Beacon of the Shipwreck CoastLocated within Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, this picturesque lighthouse stands on Au Sable Point on the south shore of Lake Superior, approximately 12 miles west of Grand Marais, Michigan. Visiting the Au Sable Light StationTo visit the Au Sable Light Station, travel to the Hurricane River Campground located 12 miles west of Grand Marais on Alger County Road H-58. Park in the day-use parking area near the bridge. It is a 1.5 mile walk (one way) to the lighthouse. From the parking lot, walk east through the campground from the picnic area near the Hurricane River mouth. The trail continues past the campground on the historic U.S. Coast Guard access road to the light station. Be alert for occasional staff vehicle traffic. On the beach below the trail, exposed shipwreck remains dot the shoreline. Watch for the signs and steps to the beach along the access road. Pets are permitted on the access road to the light station and on the station grounds. Bicycles are not permitted on this road. Summer Lighthouse ToursAu Sable Lighthouse tours are scheduled 7 days a week from mid-June through the end of September. Tours begin at 11 am and run through 3:30 pm (11:00, 12:00, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30). Meet at the lighthouse. Transcript
[Music] [The photograph displays a red brick house with attached white light tower on a small cliff above the water. The title: A View From the Top – Au Sable Light Station is displayed in front of the photo. Above the photo the words Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore are displayed, along with the National Park Service arrowhead symbol.]
[Photograph of tall white light tower over green trees] Welcome to the Au Sable Light Station located in the eastern portion of the park at Au Sable Point. This tower and house were first built in 1874 as a result of a combination of dangerous elements to the mariners and ships that sailed Lake Superior. [large dark storm clouds looming over shoreline and water] These elements included strong storms, [white capped waves break along shoreline] that could produce large waves, [white fog tendrils appear over clear calm water] thick dense fog [underwater rock ledges seen through clear water], and an underwater sandstone reef. [photograph and video of white light tower beginning at the base and then panning to the glass enclosure at the top.] We are going to climb the tower so that you can enjoy the view of Lake Superior, the surrounding shorelines and the Grand Sable Dunes. To to enter the light tower you first pass through this heavy metal fire door. The door was always kept closed except if someone was passing through it. About 90 steps will take us up this ornate circular wrought iron staircase to the watch room. The watch room has three windows looking north over lake superior, east over the shoreline and the Grand Sable Dunes and south over the forest. [Music] [photograph a brilliant blue lake with sand dunes in the distance through an ornate white window frame.] The keepers could use this room when not servicing the lamp which is located one more level up through this hatch. [photograph of white oval hatch and metal ceiling with black wrought iron circular staircase leading to it.] [Music] As we climb 10 more steps up the circular staircase from the watch room into the lower lantern Room. we see the green pedestal that the third order Fresnel lens rests upon. Also at this level are five ventilators located in the wall which are used to adjust the airflow in the lower lantern room. [Photograph of brown circular small vent inset and wood paneled wall. Photograph of brass plate mounted on a green pedestal with the name of the French company who built the lens: L.Sautter & Company constructeurs A Paris.] Fresnel lenses were one-of-a-kind items and were only manufactured in Paris, France. [Music] [various photographs and video of tall circular lens constructed of rings of prisms stacked on top of each other.] A third order lens could magnify the light through a series of prisms so they could be seen up to 17 miles away. Each prism was set at a slightly different angle so that through the process of reflection and refraction it could capture the light and redirect it. Fresnel lenses came in many different sizes known as orders. This third order lens weighs approximately two thousand pounds, while the largest, a first order lens could weigh as much as thirteen thousand pounds. From the lower lantern room we can also access the outside catwalk through another metal door. From the catwalk we can work our way around the outside of the top of the lighthouse enjoying views of Lake Superior, the surrounding forested countryside and towards the east, the Grand Sable dunes which rise about 300 feet above Lake Superior. [Music] [photograph of sunset over large lake taken from the top of a lighthouse, with a red roof and green trees in the foreground.] Although the Fresnel lens is no longer used, this has been a continuously functioning lighthouse. And today [photograph of red brick house and attached white light tower with colorful sunset, clouds in the background] [Music] [photograph of led style light on black railing with sunset over large lake in the distance.] this small led light continues to serve as a warning to the mariners of Lake Superior. [Music] [photograph of tall white light tower in red brick house against blue sky with the words for more information, visit nps.gov/piro displayed in front of the photo] [image of National Park Service arrowhead symbol in front of black screen]
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Take a tour of the Au Sable Lighthouse. Climb the tower, take in the views, and learn about why it was built. Transcript
