McGulpin Point Lighthouse & Historic Site, Michigan, United States
4.5 (607 reviews) Spent Ranking #3 in Cheboygan County Historic Sites • Lighthouses
Just 2 miles out Central Ave, Mackinaw City. A Fritomann review.
Emmet County owns the historic McGulpin Point Lighthouse, which protected shipping on the Straits of Mackinac against storms, fog and rocks between 1869 and 1906. It was purchased by the county in 2008, which reopened McGulpin to the public with a gala celebration on May 30, 2009. The site is approximately 10 acres and is a half mile north of the Headlands. It includes 336 feet of shoreline on the Straits with a commanding view of the Mackinac Bridge. Trail to the Straits includes new interpretive signage coming in Summer 2015! Beautifully maintained grounds and interior. There is always something new at McGulpin Point!
Address
500 Headlands Rd, Mackinaw City, MI 49701-8611
Mobile
Website
http://www.emmetcounty.org/mcgulpin
Current local date and time now
Tuesday, May 14, 2024, 16:32
User Ratings
4.5 based on (607 reviews)
Reviews
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5MevieM 5:00 PM Aug 26, 2022
If you can only visit one lighthouse in the area, make it this one!
This was a highlight of our time in the Mackinac area. The lighthouse near the fort in Mackinac city was bustling and busy and they wouldn't let our youngest kids go up the tower. They seem a bit more up tight at that lighthouse than at McGulpin Point. The attendant gladly let our whole family go to the top (5 kids ages 1-11). It's cool that this lighthouse has a working light. Once you climb the spiral staircase, it's a rather tight squeeze to get out to the balcony, but what a gorgeous view! When we were on balcony on the outside of the tower, God put a gorgeous rainbow in the sky that touched down right by the bridge. Gorgeous! The setup inside the keeper's quarters is very tasteful as well. Highly recommend! Definitely worth driving a bit out of your way to visit.
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5Hartmanra 5:00 PM Oct 18, 2022
Great little spot for history and to go up in a lighthouse
We took our 18, 14, 11 and 10 year olds here and they enjoyed it. The woman working gave us a wonderful background/history of the lighthouse and answered all of our questions. We paid to go up in the lighthouse ($3/person). You can walk around in the original house attached to the lighthouse and read the history of the family as well as other community history. There is a 15 minute film about shipwrecks in the area on the second floor. The top of the lighthouse is many narrow and steep steps up but not that bad. All 6 of us fit in the lighthouse. The kids went out on the deck but didn’t stay long as it was raining, windy and only about 38 degrees outside. There is a shop onsite as well as a barn you can walk through. There is also a trail with information about the history that leads you down to the shoreline. We spent some time here finding really cool rocks.
