Lighthouse Images

Welcome to our Great Lakes Lighthouse desktop wallpaper image page. Click on any of the Great Lakes names at the left to see alphabetically listed lighthouses from that lake, a brief description of the lighthouse, and thumbnailed images. Click on any of the thumbnailed images to see a large image of that Lighthouse, then right-click on the full-sized image and "save as desktop wallpaper." All thumbnails with a after them have been added to the site recently.

We currently have Lighthouse images from Lake Erie, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Superior, as well as Other Lighthouses from rivers and channels.

Please return to our Home page to see digital images of Great Lakes Ships, Michigan Ghost Towns, colorful sunsets, and links to other interesting Great Lakes websites.

Lake Erie Lighthouses

Marblehead Lighthouse is located at the entrance to Sandusky Bay in southern Lake Erie, it stands 65 feet tall and is the oldest active lighthouse on the Great Lakes, the keepers dwelling is used as a museum.

Lake Huron Lighthouses

Cheboygan Crib Lighthouse was built in 1910 and was once at the entrance to the Cheboygan River, it eventually settled and slid into the river, the people of Cheboygan re-located it to the current location and built a pier with a light a light at the end to guide boats into the river mouth.

Cheboygan River Front Range Lighthouse sits atop a house built in 1880 near the city marina, the building is operated by the government and not open to the public.

Forty Mile Point Lighthouse located about 6 miles north of Rogers City Michigan, was completed in 1896 at a cost of $25,000, it stands 52 feet high, the pilot house of the Great Lakes freighter Calcite II stands nearby.

 


Fort Gratiot Lighthouse in Port Huron was the first lighthouse built in Michigan, the current tower was built in 1861, and replaced two earlier towers built in 1825 and 1929, it is the only tower I know of with a green light, which is still an operational rotating light, the reason for the green was that the ship captains had a hard time telling the difference between the locomotive lights which were on tracks parallel to the river, and the light in the tower.

Old Mackinaw Point Lighthouse sits at the south end of the Mackinaw Bridge, it became unnecessary to operate after the bridge was completed, ship captains were then able to navigate by using the bridge, the fog signal building is used as a gift shop.

 
"New" Presque Isle Lighthouse located between Rogers City and Alpena Michigan, was built in 1871 as a replacement of the Old Presque Isle Light one mile to the south, it stands 113 feet high and still has the original Fresnel lens as a lamp.

"Old" Presque Isle Lighthouse was built in 1840 and closed in 1868 when the lighthouse board decided to build the "New" Presque Isle Light closer to the coast nearby, it stands 30 feet tall and is a private residence.

Round Island Lighthouse is located at a point on the south west end of Round Island in the Straits of Mackinaw, this lighthouse guided ships between Round and Mackinaw Islands, built in 1895 it became obsolete by 1950 and was abandoned, the thumbnail on the left is a recent picture of the lighthouse, while the thumbnail on the right is a picture I took in the early 70's when it was close to collapse, in the late 70's a cooperative group of government agencies and local citizens started the restoration of the building saving it from certain demise.

Wawatam Lighthouse at St. Ignace Michigan is the most recent navigational light constructed on the Great Lakes. It was originally constructed for use at the welcome center on north bound I-75 south of Monroe Michigan, moved to St. Ignace and turned on for the first time on August 20 2006. The beacon projects 13.2 miles over Lake Huron and was named after the railroad ferry Chief Wawatam that transported rail cars across the straits for many years, it is also situated at the end of the Wawatam pier. The second photo shows the structure used to dock the Wawatam, and unload railroad cars.

Sturgeon Point Lighthouse sits 5 miles north of Harrisville Michigan on Lake Huron, built in 1868 it stands 70 feet tall and is open to the public a couple of times per year, a museum and various nautical artifacts are also on the grounds.

Tawas Point Lighthouse was first built in 1852 and later re-built, it is managed by the Coast Guard and open to the public on various dates during the summer, standing 70 feet tall it makes a dramatic focal point to Tawas State Park.

Lake Michigan Lighthouses

Cana Island Lighthouse is located on Cana Island which is just off-shore on the east side of the Door Peninsula Wisconsin. The original tower built in 1870 was sheathed with steel plates in 1901 to help prevent deterioration.

Eagle Bluff Lighthouse sits on a bluff overlooking the east side of the Strawberry Channel, which is the eastern passage to Green Bay Wisconsin. It still stands in it's original 1868 construction, and is a Door County museum.

(Photo James Hoffmeyer)
Grand Traverse Lighthouse sits at the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula, it was first erected in 1851 and is no longer in service, it is now a part of Leelanau State Park and is open to the public. A new light sits on a steel tower nearby.

Ludington North Pierhead Lighthouse was first built in 1871, and rebuilt in 1924 to it's present state.

Manitowoc Breakwater Lighthouse was built in 1895, but was reconstructed to it's current form in 1918.

Seul Choix Lighthouse near Gulliver Michigan was once the center of a thriving fishing community, the tower finished in 1892 stands at 78 feet. The tower and gift shop are open to the public mid June through Labor Day.

Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pier Lighthouse sits at the end of the north pier of the channel, it was originally constructed in 1882  but underwent a major reconstruction in 1903

Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal Lighthouse is located at the east end of the ship canal, it was constructed in 1899 at 78 feet tall, but has to be modified often the first few years because of extremely high winds in the area. The existing modified light was finished in 1903 and stands 98 feet tall.

Lake Ontario Lighthouses

Lake Superior Lighthouses

Au Sable Point Lighthouse is in the Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Park, it is accessible with a guided park tour after a 1 1/2 mile walk along the shoreline or adjacent trail, during the walk you will come across the shipwreck remains of old wooden schooners which have been washed up onto the beach, the tower and dwelling were both built in 1874.

Big Bay Lighthouse sits high on a bluff overlooking Big Bay and Lake Superior north of Marquette Michigan. Built in 1896 it was automated in 1961, and sold in 1961. It now serves as a bed and breakfast. It also is rumored to be one of the haunted lighthouses on the Great Lakes.

Copper Harbor Lighthouse is on State land and open to the public, but is only accessible by the State-Chartered ferry from Copper Harbor. Built in 1866 this lighthouse replaced the original tower which was built in 1849 and was one of the first two lighthouse on Lake Superior, the other being at Whitefish Point.

Crisp Point Lighthouse is located on a very remote section of Lake Superior west of Whitefish Point, this section of the lake is commonly called the "Graveyard of the Great Lakes" Very little is left but the tower and the remains of the dock that once stretched out into the lake.
Click here to visit the Crisp Point Historical Society.
Click here to visit the Newberry Tourism Association's Crisp Point page.

Duluth North Breakwater Lighthouse was built in 1910 to help guide ships into the Duluth harbor, prior to 1910 ship captains had only the South Breakwater light to rely on and many mishaps occurred. Building the light on the north pier helped remedy this problem. The light stands 43 feet above the surface of Lake Superior.

Duluth South Inner Breakwater Lighthouse was built in 1901 to serve as an inner range light with the South Outer light.

Duluth South Outer Breakwater Lighthouse was built in 1901 to replace an earlier light constructed on a shortened pier in 1873. The light works in conjunction with the South Pier inner light to act as a range light.

Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse is located on the south side of Grand Island near Munising and is on private property, built in 1868 it has had some recent work done to stabilize the structure but needs much more work.

(Photos courtesy of the Huron Island Lighthouse Preservation Association)
Huron Island Lighthouse constructed in 1868, still stands today atop Huron Island, the second largest island of the Huron Islands chain in southern Lake Superior. The lighthouse was built to guide vessel traffic between Marquette and Pequaming, and between the L'Anse/Baraga and Houghton/Hancock ports via the Portage entry in the state of Michigan. The lighthouse is approximately three miles north of Huron Point and the Huron Mountains, some twenty miles east of the Keweenaw Peninsula. Graced by regional history and natural beauty, the Huron Island Lighthouse has long been considered a local historic treasure. The light is still an active aid to navigation. While the light is housed in the lighthouse tower, it has been automated since 1972.  The Huron Island Lighthouse Preservation Association (HILPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the historical and architectural features of the lighthouse and adjacent properties for future generations. HILPA was organized by local residents in January of 1999 in response to growing concern over the condition of the lighthouse and its adjacent buildings.

Marquette Harbor Lighthouse was originally built in 1853, and reconstructed in 1866. The current configuration includes reconstruction of the keepers house in 1906.

Point Iroquois Lighthouse north of Brimley Michigan was built in 1857 and completely remodeled in 1870, it stands 65 feet high and is open to the public.

Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Lighthouse sits at the end of the breakwater at Marquette Michigan. Built in 1941 it produces a beam 56 feet above the surface of Lake Superior.

Split Rock Lighthouse located on the Lake Superior shoreline of Minnesota was built high on a rocky cliff 124 feet above the lake, completed in 1910 it has a beacon range of 22 miles. Decommissioned in 1969 it is now operated by the Minnesota Historical Society.

Superior Entry South Breakwater Lighthouse is located at the tip of Wisconsin Point, Superior Wisconsin. Built in 1913 it still serves as a navigational aid to ships entering the harbor.

Two Harbors Lighthouse in Two Harbors Minnesota, is an operational lighthouse that also serves as a bed and breakfast. Built in 1892 when Two Harbors was known as Agate Bay. the tower stands 49.5 feet tall.

Two Harbors Breakwater Lighthouse located in Two Harbors Minnesota, sits at the end of the breakwall in the harbor, it is an excellent location to view ships up close entering or exiting the harbor.

Whitefish Point Lighthouse is located at the tip of Whitefish Point in Lake Superior, the current tower was built in 1861 and replaced the original tower which was built in 1849. The Whitefish Point Shipwreck Museum is located on the grounds behind the lighthouse.

Other Lighthouses

Tricentenial Sate Park Lighthouse is located in the recently created Michigan State park at Detroit Michigan. Built in 2003, the tower stands 58 feet high, and sits at the eastern edge of the marina on the Detroit River.

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