Rounded beach stones lead the eye toward Sturgeon Point’s white tower, where red trim and shutters stand out against the trees. Beyond the quiet shore lies the reason for the light: a long reef projecting into Lake Huron. The lighthouse and attached keeper’s house preserve the scale of a nineteenth-century shore station, with the lake close at hand.
Quick Facts
| Location | Sturgeon Point State Park · north of Harrisville, Alcona County |
|---|---|
| Waterway | Lake Huron |
| Built | 1869 · operational by spring 1870 |
| Tower height | 70 feet, 9 inches |
| Construction | White-painted masonry on a limestone foundation |
| Historic optic | 3.5-order Fresnel lens · retained in the tower |
| Stewardship | Michigan DNR · museum and programs by Alcona Historical Society |
| Access | Grounds year-round; museum and tower seasonally |
History & Description
Sturgeon Point’s low shore conceals a reef reaching roughly a mile and a half into Lake Huron. The Lighthouse Service began construction in 1869, and the station was operating by the following spring. Its beacon gave mariners a reference along a coast where underwater hazards could be difficult to judge from a vessel.
The tapered round tower rises beside an attached keeper’s house. White masonry, red shutters, and a red lantern roof give the station a clear identity; the weathered brickwork adds texture at close range. A 3.5-order Fresnel lens remains in the tower, although it no longer provides the working light.
A lifesaving station followed in 1876, adding a rescue service to the warning offered by the lighthouse. The light was electrified and automated in 1939. After the keepers’ era, the surviving buildings required extensive care; volunteers with the Alcona Historical Society began restoration in 1982.
Today the keeper’s house serves as a maritime museum. The state park setting allows the buildings to be seen together with the beach and wooded shoreline, keeping their original relationship to Lake Huron easy to read.
Visitor Information
- Getting there
- From U.S. 23 north of Harrisville, follow Lake Shore Drive to Point Road, then the signed entrance to the lighthouse parking area. A short walk leads to the station.
- Grounds and shoreline
- The park grounds are accessible year-round. Explore the lighthouse setting and Lake Huron beach, and watch your footing on loose rounded stones. Follow posted park directions.
- Museum and tower
- The Alcona Historical Society opens the museum seasonally and offers tower climbs when volunteers are available. Check its current hours, climb fees, and visitor requirements before traveling. Tower access is not guaranteed on every museum opening day.
- Photographing the station
- The beach offers a low view across rounded stones toward the tower. From the lawn, include the keeper’s house and red shutters; wider shoreline compositions show how closely the station sits beside Lake Huron.
History and visitor references: Alcona Historical Society and Michigan DNR’s Sturgeon Point State Park.
Photo Gallery
Views from the grounds, beach, and above the Lake Huron shore. Select any photograph to view it larger.
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