Cheboygan’s Crib Lighthouse tells a story of service and survival. Built to mark the outer approach to the river, the little tower once stood apart from shore. Today, it belongs to the waterfront landscape: a preserved reminder of the harbor’s working past.
Quick Facts
| Location | Gordon Turner Park, Cheboygan, Michigan |
|---|---|
| Waterway | Lake Huron; mouth of the Cheboygan River |
| First lit | 1884 |
| Tower height | Approximately 25 feet |
| Construction | Octagonal cast-iron tower with lantern and gallery |
| Appearance | White tower with a red lantern roof |
| Relocated | 1984 |
| Status | Inactive historic lighthouse |
| Ownership | City of Cheboygan |
| Visitor access | Public exterior viewing; confirm any special interior access in advance |
History & Description
The light began service in 1884 on a timber crib beyond the pier. A crib was a built foundation in the water, supporting a beacon where a shore-based tower could not mark the channel as directly. Here, its purpose was to identify the outer end of the dredged approach into the Cheboygan River.
Keepers at the nearby Front Range station rowed out to tend it. A small shelter added in 1897 offered refuge in bad weather; automation followed in 1929. The nickname “The Dummy” recalls the light’s later operation without a keeper constantly present.
By the 1980s, the old foundation had deteriorated. Rather than lose the tower, Cheboygan secured its relocation in 1984 to the waterfront at Gordon Turner Park. The lighthouse survives as a historic structure, separate from the modern navigation light nearby.
The tower is an octagonal cast-iron structure, approximately 25 feet tall, with a lantern and surrounding gallery. Its white body and red roof distinguish it in daylight; in silhouette, the projecting gallery gives the compact tower a surprisingly strong presence.
Historical references: Discover St. Ignace · University of North Carolina Lighthouse Directory.
Visitor Information
- Find the lighthouse
- Head to Gordon Turner Park at the Lake Huron end of Huron Street, on the west side of the Cheboygan River mouth. Follow the waterfront toward the lighthouse. Open the lighthouse location →
- What to expect
- Plan an exterior visit to the historic tower and river entrance. Public access is to the grounds and breakwater; a tower climb is not part of a routine visit.
- Interior access
- For possible special access, ask the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association before visiting. Do not assume an interior tour will be available.
- Waterfront conditions
- Follow posted closures and stay off the breakwater when waves or ice make it unsafe. Shore views also show the lighthouse in its harbor setting.
- A different light nearby
- The Cheboygan River Front Range Lighthouse is a separate station upriver, with a white keeper’s house and square tower. Its history is closely connected to the Crib Light through the keepers who tended both.
Visitor information reviewed October 11, 2026. Check local access arrangements before your trip.
Photo Gallery
Photographs by Todd. Select a photograph to view it larger.
Explore the Straits and Lake Huron
Discover Cheboygan River Front Range Lighthouse →
Continue along Michigan’s lighthouse shores, from the Straits of Mackinac to the Lake Huron coast.
Find Cheboygan Crib in the Michigan directory →Explore the regional lighthouse map →