Detroit River Lighthouse

History

Ships heading up the Detroit River from Lake Erie must make a turn past Bar Point Shoal, and from 1875 a Canadian lightship marked the spot.^[2] The U.S. Lighthouse Board replaced it with a permanent station, completed in 1885 for $78,000 and first lit on August 20 of that year.^[2]

The foundation was built in Amherstburg, Ontario, towed out and sunk in 22 feet of water, then filled with concrete and wrapped in a granite pier. The pier is pointed at the upstream end, like a ship's bow, so that ice coming down the river splits around it.^[2,3] Construction did not go smoothly: the crib settled about 16 inches out of level, and the builders piled some 550 tons of stone on the high side over the winter, after which the pier had come level by spring.^[2] On top stands a cast-iron tower about 49 feet tall, lined with brick, with living quarters inside and a fog-signal building attached.^[2,3]

Coast Guard crews who served there called it 'The Rock', and during Prohibition the station is said to have been a meeting point for rum runners from the Canadian side.^[2] The light was automated in 1979.^[2] In December 1997 the 635-foot freighter Buffalo ran straight into the pier; the station's stonework suffered little, while the ship's bow was badly torn.^[2] The original fourth-order Fresnel lens is displayed at the Michigan Maritime Museum in South Haven.^[3]

The light station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.^[4] Offered free to preservation groups in 2015 with no takers, it was sold at a federal auction in 2017 and remains in private hands.^[3] The Coast Guard still runs the light: two white flashes every six seconds at a focal height of 55 feet, with a fog horn.^[1]

How to see it

View from a boat Offshore or on a closed breakwater; seen from the water.

Best public viewpoint

Only from a boat: the station stands about 1.75 nautical miles from land. Wikipedia suggests the south end of Grosse Ile, Michigan, as a launch point.^[3]

Tower climbs

No public tower climbs have been offered, as far as our sources show.

Operator

U.S. Coast Guard (light and fog signal)

Last verified

Last verified 2026-10

Access details last verified 2026-10. Hours, tours and ownership change. Check the operator before you go. Pier and breakwater lights can be dangerous in wind and waves; obey posted closures and never enter private or Coast Guard property.

Questions people ask

Can you visit the Detroit River Lighthouse?

No. The station is privately owned and closed, and it stands about 1.75 nautical miles from land, so it can be seen only from a boat.

Is the Detroit River Lighthouse in Michigan or Ontario?

Michigan. It is in Monroe County waters, a short distance from the Canadian border, at the mouth of the Detroit River.

Is the light still working?

Yes. The September 2026 USCG Light List shows Fl (2) W 6s at a focal height of 55 feet, with a fog horn.