Description: Several lighthouses have been built to guide vessels through the Manitou Passage, which lies between North and South Manitou Islands and the Michigan mainland. The first such lighthouse was constructed on the southern end of South Mantiou in 1839.

North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse Photograph courtesy U.S. Coast Guard

In 1898, a lighthouse was also built on the easternmost point of North Manitou Island called Dimmick’s Point. To better mark the shoal off the southern end of North Manitou Island, a lightship was positioned there in 1910. Three lightships served on the station: LV-56 from 1910 to 1926, LV-89 from 1927 to 1933, and LV-103/WAL-526 from 1934 to 1935. Of the three lightships, only LV-103 survives, and it can be toured in Port Huron, Michigan, where it is dry docked.

The North Manitou Lighthouse was automated in 1928, and in 1935 the North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse was constructed near the shoal to replace the lightships. The usefulness of the North Mantiou Lighthouse was greatly reduced, and in 1938 it was sold into private hands.

The North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse was constructed atop a concrete crib and outfitted with a unique four-sided lens, perhaps manufactured by Kraus-Heinz. The lighthouse was automated in 1980, and the lens was subsequently removed and placed on display in Glen Haven at the Cannery Boat Museum, part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

In December of 2000, concerned citizens from Glen Arbor, Maple City and Walled Lake, Michigan, met to form the North Manitou Shoal Light Preservation Society (NMSLPS), a nonprofit organization whose goal was to promote the preservation and restoration of the North Manitou Shoal Lighthouse. After determining that the dollar amount for restoring the lighthouse to an acceptable standard would be considerable, it appears that the group has abandoned their effort.

Location: Located in the water roughly midway between the southern end of North Manitou Island and the mainland.
Latitude: 45.02091
Longitude: -85.95706

Travel Instructions: This light is best seen from a boat. Manitou Island Transit offers ferry service and day trips to South Manitou Island from Leland, and a distant view of North Manitou Shoal Light is possible from the ferry.

The lighthouse is owned by the Coast Guard. Tower closed.

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See our List of Lighthouses in Michigan