Michigan Lighthouse Guide and Map: Berrien County Lighthouses

We’ve covered 20 Michigan counties so far in our Michigan Lighthouse Guide series, and we still have 15 more to go as we try and help our readers visit all of Michigan’s lighthouses. Berrien County is Michigan’s most southwestern county, and it has more than 42 miles of shoreline on Lake Michigan. There are two lighthouses in Berrien County, and you can visit both of them at the same time. In recent years, they have also been open for tours in the summer months. Let’s learn more about Berrien County and its two lighthouses:

St. Joseph North Pier Inner Lighthouse – The lights here date back to the first decade of the 1900s. The inner light is 57 feet tall, with a 24 foot tall square tower capped with a pyramidal red roof. From there an octagonal tower rises another two stories, painted white and capped with a black lantern room. It is possible to walk out and visit both of these lights when weather conditions allow, and tours are offered from Memorial Day to Labor Day ($10 fee per person to climb the tower or take a guided tour). There are many similarities between these two lights and the one found on the pier in Michigan City, Indiana.

St. Joseph North Pier Outer Light – This 30 foot tall tower is a white steel conical design with a light taper, with a black capped lantern room and walkway. This is one of only four surviving catwalks at Michigan lighthouses (Grand Haven, South Haven, Manistee). The outer light is popular for winter photography, as frozen waves create some remarkable scenes.

There are two ways to see these lighthouses. Both can be viewed from Silver Beach County Park (daily parking fee) on the opposite pier, or Tiscornia Park (daily parking fee) which has access to the north pier.

Bonus: New Buffalo is also home to two replica lighthouses – one at the beach and one at the Michigan Welcome Center on I-94 (similar to the one in Clare and the Wawatam lighthouse in St. Ignace).