17 Beautiful Lighthouses on Michigan’s Western Coast
Michigan has more lighthouses than any other state, yet it’s the western coast that keeps me coming back.
There are 129 lighthouses along the state’s 3,200 miles of shoreline, including islands in lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior, and the Detroit River (which flows into Lake Erie).
Although the lights on the remote islands can be hard to get to, many of the onshore lighthouses offer seasonal tours like Point Betsie (cover photo).
The lighthouses on the western side of the state, along the Lake Michigan coast, hold a special place in my heart. Here the sand is soft as flour. Dunes tower over beaches. Waves are refreshing yet exhilarating. And this is where I’ve vacationed for three decades with my family.
Here’s a list of my top 17 favorite lighthouses on lower Michigan’s western coast, between St. Joseph and Mackinac.
Stop 1: St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer Lights
Traveling north from Indiana, up the west side of Michigan, the first set of lighthouses are the St. Joseph North Pier Inner and Outer lights. A succession of two white lighthouses, the inner light looks like a house with a red roof and black top, followed by an outer 35-foot cast-iron tower. A catwalk connects the two lights to the shore.
The current lights, built in 1907, weren’t the first here. There has been a lighthouse in St. Joseph since 1832. A string of lighthouses came and went on either the north or the south piers. You can learn more about the history at St. Joseph Pier Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com
You can access the north pier at Tiscornia Beach.
Stop 2: South Haven South Pier
South Haven South Pier is not only a beautiful lighthouse but is in the heart of the Blueberry Festival the second weekend of August. This quaint town has a nice shopping area nearby, and a Michigan Maritime Museum, offering river cruises.
You can purchase blueberry items year-round at The Blueberry Store at 525 Pheonix St., South Haven, a subsidiary of True Blue Farms, located in Grand Junction, Mich. www.theblueberrystore.com. True Blue Farms Country Store and U-pick are just one of many blueberry farms across the state.
Stop 3: Holland Harbor Lighthouse
Holland Harbor Lighthouse is one of the more difficult lights to see up close as it is on private land now, but you can view it by boat or across the north side of the channel. The best way to see it on foot is to walk to Ottawa Beach’s north pier in the Holland State Park.
The original structure was a small, square wooded lighthouse built in 1872, according to a park sign.
“Big Red,” the current structure, was built in 1907. It was electrified and automated in 1932. It has a gabled roof and resembles Dutch-influences of the area. Holland Harbor Pierhead Light > United States Coast Guard > All
After visiting the lighthouse, stop by the De Zwaan Windmill, a dismantled grain mill from the Netherlands brought over in 1964, according to the Michigan Historical Commission’s sign.
You can tour the windmill and learn about the milling process. Explore the 36 acres of the Windmill Island Garden where you’ll see all kinds of perennials and annuals from mid-April to October. Tulip Time is the annual tulip festival, usually held the first week of May, according to City of Holland website. Plan Your Visit | Holland, MI
Stop 4: Grand Haven Lighthouses
The Grand Haven South Pierhead Inner Light and the square outer light (entrance light) still aid in navigation. If the weather is nice, expect to see the pier that runs south of the Grand River channel full of people fishing and walking. Boats cruise by in and out of the channel during the summer. But if the waves are high, beware as people have been swept off this pier, as a sign notes.
Grand Haven’s first lighthouse, in 1839, at what is now the nearby state park oval, collapsed in 1852. A second light was erected on the bluff in 1855. After the south pier was completed in 1893, the pierhead light was replaced by the current 52-foot steel tower in 1905. This tower was moved back 600 feet to its current location in 1907. The original foghorn house (built in 1875) was moved to the pier’s end in 1922. History – Grand Haven Lighthouse
If you stay after dark, watch the Grand Haven Musical Fountain, which plays in the summer. The dancing light and water show moves to choreographed music.
Stop 5: Muskegon South Pierhead & Breakwater Lighthouses
Muskegon also has two lights, the Muskegon South Pierhead and the South Breakwater lighthouses. The pierhead, built in 1903, and the breakwater light, built in 1931, are current structures, according to the Michigan Lighthouse Conservancy. About the Lights – Muskegon Lights, Historic Lighthouses in Muskegon, Michigan, MI
Lighthouses have existed in Muskegon since 1851. Since that time, lights and towers have been rebuilt and relocated over time as the harbor changed, according to a park sign.
