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Tour the DeTour Reef Light, located at the mouth of the St. Mary's River in Lake Huron.
Tours leave from the DeTour Harbor Marina, DeTour Village
in the far eastern Upper Peninsula of Michigan
Tours on Saturday or Sunday during June, July, and August.
Lighthouse Keeper Program

 Detour Reef Light

DeTour Reef Light is located a mile offshore in northern Lake Huron at the far eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula between DeTour Village and Drummond Island, at the mouth of the St. Mary's River. The light is on a 60' x 60' crib in 24' of water. All freighter traffic between Lake Superior and the lower Great Lakes must pass DeTour Reef Light. The DeTour Reef Light is an active aid to navigation.

The Lighthouse was constructed in 1931 using the 1861 original tower, spiral stairs, watch room and lantern from the on-shore DeTour Point Light, which it replaced. Major restoration of the light was completed in 2004. DeTour Reef Light was added to the National Register of Historic Places in March of 2005 and received the Michigan Governor's 2005 Award for Historic Preservation.

Resident weekend lighthouse keepers program offered during the summer. Contact us if you would like to spend a weekend on the DeTour Reef Lighthouse. The lighthouse has been restored and offeres a bedroom with a double bed & 2 bunks, and a kitchen. Keepers take care of cleaning and maintaining the light house, help with the guided tours, keep a log, and prepare their own meals.

Visitors to the area might also like to visit the Maritime Museums in DeTour Village and on Drummond Island.

The DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society Lighthouse Tours

Tours to DeTour Reef Light include boat transportation to and from the DeTour Harbor Marina, light refreshments on the lighthouse and a guided tour. Each tour is limited to six individuals, assuring personal attention by the tour guides. The tours are approximately two hours long and are limited to 5-6 people per trip.  Visitors will have the opportunity to tour all spaces of the lighthouse. The tours are led by trained DRLPS tour guides and the resident DeTour Reef Lighthouse Keepers. 

Tours will depart from Drumond Island.  Visitors must be physically capable of climbing and descending the 20-foot ladder to reach the lighthouse deck. During ascent and descent of the ladder, each person will wear a safety harness, which requires visitors to be at least 50 inches tall and weigh less than 300 pounds. Click Here for a tour schedule.

Additional information is available at the DRLPS web site: drlps.com.
  E-mail DRLPS at tours@drlps.com or call 906-493-6609 . 

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Cruise the Historic St. Mary's River on Fathers Day.

DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society's (DRLPS) annual entertaining and educational cruise up the St. Mary's River is scheduled for Fathers Day, departing for the day trip from DeTour Village in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula and returning by bus from Sault Ste. Marie, MI.

Experience this popular lighthouse benefit cruise that will take you to the offshore DeTour Reef Light, up the historic St. Mary's River that connects Lake Huron to Lake Superior, and through the famous Soo Locks on board a 65-foot double-decker boat. Enjoy the narration of the rich history of the area and take photos of the beautiful scenery, lighthouses, old coal docks, freighters passing by, and the largest waterway traffic system in the world at the Soo Locks.

Boat boarding begins at 9:40 a.m. at the DeTour Village Ferry Dock and returns via chartered bus from Sault Ste Marie at 6:00 p.m. Ticket cost includes a morning light buffet, a fabulous lunch, snacks, tour narration, cash bar, and prizes. A portion of your ticket is tax-deductible as allowed by law. All profits go to the preservation of the DeTour Reef Light which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

For River Cruise tickets, please contact DeTour Reef Light Preservation Sociey: Phone: 906-493-6609
E-mail: rivercruise@drlps.com

 

 

DRLPS was established in 1998 as a nonprofit tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization to restore and preserve the DeTour Reef Light as a magnificent monument to Michigan's maritime history. Located a mile offshore in northern Lake Huron at the far eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula, the lighthouse was restored by the DRLPS, and guided tours of this historic structure are available.

 

DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society
PO Box 307, Drummond Island MI 49726
Phone: 906-493-6609
E-mail: drlps@drlps.com
web site: www.drlps.com.

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