Vermilion Point Nature Preserve
If you like remote, Vermilion Point is about as remote as remote gets. The first use of the land by Americans was a life-saving station, which was originally built in 1876. The coastline between Grand Marais and Whitefish Point earned the title of the ‘Shipwreck Coast’ due to the number of ships taken by Lake Superior in the area, causing the Coast Guard to construct life-saving stations.
Of the four original life-saving stations built, the one at Vermilion Point is the only one that remains. Over the years, the land has changed hands a few times since the Coast Guard stopped operating the life-saving stations, landing in the hands of the Little Traverse Conservancy in 2007. The preserve features an extremely wide beach, low-winding sand dunes, a forest, a stream, and a bog. The Piping Plover, an endangered shorebird, calls the preserve home.
Almost two miles of Lake Superior frontage combined with the stunning landscape of the nature preserve makes Vermilion Point a perfect place for nature lovers, rock hunters, and those who just want to get away. I found my first agate ever on the shore of Lake Superior here. The road to the nature preserve is not for the faint-hearted. We made it in a mini-van, but the road was tough, and we had to stop short of the parking lot and walk the rest of the way. If you are able to make it, you will not be disappointed.
