Standing sentinel in Christmas, Michigan, the Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Light has guided mariners since 1868. Built to work in tandem with its front range counterpart, this skeletal iron tower helped ships safely navigate into Grand Island Harbor on Lake Superior’s southern shore. The light remains active today, maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard, though the tower is not open to the public and visitors cannot climb it.

Photographers will find the best light during golden hour in autumn, when the surrounding Hiawatha National Forest blazes with color. Nearby attractions include Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, Grand Island itself — accessible by ferry in summer — and the quirky Kewadin Casino. The Lake Superior shoreline offers excellent hiking year-round.

Explore Nearby

• Wagner Falls Scenic Site — State Park in Michigan
• Laughing Whitefish Falls State Park — State Park in Michigan
• Hiawatha National Forest — National Forest in Michigan
• Wisconsin Lake Superior Byway — Scenic Byway in Wisconsin
• Wisconsin State Trunk Highway System — Scenic Byway in Wisconsin