Tour Overview
1. Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Light:
Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Light, also known as Christmas Range Light, is located 4 miles west of Munising off of highway M-28 on the south side near the "Welcome to Christmas" sign.
The only range light in the Hiawatha National Forest, Grand Island Rear Range light is also one of the tallest towers in the area at over 62 ft. Range lights, unlike standard lighthouses, work in pairs – a front-range light and a higher rear-range light. They helped to guide mariners along a safe course through dangerous shallows of Grand Island's west channel; mariners steered their vessel so that beams from the front-range light and the rear-range light aligned to produce one beam.
Originally constructed in 1868 the wooden building that housed the light was replaced with the steel conical tower you see today in 1913. The light remained active until 1969 and became part of Hiawatha National Forest in 1977.
There are tours open to the public during the summer season, for more information check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/main/hiawatha, or reach out to us on our lighthouse page at: www.facebook.com/groups/HiawathaLighthouses
2. Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse
The Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse stands upon the southeast shoreline of Grand Island, near Munising, MI.
The East Channel Lighthouse has the distinction of being the only wooden light on Hiawatha National Forest; while there have been repairs and stabilization work done on this structure it still looks very much like it did when it was built in 1868.
Though Grand Island is a designated National Recreation Area and is now much more accessible to the public, the lighthouse itself, which was deactivated in 1913, remains on private property.
You can however see it from the decks of a Pictured Rocks or Alger underwater preserve cruise boat as it heads from Munising Harbor to the national lakeshore area, or from a private boat. For more information check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/main/hiawatha, or reach out to us on our lighthouse page at: www.facebook.com/groups/HiawathaLighthouses
3. Peninsula Point Lighthouse
Located on the southern tip of the Stonington Peninsula near Rapid River, MI Peninsula Point lighthouse is the only lighthouse in Hiawatha National Forest that is open to the public year-round. Visitors can climb the 40 foot circular staircase to find a panoramic view of Lake Michigan. Rest rooms, as well as tables and grills for picnics, are available.
Go back even further in time as you explore the shoreline and stand among fossils estimated at 400-500 million years old. If that is not enough, Peninsula Point is also a popular spot to enjoy the Monarch Butterfly and bird migration. Local birding enthusiasts have compared Peninsula Point to Point Pelee National Park of Canada, and have recorded over 200 species of birds. Get the kids more involved by downloading our Agents of Discovery mission: “Monarchs of Peninsula Point” on your smartphone or tablet.
For more information check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/main/hiawatha, or reach out to us on our lighthouse page at: www.facebook.com/groups/HiawathaLighthouses
4. Round Island Lighthouse
The Round Island lighthouse is located on a sand and cobblestone spit extending from Round Island (a national wilderness area) into the narrow channel between Round Island and Mackinac Island near St. Ignace, MI.
Easily one of the most recognizable lighthouses in Michigan, it was featured in the 1980 film: Somewhere In Time. Beautiful and iconic, words that are often used in describing Round Island Lighthouse; but it has not been an easy journey for this historic structure. In fact, if not for all the hard work and passion of our partner, the Round Island Lighthouse Preservation Society, the building would look very different these days.
While it is our hope to one day make this lighthouse open to the public, there is still a lot of work to do. Fortunately, it is easily viewed by boat, or from it’s neighbor, Mackinac Island.
For more information check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/main/hiawatha, or reach out to us on our lighthouse page at: www.facebook.com/groups/HiawathaLighthouses
5. Point Iroquois Lighthouse
The Point Iroquois Lightstation stands high above the waters of Lake Superior at the entry to St. Mary's River near the town of Brimley, MI.
The name Point Iroquois references a battle that took place in 1662 between the local Ojibwa (also known as the Chippewa or Anishinaabeg) and an invading Iroquois war party. According to the Indian agent of scholar, Henry Rowe Schoolcraft, the Ojibwa called Point Iroquois " Nau-do-we-e-gun-ing", which in their native language means "Place of Iroquois Bones."
Point Iroquois is the only Hiawatha National Forest lighthouse that has both a museum and visitor center, along with attached living quarters for our volunteer caretakers.
You can come see this spectacular bit of living history and even climb the tower during the summer season:
May 16 - October 7 Tuesday thru Saturday 10am to 6pm: Sunday 1pm to 5pm: Closed Mondays
October 8 - May 14 the lighthouse will be closed, but visitors are still welcome to visit the grounds.
For more information check out our website at: www.fs.usda.gov/main/hiawatha, or reach out to us on our lighthouse page at: www.facebook.com/groups/HiawathaLighthouses
