The first Saint Joseph lighthouse was built in 1832, and was a simple stone tower topped by a lantern room. The next 75 years saw many changes to the rivermouth, including the construction of piers, several different lights (the lighthouse built in 1859 was two stories tall, and located on the bluff), and various fog bells. The current Saint Joseph River North Pier Inner and Outer Lights were built in 1907 to guide vessels to the harbor entrance. Since then, they have been an iconic landmark in Saint Joseph, and are a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. Ownership of the lights was transferred from the Coast Guard to the City of Saint Joseph in 2013. The pier in Saint Joseph is one of only 2 (the other being Grand Haven) on the great lakes to retain both the catwalk and range light.
It's a lovely walk to the end of the pier to see the lights up close. However, PLEASE heed all warning signs and DO NOT go out on the pier if the weather is bad. Waves crashing over these piers have claimed many lives. It only takes 6 inches of water to sweep somebody off their feet, and large waves can show up unexpectedly. Don't risk it if the waves are high!
To log this virtual cache, you must do one of the following:
Submit a photo of you or your party giving a thumbs up at the the coordinates (or as close as you can get if you're on the south pier), with the lighthouse in the background. Photographs from the beach are not adequate. If it is unsafe or you are physically unable to go out onto the pier, answer one of the questions below.
OR
Submit the answer to ONE of these questions to the cache owner via email or geocaching.com messaging system (do not include the answer in your log):
1. According to the sign at the north pier (trailhead 1 waypoint), how far away (in nautical miles) can the inner light be seen from?
2. On the ground near the empty sign frame there is a round metal benchmark disc. What is the station designation on this disc (it's a woman's name)?
Logs that contain answers to the questions or do not fulfill the requirements will be deleted.
If you enjoy logging benchmarks, there are 3 here! Benchmarks are structures or markers designated for use in geological surveys. You can log many benchmarks like regular geocaches, but unfortunately they don't count toward your total finds. And they are entirely optional for the purposes of this virtual cache.
South pierhead light (there is also a survey disk nearby): https://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=NG0741
Range (outer) light at the end of the north pier: https://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=NG0751
Lighthouse (inner light) on north pier: https://www.geocaching.com/mark/details.aspx?PID=NG0743
Virtual Rewards 2.0 - 2019/2020
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between June 4, 2019 and June 4, 2020. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 2.0 on the Geocaching Blog.