During World War II, the U.S. military used an old lighthouse as a bombing target.
One fire gutted the whole interior, and the tower still stands in the lake today.
Old sailors gave it a goofy nickname: Wobbleshanks.
It also wears a rare bird cage lantern room, a style shared by only two other Great Lakes lights.
I love that this rusty survivor sits off a wild Michigan peninsula with no roads leading to its tip.
You reach the point on foot along a long, quiet shoreline.
The lighthouse stays out on the water, just beyond reach.
I can’t imagine a stranger mix of history, beach hiking, and fossil hunting in one spot. So how did a lighthouse end up as target practice?
The answer starts with a sandy finger of land pointing into the lake.
A Sandy Finger Of Land Points Straight At A Shipwreck Zone
Waugoshance Point, Bliss Township, MI, juts west into Lake Michigan like a pointing finger. It sits at the western edge of the Straits of Mackinac in Emmet County.
The point belongs to the shoreline area around Wilderness State Park. That means wide water views, low beaches, and plenty of open sky on clear days.
Beyond the tip lies Waugoshance Shoal, a stretch of shallow water. Those shallows caused trouble for ships for a very long time.
Sailors needed a warning out there, and that need shaped everything you see today. The lighthouse offshore is the reason most curious folks come looking.
The name Waugoshance comes from a Native American word meaning fox. I like that a place this sly and tricky for boats carries such a fitting name.
Google Maps lists the spot simply as Bliss Township, MI 49718. You won’t find a street address, because the point is all sand, trees, and shoreline.
Plan your trip around that remote feel. Bring a map, a full water bottle, and some patience for the walk ahead.
The payoff is a corner of Michigan that still feels pleasantly untamed.
Meet Wobbleshanks, The Lighthouse With A Silly Nickname
Old sailors had a sense of humor, and they called this tower Wobbleshanks. Its proper name is the Waugoshance Light, also known as Waugoshance Shoal Light.
It stands on Waugoshance Shoal, just northwest of Waugoshance Island. That puts it roughly 15 miles west of Mackinaw City, out in open water.
Construction started in 1847 and wrapped up in 1851. It’s considered arguably the first Great Lakes lighthouse built entirely surrounded by water.
The foundation also earned a spot in history. It was one of the first major crib structures built for a Great Lakes lighthouse.
The tower began as brick. In the 1880s, crews wrapped it in iron plates for extra protection against the lake.
Much of that metal has since fallen away. Today you can see the brick peeking through, like a sweater with holes in the elbows.
Historically, the tower wore four broad horizontal red and white stripes. That bold paint job helped it stand out against the water and sky.
Check out the top, too. The bird cage lantern room is a rare style, shared by only two other Great Lakes lights.
The Story Starts With A Floating Light In 1832
Before any tower rose here, a boat did the job. In 1832, the wooden lightship Lois McLain anchored at Waugoshance Shoal.
That vessel holds a big title. It was the first lightvessel on the Great Lakes, which makes this stretch of water a true pioneer.
A floating light worked, but it had limits. Boats rock, storms roll in, and winter ice makes life hard for anything parked on the lake.
So builders went bigger. The permanent lighthouse replaced the lightship once it was finished in 1851.
I believe this is the part most visitors never hear. People spot a rusty tower and assume it’s just old, without knowing it follows a Great Lakes first.
The shoal off Waugoshance Point clearly demanded attention. Its shallow, tricky waters earned the lighthouse another nickname, the nautical gravestone, for the wrecks nearby.
Think about that while you stand on the beach looking west. Generations of sailors watched for a light right where your eyes land.
A little history turns a pretty view into a much deeper one. Suddenly that distant speck feels like a character with a long résumé.
A Bigger, Brighter Neighbor Sent It Into Early Retirement
Lighthouses get replaced too, just like old phones. In 1910, the larger and more powerful White Shoal Light was completed nearby.
That newer light made Waugoshance obsolete. In 1912, the older tower was officially decommissioned and left dark.
The optic has since been removed. No beam has swept these waters from Wobbleshanks for more than a century.
Being retired sounds peaceful. For this lighthouse, though, the quiet years didn’t last very long.
An empty tower with nobody inside became tempting for a very different purpose. You’ll see what I mean in the next section.
