Lighthouses
Six historic lighthouses stand on Hiawatha’s Great Lakes shorelines, five of which are owned entirely or in part by the Forest Service. “Lighthouse lookers” eagerly seek out views and interaction with Pt. Iroquois, Peninsula Point, Round Island, East Channel (Grand Island), and Christmas Rear Range Light. The area’s unique maritime history, and the personal accounts of those who ran the lighthouses are interpreted at Pt. Iroquois Lighthouse and museum.
Automated aids to navigation replaced most of these facilities in the mid 1900’s, leaving these unique pieces of our cultural heritage available for other uses. The Hiawatha seeks to increase access to these treasures, while ensuring they are properly cared for.
Recreation Sites
Christmas/Grand Island West Channel Range Light
Site Open
During the hey-day of water transportation on Lake Superior, mariners used a of "range lights," to guide them on a safe course through dangerous shallows of the island's west channel.Located near…
Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse
The Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse is on the southeast shore of Grand Island. Though Grand Island is a designated National Recreation Area (NRA) and is now much more accessible to the public,…
Grand Island North Lighthouse
Situated atop a 175 foot cliff on Grand Island's north end, this lighthouse has been identified as the highest lighthouse above sea level in the United States. Originally built of wood in 1856,…
Peninsula Point Lighthouse
Site Open
Peninsula Point is a special place for a number of reasons. During the 1860's, the ports of Escanaba, Gladstone, Fayette and Nahma were teeming with ships hauling fish, lumber, iron ore and other…
Point Iroquois Lighthouse
Site Open
In 1975, The Point Iroquois Lighthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.The Point Iroquois Lighthouse stands high above the waters of Lake Superior at the entry to St. Mary's…
Round Island Lighthouse
The lighthouse is located on a sand and cobblestone spit extending from Round Island into the narrow channel between Round Island and Mackinac Island. It was built in 1895 at a cost of $15,000…