Porch Notes
Grand Haven's Red Catwalk: A Lake Michigan Postcard
Outdoors
One of the most photographed scenes on all of Michigan’s coast is the two fire-engine-red lighthouses marching out into Lake Michigan along the pier at Grand Haven, linked by a long elevated catwalk.
A light has marked this spot — where the Grand River meets the lake — since 1839, though the bright red towers you see took their current form in the early 1900s. One is a classic cylindrical lighthouse; the other, the outer light, looks more like a little red house perched on a concrete base (it began as a foghorn station). The catwalk connecting them to shore is the signature image, and it wasn’t built for looks: it let keepers reach the lights when winter storms buried the pier under waves and ice. Most such catwalks were destroyed long ago; Grand Haven’s is one of the last, lovingly restored and lit up after dark.
A word of respect for the lake, though. The same waves that make this pier dramatic make it dangerous — in big storms, water washes clean over the outer light, and over the years the pier has claimed lives. It’s a place to admire from the beach when Lake Michigan is angry, and to enjoy from the pier only when she’s calm.
Where to see it
Grand Haven State Park and the Grand Haven Boardwalk, on the south pier where the Grand River enters Lake Michigan. It's a celebrated sunset and stroll spot; there's no interior access to the lights, but the view is the whole point.