Until the early 20th Century, northern Michigan was almost completely dependent on waterborne commerce for all its needs. Thousands of sailing vessels and early steamers plied the Great Lakes at a time when there were almost no aids to navigation to guide them along the dangerous coastline with its treacherous rocks, shoals and reefs. In 1869, the Lighthouse Service began construction on of the lighthouse at Sturgeon Point to mark the hazard. Sturgeon Point Lighthouse became operational in the spring of 1870 and has been in continuous service for 128 years. It is still an operational lighthouse.
Signs clearly mark the lighthouse turnoff.
Ample parking is provided. Tawas Point Lighthouse . Tawas Point Lighthouse stands in the center of Tawas Point State Park. First built in 1852 and later rebuilt, the lighthouse is still in operation and managed by the U.S. Coast Guard. The 70-foot tall tower sits on a small rise, and it's white face is broken only by a small window nearly halfway up the structure.