Wawatam Lighthouse stands in Lighthouse Park along the Straits of Mackinac waterfront in St. Ignace, Michigan. This replica lighthouse was built in 2005 as a memorial to the historic maritime heritage of the Straits area, where the waters of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron converge at one of the Great Lakes’ most strategically important passages.

Though not a historic structure, the lighthouse serves as a functional navigational aid and a popular landmark for visitors arriving in St. Ignace, which serves as the northern gateway to Mackinac Island. The name honors the SS Chief Wawatam, a railroad car ferry that operated across the Straits for decades before the Mackinac Bridge opened in 1957.

The surrounding Lighthouse Park offers walking paths, picnic areas, and unobstructed views of the Mackinac Bridge, one of the world’s longest suspension bridges. The park provides an excellent vantage point for watching freighter traffic navigate the Straits and for photographing the bridge at sunrise or sunset.

St. Ignace serves as the departure point for Mackinac Island ferries and sits at the northern end of I-75. The town offers museums covering Native American history, fur trading, and Great Lakes maritime heritage. Summer months bring peak tourist season, with ferry departures running frequently. Fall color touring along the Lake Michigan and Lake Huron shorelines makes September and October particularly scenic times to visit the area.

Explore Nearby

• Father Marquette National Memorial — State Park in Michigan
• Mackinac Island State Park — State Park in Michigan
• Hiawatha National Forest — National Forest in Michigan