Spectacle Reef Light

The Spectacle Reef Light is a 24-meter stone tower built on the bottom of Lake Huron with a fog signal building and storage areas attached to the main structure. The entire facility sits on an artificial foundation beneath the lake's surface, designed to withstand waves and movement.

Construction began in 1870 and took four years to complete by 1874, finishing a significant shipping navigation project on the lake. This undertaking was one of the most complex building endeavors on the Great Lakes at that time.

The original Fresnel lens from this structure is preserved at the National Museum of the Great Lakes in Toledo, showing how sailors once relied on advanced light technology. This artifact tells the story of how mariners navigated the dark waters before modern navigation systems existed.

The light has been modernized with an LED system that flashes red every five seconds to guide ships safely through the area. Visitors should know that this reef location is quite far from shore and can only be seen from special boat tours.

This structure was one of the costliest lighthouse projects on the Great Lakes, requiring innovative building methods to establish a foundation in deep water. The expense and difficulty underscore how critical safe navigation was for shipping in this region.

Location: Cheboygan County

Inception: 1874

Architects: Orlando Metcalfe Poe, Paul J. Pelz, Godfrey Weitzel

Height: 24 m

GPS coordinates: 45.77333,-84.13667

Latest update: December 10, 2025 16:26