Today, as visitors look at this ornate, red brick building with Lake Superior in the background, it’s sometimes hard to imagine it blasting sounds that could be heard many miles away with steam shooting from the whistles over 40 feet into the air. Although lighthouses create images of majestic towers protecting mariners from the dangers of cruel and threatening seas, just as important was a different type of protection, that of a loud audio sound. Lighthouses, as impressive as they look, only work on clear nights. In the case of thick fog or low clouds, a different type of warning system was needed. For the Au Sable Light Station, prior to 1897, a hand cranked devise was used to alert mariners of the dangerous sandstone reef extending underwater from Au Sable Point. It was both labor intensive and not very loud. Fog is an ever-present risk at this location and can build within minutes, greatly limiting visibility for ships. This all changed when the U.S. Lighthouse Service appropriated five thousand, five hundred dollars for the construction of a steam-powered fog signal building in 1897. Large locomotive steam whistles anchored on the roof, as seen in this historic picture, were loud enough to be heard up to 25 miles away on a calm day. The U.S. Lighthouse Service assigned a unique sound pattern or signature to the fog signal requiring a three second blast every 17 seconds, as you’ve been hearing in the background of this video. During an average shipping season, generally from mid-April to mid-December, the boilers would consume 15 to 20 tons of coal to operate this system. One problem with steam whistles however, was the amount of time it took to produce enough steam pressure from a cold start. Often the process of starting a boiler fire and waiting patiently for the steam pressure to rise to a sufficient level could take as long as 45 minutes. This problem was evident on the morning of April 9th, 1902, as fog quickly began to build. The keeper had gone out to light the boiler and wait for the steam pressure to build at 6 am. At 6:15 am the steamer Crescent City, towing a whale-back style barge, was lost in the fog and ran aground on the reef. Unfortunately for the Crescent City, the boiler had not yet produced enough steam pressure to sound the whistles. As fog backs can form quickly, 45 minutes was a very long time indeed. Eventually the steam whistles were replaced with newer systems that used compressed air, greatly decreasing the response time. The compressed air was provided by a diesel engine driving a special air compressor and the air was stored in a large tank for instant use. Today while visiting the building, you can still see this large white tank suspended from the ceiling. The green tank located on the floor was for diesel fuel. The U.S. Coast Guard finally decide to decommission the Au Sable Light Station in 1957. As large ships no longer sailed close to the coast, the need to warn mariners of the dangerous reef and surrounds declined bringing an end to the Au Sable Light Station’s fog signal era.
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Explore the fog signal building at Au Sable Light Station. A Bit of HistoryWhat's in a Name?The Au Sable Light Station was originally called the Big Sable Light Station. The name was changed in May 1910 to conform to its geographic location on Lake Superior. The term Au Sable is French for “with sand”, presumably named by early European explorers. At least as early as 1622, when Pierre Esprit Radisson called it “most dangerous when there is any storms,” Au Sable Point was recognized as a hazard to Lake Superior mariners. When lake traffic began to boom in the middle of the nineteenth century with the opening of the Soo Canal (1855), the reef at Au Sable Point was particularly dangerous. Unless warned off, vessels could become victim to this reef of Jacobsville Sandstone which, in some places, lies only a few feet below the surface. The Life of a KeeperIt was a lonely life for the men and their families assigned to tend the light. The nearest village, Grand Marais, was 12 miles to the east, connected by a narrow path at the base of the dunes that was impassable during rough weather. Supplies and station personnel normally came by boat, landing at a small pier at the base of the foghorn building. In winter, snowshoes, sleds, and dog teams were frequently used.
Over the years, numerous additions and improvements were made to the station. A brick oil house was added in 1895, the steam-powered fog whistle two years later, improved boat ways in 1901, a new seawall in 1906, a new residence for the keeper in 1909 and a new diaphone fog signal in 1928. In 1905, a rough road connecting the station to the Log slide was built, allowing eventual access to the public highway. Life at the station gradually changed as the 20th Century progressed. In 1943, a good road was built to the station from the west, making it accessible by cars or trucks. The quarters were modernized and in 1945, the U.S. Coast Guard took over, replacing the civilian keepers. In 1958 the Coast Guard converted the light station to an automatic, unattended light, and discontinued the fog signal. The third order lens was removed from the lantern in 1972 and replaced by a much smaller 300mm acrylic lens. The original lens was transferred to the National Park Service, and it is once again at the Au Sable Light Station. In January 1968, the Au Sable Light Station was transferred to the National Park Service. The Coast Guard continues to maintain the beacon and solar panel which charges the storage battery. Restoring Au Sable Light Station
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Last updated: September 27, 2024