Au Sable Light Station is the only lighthouse in Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It stands on Au Sable Point on the south shore of Lake Superior, about 12 miles west of Grand Marais. 23

What to see

The park dates the tower to 1873–1874. It is 86 feet tall, 16 feet across at the base, and anchored 23 feet into bedrock. A brick oil house and a fog signal building went up in the 1890s. The keepers' quarters, the tower and those outbuildings together are the light station. 23

A third-order Fresnel lens first sent a fixed white beam that the park says could be seen 17 miles out on the lake. Civilian keepers, then the U.S. Coast Guard, staffed the station for 84 years, until 1958. The light is automated now. A smaller solar-powered lamp sits on the catwalk railing. 23

You walk 1.5 miles one way from the day-use parking at Hurricane River Campground, east through the campground and then on the old Coast Guard access road. Shipwreck remains show on the beach below the trail. Pets are allowed on the road and the grounds, not in the buildings. Bicycles are not allowed on this road. 13

Guided climbs are offered in season. Whether a climb is running that day belongs on the park's Au Sable page. 1

Best seasons

The walk is a lakeshore trail. Summer flies on a south wind can be fierce; the park asks people to wear long pants and socks on those days. 13 Fall color along H-58 is part of the Pictured Rocks season. Winter access follows the lakeshore's plowed roads, not this page. 4

How to get there

The park says to drive to Hurricane River Campground, 12 miles west of Grand Marais on Alger County Road H-58, and park in the day-use area near the bridge. 13 The walk starts at the picnic area near the mouth of the Hurricane River. 1

The wider trip is on our Pictured Rocks page.

Tips

  • This is not Big Sable Point on Lake Michigan. That walk is in Ludington State Park.
  • Watch for staff vehicles on the access road. 1
  • We have Pictured Rocks ornaments and the Pictured Rocks mini guide in the shop. There is no separate Au Sable listing.

Safety

Lake Superior, the walk and biting flies are the hazards the park names. This page does not report today's fog, flies or whether climbs are on. Check the Au Sable visit page and the NPS current conditions page before you go. 14