Tawas Point Lighthouse, East Tawas | Lincat Photography

Lighthouses

Michigan lighthouses located near delightful B&Bs



Since so many travelers collect lighthouse visits the way birders collect species, it’s lucky for them that so many great bed and breakfasts are located near Michigan lighthouses. For any of the towns listed below, search here to find B&Bs in or near the town.

Answer to a trivia question: Michigan has lights on four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake St. Clair and connecting waterways.

Here are a few of popular routes traveled by lighthouse aficionados, including the names of many towns in which you can stay in a quality-assured B&B:

  • I-196 and US-31 along the Lake Michigan shore: South Haven, Saugatuck, Holland, Grand Haven, Whitehall, Ludington, Manistee, Onekama, Traverse City, and Charlevoix
  • M-29 and M-25 along the St. Clair River and southern Lake Huron: Port Huron, Lexington, Port Sanilac, Port Austin, and Bay City
  • M-23, along the northern Lake Huron shore, highlighted by a stay in Oscoda, East Tawas, or Presque Isle
  • In Detroit, lighthouses on the Detroit River near downtown and on Belle Isle


More than 150 lighthouses dot the Michigan coastline and nearby waters, most of which still operate. Over the years, some Michigan lighthouses have been converted into museums, private residences or, in the case of Big Bay Point Lighthouse in the Upper Peninsula, a Michigan bed and breakfast. If you stay at Big Bay Point Lighthouse, you can see at least a dozen lighthouses in a day trip.

Some lights are located at the entrances to rivers and harbors. Others warn mariners of islands and shoals and require a boat to see up close. Some restored lighthouses can be climbed. Others, such as range lights, are tower-like, with no interior space. No matter their function, Michigan lighthouses capture the imagination of thousands of visitors each year.

Since the waters of Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron and Lake Erie touch 3,200 miles of Michigan coastline, it’s no wonder a trip to Michigan almost always includes a visit to at least one Michigan lighthouse. Seeing lighthouses is a wonderful way to shape your Michigan travel. And booking yourselves into a quality-inspected B&B will assure that you’ll enjoy safe and comfy nights along the way.



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