Superior Adventures
Lake Superior adventures for the entire family
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GRANITE ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE
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Granite Island area in Lake Superior is just 5 miles from the nearest shore but 11 miles from the nearest boat launching facilities in Marquette, MI. The Lighthouse Board reported in 1866 that there was a very small island 20 miles north of Marquette that was dangerously close to some shipping lanes. This adventure takes approx time of 20min to reach via our velocity and 45min on our 50'carver.
Congress then allocated $20,000 on March 2, 1867 to build a light on the island. Blasting was required to create a flat area to build the lighthouse. Work was finished in the spring of 1868 in time for that year's shipping season on Lake Superior.
Impressions? The "rock" has a lot of dimensional character with its cliffs and cravasses, "tide" pools and rocky bays. Approaching the island by boat from a distance reminds a little of St. Michaels Mt in Cornwall.
The building is a 2,408 sq. ft. stone dwelling circa 1868 with: oil house, out-house, fog-bell tower and steel light tower. The 2.49 acre island, and light-house quarters is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This island, two and half acres in extent, is a granite rock, rising almost perpendicularly out of the lake, (Superior) with good water all around it.
This light serves the double purpose of marking a dangerous outlying rock, lying 12 miles to the northwest of the harbor of Marquette, and as a key to the approach to that harbor when coming from up the lake, and as it is outside of the general line of the trend of the coast, it is in foggy weather, in the absence of an efficient fog signal, a serious obstruction to navigation, and hence an estimate has been submitted for a fog signal for this light station The Lighthouse is now privately owned, operated, and completely restored.
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Please note that all trips are weather pending! The decision to cancel trips will be at the discretion of the Captain. If a trip is cancelled due to weather, you will have the option to reschedule or receive a refund.