Meanwhile, the area kept changing around it. Wilderness State Park eventually gave the nearby shoreline a protected, natural setting for hikers and explorers.
If you head out on a lighthouse boat tour, keep the two lights in mind. Seeing the old and new side by side tells the whole handoff story.
It’s a little bittersweet. One tower carries on as the newer guard, while the other slowly weathers in the lake.
Still, being first counts for something. Wobbleshanks paved the way across one of Michigan’s trickiest stretches of water.
Ghost Stories Add A Chill To The Breeze
Every good lighthouse needs a legend, and Wobbleshanks has one. Local lore says the tower is haunted by former keeper John Herman.
The story goes that Herman’s time at the light ended there in 1894. Since then, legends have kept his name tied to the place.
Of course, nobody can prove a ghost. Still, a remote ruin standing alone in the lake makes a pretty convincing stage.
Keepers lived a tough, isolated life out on the shoal. Water surrounded them on every side, and help sat far away.
Knowing that makes the tale feel more human than spooky. These were real people working hard to keep sailors safe.
The legend makes a fun campfire topic if you camp at nearby Wilderness State Park. Just maybe save it until after the little ones fall asleep.
Is the tower actually haunted? I’ll let you decide.
Either way, the story adds a layer you won’t get from a plaque. A lighthouse with a ghost is simply harder to forget than one without.
Your Feet Do The Work On This Wild Beach Trek
No car can drive you to the tip of the point. Most hikers start inside Wilderness State Park and make their way west along the shoreline.
It’s a real outing, so plan accordingly. Hikers have described round trips of eight miles or more, depending on where they begin.
Staying fairly close to the north shoreline can help. Wander too far, and some hikers report sinking into soft, mucky ground.
Pack bug spray for warmer months. Mosquitoes can be a nuisance in this damp, wild landscape.
Wear sturdy shoes you don’t mind getting wet. Bring snacks, water, and a phone with an offline map saved.
The reward is space, and lots of it. Waugoshance Point, Bliss Township, MI, feels far from the busier parts of the park.
Late summer may bring a treat. Monarch butterflies have been spotted passing through the area.
I love a hike that feels like a choose-your-own-adventure. This one fits the bill, as long as you respect the distance and the weather.
Keep Your Eyes Down For Ancient Treasures In The Stones
Lighthouse views aren’t the only prize out here. The beaches near the point have a reputation as a good spot for finding fossils.
Northern Michigan’s rocky shores often hold pieces of ancient sea life. A slow walk with your eyes on the stones can turn into a mini treasure hunt.
Bring a small bag for photos and notes rather than rocks. State park rules can limit what you take, so check before pocketing anything.
Kids especially love this kind of searching. It turns a long beach walk into a game with no rules about winning.
Wet stones show patterns best. Splash a rock with lake water, and hidden shapes can suddenly pop into view.
Patience matters more than speed here. The best finds usually reward the person who stops, kneels, and really looks.
I like that one beach can offer both ancient fossils and a 19th-century lighthouse. That’s a lot of history packed into one stretch of Michigan sand.
Just watch your footing on slippery rocks. Nobody wants a soggy sneaker ending to a great fossil day.
See It Soon, Because The Lake Is Winning
Time isn’t on Wobbleshanks’ side. Lighthouse Digest placed it on its Doomsday List, and it ranks among the most endangered lighthouses anywhere.
Record high water levels between 2019 and 2021 sped up the damage. Erosion keeps chewing at the structure, and many expect it to collapse into the lake.
A preservation society once took on the job of saving it. In January 2021, the group dissolved, citing heavy damage and huge restoration costs.
The lighthouse went back to the Coast Guard. It remains listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which it joined in 1983.
You can’t walk out to it, but you can still see it. Shepler’s Ferry runs seasonal westbound lighthouse tours from Mackinaw City that pass by.
Mackinac Seaplane Tours offers a bird’s-eye option too. From above, the shoal and the tower make quite a picture.
Pair a boat or plane view with a hike on the point. Together they tell the full story from land, water, and sky.
Don’t wait too long on this one. Michigan’s Wobbleshanks deserves a goodbye wave while it’s still standing.
