Petoskey Harbor Breakwater and Bayfront Lighthouse
While camping in Petoskey in the fall, we were greeted with unseasonably warm weather, and on the nicest day of our trip, we decided to explore the City of Petoskey. This led us to our walk out on the breakwater and out to the lighthouse that marks the Petoskey Harbor, where the Bear River enters the Little Traverse Bay. Folks like us have been visiting Petoskey since its founding in the late 1800s, and for decades, the easiest way for visitors to reach the beautiful town was via steamship. These steamships found it hard to dock in Petoskey due to the rough waves of the bay, causing the need for a breakwater, which was completed just before the turn of the century. The first light was placed at the end of the breakwater in 1899 and took a few different shapes until it was washed away in a bad storm in 1924. A skeletal tower replaced it sometime later, and that remained until it was encased by the steel cylindrical tower that we know today. There are a lot of these nondescript cylindrical towers on the Great Lakes, and although they are not significant architecturally, they hold nostalgia for many who spent their youth enjoying them, myself included. Today, the light is still owned and operated by the Coast Guard. The area just east of the breakwater is a large green space with views of the town and harbor. To the west is a rocky beach that is popular for rock hunting and swimming in the warmer months. My favorite parts about our adventures in the park were the views of the town from the breakwater and listening to the waves crash into the rocks that line the concrete walkway. If you are in Petoskey, a walk down the breakwater should definitely be on your list!
