South Haven Light, Lighthouse on Lake Michigan in South Haven, United States
South Haven Light is a red steel tower standing about 34 feet (10.5 m) tall at the end of a wooden pier, where Black River flows into Lake Michigan. It marks the entrance to South Haven Harbor and remains an active navigational aid for vessels on the lake.
A wooden structure was first built here in 1872 to guide growing ship traffic on the lake. The current steel tower replaced it in 1903, when the harbor needed a more reliable structure to handle increased activity.
The red tower at the end of the pier is a familiar part of life along the South Haven waterfront, drawing walkers and families throughout the warmer months. People come not just to see it but to use the pier as a gathering point where the river meets the open lake.
The pier is open to walkers and offers a direct path from the shore to the tower, though conditions can change quickly near the water. Visiting on a calm day makes the walk more comfortable, as the pier is exposed to wind and lake waves.
The structure keeps one of only four remaining catwalks of its kind in Michigan, a narrow walkway that runs along the pier to connect the tower to the shore. These walkways were built so that keepers could safely reach the tower even during storms without walking on the exposed pier surface.
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