WayfarrowManitou Island Light Station
Lighthouse · Keweenaw County, Michigan
Manitou Island Light Station is a lighthouse in Keweenaw County, Michigan. Michigan has 124 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 12 of them in Keweenaw County.
It was built in 1861, in the Civil War era, making it the 11th oldest of the 89 in Michigan with a recorded construction date; its light sits 82 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl W 10s (a white flash every 10 seconds); it guards Lake Superior.
Status check, 2026-11: The iron skeletal tower that replaced the 1850 rubble-stone tower is the oldest of its kind on the Great Lakes. A few sources say 1862 instead of 1861, and reported heights don't agree (42.5, 45, 70 and 80 ft). Manitou Island Light Station is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 47.4197° N, 87.5872° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1861 |
|---|---|
| Focal height | 82 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl W 10s |
| Body of water | Lake Superior |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 47.41972, -87.58722 |
Nearby places
- Gull Rock Light Stationlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 3.6 mi
- Copper Harbor Lightlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 13.3 mi
- Copper Harbor Front Range Lightlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 13.7 mi
- Mendota Lightlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 18 mi
- Mandanghost town · Keweenaw County · 20.1 mi
- Stannard Rock Lightlighthouse · Marquette County · 23.8 mi
- Eagle Harbor Lightlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 26.9 mi
- Eagle River Lightlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 33.3 mi
- Cliftonghost town · Keweenaw County · 33.7 mi
- Cliffghost town · Keweenaw County · 34 mi
- Sand Hills Lightlighthouse · Keweenaw County · 36.5 mi
- Huron Island Lightlighthouse · Marquette County · 37 mi
Questions
Where is Manitou Island Light Station?
Manitou Island Light Station is in Keweenaw County, Michigan, at 47.4197, -87.5872.
How many lighthouses are in Keweenaw County?
Keweenaw County, Michigan has 12 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
- Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)
Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.