WayfarrowPoint Betsie Light
Lighthouse · Benzie County, Michigan
Point Betsie Light is a lighthouse in Benzie County, Michigan. Michigan has 124 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 2 of them in Benzie County.
It was built in 1858, in the Civil War era, making it the 7th oldest of the 89 in Michigan with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 37 feet tall (53rd tallest of 63 measured in Michigan); its light sits 52 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl W 10s (a white flash every 10 seconds), with a range of about 16 nautical miles; it guards Lake Michigan; the structure is built of brick.
Status check, 2026-11: Work started in 1854 and the brick tower was finished in 1858. Most sources give 37 ft, but some say 39 ft. It was the last crewed lighthouse on Lake Michigan. Point Betsie Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 44.6912° N, 86.2553° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1858 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 37 ft |
| Focal height | 52 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl W 10s |
| Range | 16 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Lake Michigan |
| Material | brick |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 44.69122, -86.25531 |
Nearby places
- Oberlinghost town · Benzie County · 1.7 mi
- Frankfort Lightlighthouse · Benzie County · 4.2 mi
- Aralghost town · Benzie County · 10.1 mi
- Averytownghost town · Benzie County · 10.7 mi
- Manning Memorial Lightlighthouse · Leelanau County · 12.6 mi
- Jacktownghost town · Benzie County · 14.5 mi
- South Manitou Island Lighthouselighthouse · Leelanau County · 23.2 mi
- North Manitou Shoal Light Stationlighthouse · Leelanau County · 27 mi
- North Manitou Island Lightlighthouse · Leelanau County · 29.4 mi
- Manistee Pierhead lightslighthouse · Manistee County · 30.7 mi
- Crescent, Michiganghost town · Leelanau County · 31.1 mi
- Mission Point Lightlighthouse · Grand Traverse County · 43.3 mi
Questions
Where is Point Betsie Light?
Point Betsie Light is in Benzie County, Michigan, at 44.6912, -86.2553.
How many lighthouses are in Benzie County?
Benzie County, Michigan has 2 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
- Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)
Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.