Both lighthouses are located at Muskegon’s Pere Marquette Park. The south breakwater lighthouse is accessible from the beach, while the south pierhead lighthouse is accessible from the NOAA Lake Michigan Field Station property along the pedestrian walkway. About the Lights – Muskegon Lights, Historic Lighthouses in Muskegon, Michigan, MI
If you have extra time, stop at the nearby U.S.S. Silversides Submarine Museum.
Stop 6: White River Light Station
Near Whitehall, the White River Light Station, built in 1875, is on the land separating White Lake from Lake Michigan. The lighthouse, decommissioned in 1960, is now a museum. White River Light Station
You can tour the 38-foot lighthouse and see the original fourth order Fresnel lens on display along with other artifacts in the maritime museum. There are tours in the summer, check hours and fees on the Lakeshore Keepers website https://splka.org.
As you leave, stop by the Palmer Blueberry Farm, 4099 Dame Road, Whitehall, to pick your own blueberries between the first week of July and mid-August. They sell jams and other blueberry products.
Stop 7: Little Sable Point
Little Sable Point –my first lighthouse on Michigan’s western coast. Thirty years ago, my husband suggested visiting Lake Michigan—and our first stop was Little Sable Point. I have loved lighthouses ever since.
It is a quintessential lighthouse — a tall, brick cylinder tower, with an old-school look, perched on a soft, sandy beach.
Built in 1874, this 115-foot tower still has its original third order Fresnel lens. Little Sable Point Lighthouse
The brick tower was once painted white around the turn of the century to make it more visible to ships, according to a park sign, but restored to its original brick in the 1970s. Little Sable was electrified and automated in 1954.
Views of Lake Michigan and the sand dunes are incredible. Tours are available from mid-May to mid-October. Check the website for times. https://splka.org.
Nearby tourist attractions include Silver Lake State Park and Mac Wood’s Dune Rides.
Stop 8: Ludington North Breakwater Light
You can enter inside the 57-foot Ludington North Breakwater Light in the summer, but the lighthouse pier is accessible year-round. The half-mile long pier is always filled with people walking and fishing, especially just before sunset.
But beware when storms come in. I have seen this pier completely covered with water.
You can view amazing photos at the Todd & Brad Reed Photography gallery in downtown Ludington. Some of the best pictures include lightning striking the lighthouse, snow and ice covering it, and the S.S. Badger passing by.
It’s not summer if I don’t get to see at least one sunset behind the Ludington North Breakwater Light, and my picture doesn’t do it justice.
Stop 9: Big Sable Point
Big Sable Point may be the most beautiful of the lighthouses on Michigan’s western coast. The black and white tower is 112 feet high, and 130 stairs gets you to the top for wonderful views of Lake Michigan and the surrounding dunes in Ludington State Park. Big Sable Point : Our Lights : What We Do : Sable Points Lighthouse Keepers Association
The lighthouse, built in 1867, was the last Great Lakes lighthouse electrified in 1949. Big Sable Point Lighthouse at Ludington State Park – Visit Ludington
It’s at least a 3-mile round-trip walk to the lighthouse, depending on your route. Walking the beach is slightly longer, but worth the views.
The Lakeshore Keepers provide educational tours for a fee. Bus rides are available specific times of the year. For more information, go to https://splka.org.
Stop 10: Manistee North Pierhead Light
Lakeshore Keepers is now maintaining operations and the restoration of the Manistee North Pierhead Light, owned by the city. They are fixing it up with the intent to open the lighthouse for public tours in 2026. The association hopes to install lighting and fresh paint on the four floors, add handrailing to the staircase, include a small gift shop on the first floor, and create an educational historical timeline. Manistee North Pierhead Light
The current 38-foot light tower was erected in 1927, but the first lighthouse was built in 1870, burning down a year later. Structures were built and moved over time, some on the south pier and finally this current tower placed on the north pier. Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com
Explore the 1.5-mile Manistee Riverwalk that meanders south of the river from Jones Street. Walk underneath the U.S. 31 Bridge, through downtown, to the First Street Beach where you can see the lighthouse. There are places to stop along the way, including restaurants and shops, fishing cleaning stations, and a park near Spruce Street with picnic tables and grills. Manistee’s Riverwalk – West Michigan Guides
Stop 11: Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse
The current squared, pyramidal Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse tower was first lit in 1932 after a new breakwater was built the same year. Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com
Before that, a lighthouse station on Frankfort’s south pier existed in 1873, with lights being moved to new locations as the pier was extended overtime. Eventually, a 46-foot steel tower range light was moved to the north pier as early as 1912. This steel tower along with its fog signal was transferred to the new breakwater in 1932. Frankfort North Breakwater Lighthouse, Michigan at Lighthousefriends.com
Stop 12: Point Betsie Lighthouse
One of the prettiest lighthouses is Point Betsie, which is located near Crystal Lake, the Platte River, and Sleeping Bear National Shoreline, all worth a visit.
