23 Peninsula Point 

wildlife viewing  |  directions and facility information

  

Photso: Anne Okonek, US Forest Service; middle photo: © Dave Case

Photo: © Dave Case

This site is at the very tip of a long peninsula that sticks out into Lake Michigan. A National Historic Lighthouse sits on the point, and its 40-foot tower makes an ideal vantage point for viewing wildlife and the spectacular scenery along the rocky limestone shoreline. A one-mile hiking trail through the wooded shoreline offers more “down to earth” wildlife viewing. The woodlands along the shoreline are a unique mixture of white cedar, white birch, and large cottonwood trees. During low water periods, up to a quarter of a mile of limestone beach is exposed and becomes vegetated with sedges, grasses, and wildflowers, enhancing habitat for migrating butterflies and other wildlife.

Wildlife Viewing

Photo: © Dave Case

The historic lighthouse on this site makes a great viewing platform. Take a camera and a pair of binoculars up the circular iron staircase to get a bird’s-eye view of ducks, geese, gulls, shorebirds, and songbirds. During fall and spring, this site serves as a natural “launch pad” and “landing strip” for migrating birds that need to rest and feed before or after their long, non-stop flight across Green Bay. Spring warbler viewing is particularly good. Many birders come to the Point to watch migrating eagles, hawks, and owls in spring and fall. Monarch butterflies migrate as well. Thousands of these globe-trotting insects congregate at the Point in the fall before continuing their migration to Mexico. A special Monarch butterfly research project is coordinated by the US Forest Service in cooperation with volunteers. The project monitors larvae and tags adults. (Four tagged Monarchs have been found in winter habitat in Mexico). Several-to-many great blue herons are usually seen along the shoreline from spring through fall. Heron chicks in a nearby nesting area, or “rookery,” need a constant food supply to survive and grow. The adults often stalk frogs and small fish in the waters off the Point.

Portions of this area are open to public hunting. Contact the Michigan Department of Natural Resources for affected seasons and locations.