Tawas Point State Park sits on the sand spit that forms Tawas Bay along Lake Huron. The Michigan DNR puts the park at 183 acres and says it has been referred to as the "Cape Cod of the Midwest." 1

What to see

The DNR names a buoyed beach on Lake Huron, a picnic area, a nature trail and two miles of sandy shore along the lake and the bay. The park is a stopover for hundreds of migrating birds in spring and fall. 1

Tawas Point Lighthouse stands in the park. The DNR dates the tower to 1876 and calls it the sole Victorian-era style station built on the Great Lakes. Historical interpretation is run by the Michigan History Center. 1 The Coast Guard history page says a first light went up here in 1853, when the point was still called Ottawa Point, and that the present brick conical tower, white with red trim, was built in 1876. 2

The History Center says the Coast Guard turned off the light in the tower in 2016 and placed a modern light on a pole at the end of the point, because the spit had grown and the tower was again more than a mile from the tip. The original fourth-order Fresnel lens remains in the tower. 3 Seasonal tours and whether the tower is open for a climb belong on the History Center page. The DNR says the grounds, the oil house and the fog-signal area can be walked even when the tower is closed. 1

Best seasons

Spring and fall are the bird weeks the DNR names. 1 Summer is the beach and tour season. The paved path between the day-use area and the campground is not plowed in winter; the DNR calls it a place to ski. 1

How to get there

The DNR address is 686 Tawas Beach Road, East Tawas, Michigan, 48730. 1

Tips

  • Pets are limited to a marked stretch of Tawas Bay shore between the campground and the lighthouse. They are kept off the other beaches. 1
  • From the park you can reach the Alabaster Pathway and Tawas Bay Bike Path, part of the Iron Belle Trail. 1
  • We do not have a Tawas listing in the shop. The lighthouse gifts we do sell are Big Sable Point and Grand Haven.

Safety

Lake Huron currents and a working harbor mouth are the hazards here. This page does not report today's flags or whether the tower is open. Check the Tawas Point State Park page, the Michigan History Center lighthouse page and the DNR beach safety page before you go. 134