White Shoal Light
The White Shoal Light is a lighthouse located 20 miles (32 km) west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan. It is an active aid to navigation. It is also the tallest lighthouse on the Great Lakes.
The lighthouse is unique:
1) The massive original lens was a 2nd Order Fresnel Lens manufactured by Barbier, Benard & Turenne of Paris. It had a "two-sided design known as a bi-valve configuration, with each side "featuring 7 refracting and 15 reflecting prisms." The lens floated on a bed of Mercury and was powered by a clockwork mechanism suspended in the tower. It had a range of up to 28 miles (45 km) and generated 1.2 million candle power. Similar lights were installed at Grosse Point Light (the only remaining 2nd Order Fresnel still in operation on the Great Lakes) and Rock of Ages Light. It was automated in 1976. The original lens is on display at the Whitefish Point Light Museum.
2) It is the sole "aluminum-topped" lighthouse on the Great Lakes; most of the other lanterns are cast iron.
3) The highly visible diagonal Daymark paint job, sometimes described as red and white 'candy cane stripe', is the only 'barber pole' lighthouse in the United States. However, black and white helical daymarks do appear on Cape Hatteras Light and St. Augustine Light.
4) Consequently, the State of Michigan has used it as an icon to generate revenue. The White Shoal Light is the prominent design element in the "Save Our Lights" license plate for the State of Michigan; the sale of which helps fund lighthouse preservation. Michigan is the only state that supports lighthouse preservation with a program that includes annual grants from the state to local preservation groups. Thus, there are many organizations and their volunteers working hard to save and restore lighthouses.
This cache is located just off one of the many trails located in Sleepy Hollow State Park and was placed for the 5th Annual Camp MiGO event. Most of the trails are well groomed and hard packed making a bike a great way to get to the caches in the area. Keep in mind during hunting season to be aware of hunters in the area. Hunting is allowed from September 15 until April 1st each year, so please be careful and dress appropriately when hunting is allowed.
A Recreation Passport is required for all vehicles entering Sleepy Hollow State Park. They are available for $19.00 at the park. Camping is available for the event at: www.midnrreservations.com. The park closes to visitors at 10PM.
This Geocache placed by a proud MiGO Lake Superior Member.