Point Betsie, built in 1858, didn’t start serving ships until the shipping season of the next year. It’s the last lighthouse on Lake Michigan to be completely automated after a Vega VRB-25 high-intensity rotating beacon was installed in 1983. Overview – Point Betsie
I love the beach at the lighthouse, with both soft sand sections and others with plenty of rocks to hunt. Tours are available mid-May through mid-October. Check the schedule at https://pointbetsie.org.
Stop 13: Grand Traverse Lighthouse
At the top of Leelanau Peninsula is the beautiful Grand Traverse Lighthouse, built in 1858. The U.S. Coast Guard maintained the lighthouse until it was decommissioned in 1972. Its navigation was replaced with a steel skeleton tower with an automatic beacon. Facts + History – Grand Traverse Lighthouse
Lighthouses have protected ships passing through the Manitou Passage marking the entrance to Grand Traverse Bay since the first one was built in 1852. It was demolished and a new one replaced it on higher ground in 1858. Now, the lighthouse serves as a museum with tours operating from April through November, including a Christmas Lantern hike in December. Check the website for hours. Home – Grand Traverse Lighthouse
Stop 14: Mission Point Lighthouse
Mission Point Lighthouse became operational in 1870 after a large ship sank a few years prior right in front of where the lighthouse stands now. History
Perched on a sand dune, this two-and-a-half story lighthouse was decommissioned in 1933, and an automated buoy light is offshore. History
In addition to climbing the 37 steps to the top and learning about the lighthouse history and its seven keepers, the beach and surrounding land have hiking trails to enjoy. As you drive down M-37, heading to the end of Old Mission Peninsula, stop at the various fruit orchards and vineyards.
Stop 15: Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse
The current red Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse, built in 1948, is owned by the city and maintained by the Charlevoix Historical Society. The U.S. Coast Guard runs the light. Charlevoix South Pier Lighthouse – Charlevoix Historical Society
A sign nearby states the first lighthouse, a boxed lantern atop a scaffold was built in 1880 at the end of the south pier, while a white wooden lighthouse was installed on the north pier in 1885, later moved to the south pier in 1911. The black lantern on top is from the 1885 light. The lighthouse was eventually painted red.
The ferry to Beaver Island takes off from Charlevoix.
Stop 16: McGulpin Point Lighthouse
Now owned by Emmet County, the McGulpin Point Lighthouse once protected ships traveling through the straits between 1869-1906. Home | McGulpin
Walk down to the shore and you’ll get a spectacular view of the Mackinac Bridge. Along your walk you can learn about Native Americans who used to live in the area, including Odawa Chief, Nissowaquet. History | McGulpin
Events are held in season including talks on the many shipwrecks that took place in the region. You can see signs outside the lighthouse explaining some of them, like the Carl D. Bradley, which lost 33 lives when it sank Nov. 18, 1958.
Stop 17: Old Mackinac Point wraps up top lighthouses on Michigan’s western coast
The final lighthouse stop on the western side of Michigan is one of the most famous in the state. Old Mackinac Point is just southeast of Mackinac Bridge. As part of the Michilimackinac State Park, you can tour the lighthouse and buildings on the grounds with a timed ticket.
Old Mackinac Point first displayed its light in 1892, according to a park sign, which was visible to ships going through the straits 16 miles away. It stayed in operation until 1958, states a park sign, and is now a maritime museum.
Nearby you can visit Colonial Michilimackinac, the Historic Mill Creek, Fort Mackinac, and other historical attractions by visiting the following Mackinac Parks website. History – Mackinac State Historic Parks
This rounds off the tour of the 17 beautiful lighthouses on Michigan’s western coast.
For more information about Lake Michigan, check out Ludington State Park Has Beautiful Dunes – Travel Like A Tourist