Point Betsie is an important light for mariners because it marks the spot where ships begin the turn towards the Manitou Passage. It wasn't fully automated until 1983, making it the last manned lighthouse on mainland Michigan. This lighthouse tower stands only 37 feet tall. This light continued to serve as a Coast Guard residence until the winter of 1996 when the boiler failed forcing the families to vacate due to lack of heat. In February 1996, the rotating mechanism for the Fresnel lens failed and the lens was removed and put on display at the Sleeping Bear Dunes Maritime Museum.

Photo by Dennis Cox © www.denniscox.com

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Map
by Expedia

Point Betsie Lighthouse
by the National Park Service's Maritime Heritage Program

GLLKA
The Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association

Point Betsie Lighthouse
Michigan Lighthouses

Point Betsie Lighthouse
Lighthouses: A Photographic Journey

Lighthouses of the Great Lakes
by the National Park Service's Maritime Heritage Program

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