snowmobilers, click here for special trail information!
This is not really a trip, it is more like an adventure.
The trip is approximately 37 miles from Paradise, Michigan and takes about 1 hour and 10 minutes driving normally. The road goes through some of the best scenery in this part of the state and you will see some of the most undeveloped land in the Eastern States. At the lighthouse you are about 18 miles from a paved road, 23 miles from the nearest electricity, and 27 miles from the nearest gas station, restaurant, and grocery store. There are no conveniences at all past the Upper Tahquamenon Falls except for a telephone at Little Lake Harbor Dock. So make sure you have plenty of gas, maybe some snacks, something to drink, film for your camera (unless it's a digital!), and plenty of insect repellent as the mosquitoes and flies can get quite bothersome at times.
Well here goes. The trip starts at the center of Paradise. This is at the intersection in front of the Paradise Inn. From here go west on M-123. If you were to go north at this intersection for about 11 miles you would reach Whitefish Point, home of the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum (www.shipwreckmuseum.com), the Whitefish Point Light Station, and the Whitefish Point Bird Observatory. This is also a very worthwhile trip and it is all on a paved road.
If you have a tripometer I would suggest setting it to zero at the intersection as all of the mileages have been taken from this point. Click on the photo links to the right of each direction to see what the area looks like. (Photos were taken in July 1999 and 2007.)
00.0 Center of Paradise, Michigan, head west on M-123. | Photo 1 | | Photo 2 | | Photo 3 |
10.3 Pass entrance to Lower Tahquamenon Falls State Park, continue on M-123. | Photo 4 |
13.8 Pass entrance to Upper Tahquamenon Falls State Park, continue on M-123. | Photo 5 |
18.5 Turn right onto Luce County Road 500. This is a gravel road. | Photo 6A | | Photo 6B |
24.7 Luce County Road 414 goes off to the left - stay on County Road 500. | Photo 7A | |Photo 7B | | Photo 7C |
25.0 County Road 506 branches off to the right - stay on County Road 500. | Photo 9 |
25.8 You will come to a sign with an arrow pointing both ways - go right, staying on County Road 500. | Photo 10 |
29.1 You will see Culhane Lake on your right. | Photo 11 | | Photo 12 |
29.2 Fork in the road - take the left fork and stay on County Road 500. The other (County Road 437) goes to Bodi Lake. | Photo 13 |
29.9 County Road 503 comes into road from the right. Go straight and stay on County Road 500.
30.0 Road forks - take the right fork. | Photo 14 |
30.2 You will see Little Lake Harbor through the trees on your left.
30.4 County Road 412 forks off to the right - go right. (This is a small sand road.) This is a seasonal road and is not plowed in the winter. | Photo 15A | | Photo 15B |
33.9 You will come to a large clear cut area in the forest that is recovering quite well. There are a lot of small pines and ferns as far as you can see. | Photo 16 | | Photo 17 |
35.0 You will turn left onto a smaller road, which is still County Road 412. There is a County Road 412 sign on the right side of the road with an arrow pointing to the left. | Photo 18 | | Photo 19 |
36.9 You will come to the old parking area and you will be able to see Lake Superior. Follow the road and signs to the lighthouse.
37.2 Park in the parking lot and walk to the lighthouse via the boardwalk.
NOTE: Although some of the best sunsets in the world are available here, we do not recommend staying after dark as it is very easy to get lost on the winding roads and people and/or help are not readily available. If you have a cellular phone you may want to bring it along, although you may not be able to reach anyone. If you are interested in what the road conditions might be like going out to the lighthouse, contact Don Ross at (906) 492-3206 or at donross@jamadots.com. If Don knows when you will be out to see the lighthouse, he might be able to tell you what the road conditions will be like.
Crisp Point Light Historical Society Webmaster: Cameron Lovett
