As ships coming down the St. Mary’s River from Lake Superior make the turn at De Tour and head west to the Straits of Mackinac there are many hazards to be aware of. The Martin Reef Light marks one of those hazards, a spot where the water is incredibly shallow. This beautiful lighthouse dates back to the 1920s and it is now being cared for by the Martin Reef Light Historical Preservation Society Inc. In past years we’ve been able to catch a distant glimpse of this light from the shoreline drive along M-134 but we recently got to see some up close views from a Shepler’s Les Cheneaux Lighthouse Cruise (photos appear courtesy of Russell Katje).

The Martin Reef Light was built in the 1920s to replace various beacons, bells, fog signals, and lightships that had stood at this site. The three story square steel tower rests on a concrete crib base, and is painted white. A lantern room rises out of the top and is painted red. You may notice some similarities to this structure and the Poe Reef Light near Cheboygan – that is because the latter, built a few years later, is a twin and was built by the same crew (though it is painted white and black). There is a lot of lighthouse history in this part of Lake Huron and it was great to finally see some up close pictures of the beautiful Martin Reef Light and learn more about it. The gloomy weather during this cruise seemed to highlight even more why these lighthouses were necessary.

The Shepler’s Les Cheneaux Lighthouse Cruise departs from Mackinaw City and takes guests past the islands then visits Martin Reef Light, De Tour Reef Light, Spectacle Reef Light, Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse, Round Island Lighthouse, and the Round Island Passage Light. You can view the original Fresnel lens from Martin Reef Light at the Point Iroquois Lighthouse when it is open for tours.