North Manitou Shoal Light Station, Offshore lighthouse in Leland Township, US
North Manitou Shoal Light Station is a lighthouse in Lake Michigan, standing on a concrete foundation in shallow water and comprised of a two-story building with living quarters and equipment. Above this sits a three-story tower that is visible from considerable distances across the lake and serves as a navigation aid for passing vessels.
Built in 1935 by the United States Lighthouse Service, it replaced an earlier lightship that had served this dangerous location. The station marked a shift toward permanent fixed structures for navigation safety in the Manitou Passage shipping channel.
Lighthouse keepers lived and worked in isolation on the water, developing daily routines centered on guiding ships safely past dangerous rocks. Visitors today can sense how this responsibility shaped the rhythm of life in such a remote setting.
The lighthouse sits on the water and is accessible only by boat, so plan accordingly for a water-based visit. Rough lake conditions or storms may make the site temporarily inaccessible.
The station operated as one of the final manned lighthouses on the Great Lakes until 1980, when it became automated. This transition captured a turning point in how maritime safety evolved across the region.
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