point betsie lighthouse

Blessingsbythebeach

In addition to being an interesting "museum" Point Betsie is also the site of skilled kite surfers on windy days. The beach is heaven for beach stone collectors.

Voyager101Canada

While visiting the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore we discovered a lovely town named Frankfort. We discovered in a pamphlet about the Point Betsie Lighthouse, which is located a bit outside of town. We had to ask for directions and once these were given, it was quite easy to find the lighthouse.It was built in 1858, making it 100 year older than I am! It's lighthouse is 11 meters high and it has a vivid red roof and white bricks, making it quite lovely.We arrived at the lighthouse when the sun was starting to set. It was unreal! I took so many pictures of the sunset that it was hard to decide which ones to post on Tripadvisor. It was out of this world! We stayed there for over an hour, even though it was windy. My recommendation is to visit this lighthouse when the sun is setting. You will love it!

NadineBurns

It was interesting to see the Lighthouse in the winter and take in Mother Nature's ice sculptures. The lighthouse was closed for the season, but the shore area was open and we just walked about for a bit marveling at how the ice and sand had frozen into such interesting shapes.

TeamJensen

We went by here during the week in June. Knew ahead of time the actual lighthouse was closed. Very disappointing to see the whole grounds locked up and no trespassing signs everywhere. This is pretty lousy as I've been to dozens of lighthouses in Michigan and this is the only one like this that isn't on private property.

Mi.Flower-Child

I was at the Pt. Betsie Lighthouse in December, celebrating my birthday. It can be very cold this time of year, when the wind is blowing. But something draws me to this lighthouse in the winter, despite the weather conditions. The roar of the lake is loud, and it is a challenge to photograph the lighthouse, as it is necessary to remove your mittens or gloves, but I love this isolated spot. I have included a couple of pictures. The icy one is when we visited a couple of years ago. It was awesome being there at that time! I was hoping for snow this year, but didn't have that this time around. Hope to be back someday....as I love this lighthouse!!

djon925

We went off season but you could still walk around the lighthouse and take pictures, you just could not go into it.

EJ81

We missed the time for tours (last tour starts at 4:30 PM), but we walked around the grounds, and also took majority of the shots from the beach. Can't speak to the tour, but if you just want a great view you can skip the tour and check it out from the beach.

CandyM232

The day we stopped at Point Betsie, the lighthouse was closed. However, we were able to walk down to the beach and get photos of it from that angle. What a beautiful white building with a red roof! The Lake is so close by which provides a stunning view in itself. If you want to see the grounds and the interior, make sure you check the hours/days it is open.

40pamr

One of the most photographed lighthouses in the US, Point Betsie Lighthouse is must see when visiting Benzie County, MI. The view of Lake Michigan from the tower when the sky is clear is magnificent.

richardf600

We enjoy visiting lighthouses when they are in an area that we are traveling through. We were on our way to Sleeping Bear Dunes and decided to make a quick stop. The Point Betsie Lighthouse is located on Lake Michigan just south of the Sleeping Bear Dunes and just north of Frankfort, Michigan. Beautiful place to stop and it's a lovely lighthouse to see.

alig68

Beautiful lighthouse with a nice, new museum detailing the history of the facility. You are able to go up in the lighthouse and admire Lake Michigan from above.

Capn_Crunch_8

Picturesqe.. great place to watch sail/kite boarders on a windy day or stroll the beach. Small museum/gift store and tour of the lighthouse. Original Life-Saving Station next door (now a private residence)

AnneP198

The lighthouse is easy to find and has amazing views of the lake. Entire grounds are renovated. They have recently updated their facilities so they have very nice clean bathrooms, wheelchair accessibility for many areas, and a cute gift shop. The whole place is run by volunteers. You can do a self tour of the living quarters and learn about local dunes and species while you wait for your turn to go up to the lighthouse. It's a manageable, but extremely cramped stairway up to the top. At the top of the lighthouse a knowledgeable volunteer is able to answer questions, We had a family of four, 2 adults, 2 kids and we were fine, but I personally would feel claustrophobic with more than 4 adults by the lens at once. We had our baby in a backpack carrier and made it up with only a bit of wrangling. Beautiful to see out, and cool to see a working lighthouse in action.This is a great stop because you can spend as little as an hour and still feel like you got a sense of things. Stay longer if you want to explore in more depth, talk to volunteers, etc. Great visit for kids to show them something cool without a huge time/effort commitment. WORTH IT!

982burkes

This is a must when you are in the area. The view of Lake Michigan is incredible. Worth the time to take a peek.

Indianagogirl

We made a stop for a sunset after eating in Frankfort. The lighthouse was closed (which we knew it would be), but the beach was pretty and the sunset that evening lovely. Many others came to watch too, and it was a nice feeling of community sharing the experience with others.