As you might imagine, staying overnight in a lighthouse is not like spending the night in an average, everyday hotel in Michigan – it is much more than that, it is an adventure for sure. First, I will define a lighthouse to avoid assuming everyone knows what it is. A lighthouse is a tower or other structure containing a beacon light to warn or guide ships at sea.
You might also imagine that Michigan has a bounty of lighthouses since we are a major Great Lake state, with our borders touching the following four out of five Great Lakes:
- Lake Michigan
- Lake Huron
- Lake Superior
- Lake Erie
While we can easily go from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, our shoreline does not touch the last of the five Great Lakes. The beautiful Pure Michigan shoreline boasts over one hundred and twenty-nine lighthouses. We have more lighthouses than any other state in the United States. Let’s see what the experts have to share regarding which lighthouses also have lodging opportunities.
According to Bridge Michigan, you can stay overnight in the following Michigan lighthouses, “Some lighthouses are available to rent, while you can stay in others as a volunteer, though you often still have to pay a modest fee. The list below features some of the Michigan lighthouses where lodging is an option.
The Au Sable Lighthouse is located within the Au Sable Light Station in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. Volunteers can expect to give tours and help staff the museum.
- Location: On Lake Superior in Burt Township
- Volunteer or rent? Volunteer
- Cost: Free
- Minimum stay: One month
Big Bay Point Lighthouse Inn
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this lighthouse inn located on cliffs 25 miles north of Marquette is one of the last resident lighthouse inns left in the United States. Your room may have a gas fireplace, soaker tub, or sunset or sunrise views. Breakfast in bed is available, if you so choose.
- Location: Big Bay on Lake Superior
- Volunteer or rent? Rent
- Cost: $219 – $425 per night
- Minimum stay: One
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
Resident keepers stay the night in the original keeper’s quarters, attached to the lighthouse.
- Location: In Ludington on Lake Michigan
- Volunteer or rent? Volunteer
- Cost: A membership fee (which starts at $30) plus a Resident Keeper Fee of $30 for one person or $50 for a couple
- Minimum stay: One week for resident keepers. Half-day and day shifts are available for keepers who don’t need lodging.
Crisp Point Lighthouse
Volunteer Lighthouse Keepers camp onsite in this rustic, remote location. Keepers are instructed to bring their own electricity generator, drinking water, food, heating and refrigeration. The only amenity provided is toilets.
- Location: In Newberry on Lake Superior
- Volunteer or rent? Volunteer
- Cost: Free
- Minimum stay: No minimum
DeTour Reef Light
Boat transportation to this lighthouse, located in the middle of the water, is provided. The Detour Reef Light Preservation Society claims this is the first offshore volunteer lighthouse keeper program.
- Location: In Lake Huron at the mouth of the St. Marys River
- Volunteer or rent? Both at the same time. Guests pay a substantial fee but still volunteer their services.
- Cost: $1,200 for a weekend, $1,000 for a five-night stay
- Minimum stay: Weekend
Eagle River Lighthouse
This three-bedroom, restored historic lighthouse is available to rent. In addition to a small tower, the structure includes a four seasons sunroom, a deck, a firepit and a nearby beach.
- Location: On the Eagle River in Mohawk just around the bend from Lake Superior
- Volunteer or rent? Rent
- Cost: $500 average per night
- Minimum stay: Two nights
Pointe aux Barques Lighthouse
Volunteers stay in the former assistant lighthouse keeper’s quarters a stone’s throw from the tower. Fun fact: The first official head female lighthouse keeper worked here.
- Location: On Lake Huron in Port Hope
- Volunteer or rent? Volunteer
- Cost: $150 per person for a week
- Minimum stay: One week,”.
How tall are lighthouses in feet
As a native Michigander and an outdoor enthusiast, I have had the privilege of visiting and viewing many of our Michigan lighthouses. We mostly walked out on the pier, went inside the gift shop, and then walked back to the beach to swim.
However, when my oldest son was about two years old, before his little brother was born, his dad and I decided to take the lighthouse tour in Ludington. We were camping in Ludington State Park, where the historic Big Sable Point Lighthouse is located, standing tall at one hundred and twelve feet.
As we were ascending the long, spiral staircase, I started to have a panic attack when I quickly realized that I had a fear of heights, of which I did not know I had! Unfortunately, I had to slither back down past people, quite embarrassed, to get out of the lighthouse as quickly as possible.
Recently, I took my sons (one is sixteen and one is twenty) camping “Up North” (we live in Southeast Michigan) to Mears State Park. We got to see Little Sable Point Lighthouse, which is located near the campground but not in it. It offers awesome views of Lake Michigan at one hundred and seven feet and has a large sandy beach to watch the stunning sunsets from. Of course, I stayed on the ground and let them go on the lighthouse tour without me.
The Michigan Economic Development Corporation shares the following stats about Michigan lighthouses, “The Rock of Ages Light (1907), five miles west of Isle Royale in Lake Superior, and the White Shoal Light (1910), about 20 miles west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan, claim the titles as the two tallest lighthouses in Michigan, each at more than 120 feet tall. Both lights are isolated in their respective lakes, and neither are presently open to the public.
But if you want to get your steps in and climb to the top of a tall lighthouse, which ones should you visit? On Lake Huron, the New Presque Isle Light (1870) between Rogers City and Alpena rises 113 feet and visitors may climb 138 steps to the lantern at the top. On Lake Michigan, Big Sable Point Light (1867) and Little Sable Point Light (1874), both near Ludington, each rise to around 110 feet and offer 130 steps to sweeping views of beaches and dunes below,”.
On average, Michigan lighthouses’ heights range from as low as thirty feet to over one hundred and twenty feet tall.
Lighthouse home decor ideas
Where I live in Southeast Michigan, in Oakland County, it is nicknamed the “Lakes Area” because, obviously, we have a lot of small to large inland lakes. Furthermore, many homes have well water, which means we have well-heads sticking up from the ground.
Some people have fake rocks over the well head, or wooden wishing wells, and others have lighthouses that cover their well head. I, too, have a lighthouse over my well head, but not in the usual sense. I had to get creative because I didn’t want to spend upwards of $300.00 on a well head cover! As shown in the photo above, I achieved this for under $50.00.
Ideas for lighthouse home décor is in the list below, but not limited to:
- Well head covers
- Wall art
- Lighting
- Shelving units
- Bedding and window treatments
- Clay pots (currently have one sitting in an online shopping cart)
- Miniatures
I like to think that the lighthouses in my front yard symbolize that my home is a safe harbor for those seeking rest and safety.
Stay overnight in a lighthouse Michigan
In conclusion, whether staying overnight in a Michigan lighthouse or covering an unsightly well head in your yard, Michigan definitely has no shortage of lighthouses that can be found in great numbers across the state!