regarding shipwrecks, ship rescues, and shipwreck discoveries throughout the great lakes. The complex is a series of restored buildings and carefully catalogued artifacts of the U. S. Life Savings services offered over the past 175+ years. Freighters headed upbound from and downbound to the Soo Locks in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan pass by the facility located on Whitefish Point with great frequency. The museum is open May 1 through October 31, daily, 10 AM to 6 PM. www.shipwreckmuseum.com

Crisp Point Light Courtesy David Piontek

Crisp Point Light is located along the southern shoreline of Lake Superior between Whitefish Point and Grand Marais. There is no direct, easy, or as the "crow flies" (14.5 miles) route to Crisp Point, built in 1875. But you will find County Road 500 intersecting with Tahquamenon Scenic Byway (M-123) just west of the entrance to Tahquamenon Falls State Park. Their website includes specific directions and tips to locate the tower. Crisp Point Light property is owned by Luce County and is managed by the Crisp Point Light Historical Society. Boatman and former lighthouse keeper, Christopher Crisp is the namesake of this incredible facility that has been painstakingly restored through the efforts of many volunteers.

Many lighthouses were established in remote proximities as they offered safe harbor to passing ships and Crisp Point provides that feeling when you approach the shoreline and take in the incredible, views along of Lake Superior. The information center and restrooms are open usually from the end of May to mid-October, open daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. Crisp Point Light Historical Society offers a lighthouse keeper volunteer program at their facility offering the couple or family an opportunity to manage the information facility and gift shop, answering questions, sharing the Christopher Crisp life-saving story. Learn more information about this light and the opportunities therein at www.crisppointlight.org.

Point Iroquois Courtesy Janet Meeks 2018

Point Iroquois Lighthouse is located along the Saint Mary's River mouth and the entrance into Lake Superior's Whitefish Bay. The Tahquamenon Scenic Byway (M-123) intersects with the Curlie - Lewis Memorial Highway which meanders along the southern shoreline of Whitefish Bay. Point Iroquois Lighthouse is on this route, the property is owned by the U.S. National Forest Division and is currently managed by the Bay Mills Indian Community. Point Iroquois was named referencing a 1662 between the Iroquois and Chippewa. The Point Iroquois Light was first lit in 1857 in a 65-foot tower and was in service for 107 years. Today the museum offers a collection of artifacts that tell the stories of the Anishinaabe, French Explorers, and lifesaving efforts of the lighthouse.

On sight there is a museum that offers insight into the personal lives of the lighthouse keepers and their families and a gift shop. Conventionally the museum is open in the summer months but may under the management of the Bay Mills Indian Community remain open in the winter months as well. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday from 10 AM to 4:30 PM. There is a handicap accessible walkway from the parking lot to the shoreline of the St. Mary's River. The walkway offers benches, elevated walkways, and fabulous views of freighters headed up or downbound pass Point Iroquois.

Hiawatha National Forest - Point Iroquois Lighthouse (usda.gov)