Parking
Start in the South Manitou Island village by the ferry dock. Walk toward the visitor center and take the boardwalk beyond it toward the lighthouse.
Overview
About South Manitou Lighthouse Hike
Why go
- A very short walk to the island’s signature lighthouse
- The boardwalk opens onto a Lake Michigan view
Heads up
- A brief approach rather than a substantial hike
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Sleeping Bear Dunes map
Full mapElevation577–604 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active Sleeping Bear Dunes alert
- ClosureManitou Islands access closures during 2026 constructionNorth and South Manitou Islands have limited visitor access throughout the 2026 season: all facilities, docks, and utilities on both islands remain closed during major construction.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Sleeping Bear Dunes Tour Guide
Your drive to South Manitou Lighthouse Hike, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
- 73 audio storiesacross Sleeping Bear Dunes’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Piping Plover, Bald Eagle, White-tailed Deer, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 34 trails, 89 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking South Manitou Lighthouse Hike
A quick island walkSouth Manitou Lighthouse Hike is a 0.
South Manitou Lighthouse Hike is a 0.6-mile out-and-back from the island village to the lighthouse. It’s a very easy add-on after landing, more of a short approach than a workout. Allow about 30 minutes to walk there, look around the grounds, and return. The tower climb is a separate activity and adds 117 spiral steps.
From the villageStart by the dock and walk through the village toward the visitor center.
Start by the dock and walk through the village toward the visitor center. The boardwalk just beyond it crosses sand and brings the lighthouse and Lake Michigan into view. Follow the short village approach to the lighthouse grounds, then retrace your steps; the 0.6 miles includes the return. This is the lighthouse walk, not one of the island’s longer road or beach routes.
The lighthouseCommissioned in 1872, this was the third and final lighthouse built along Manitou Passage.
Commissioned in 1872, this was the third and final lighthouse built along Manitou Passage. From the grounds, look across the water toward Sleeping Bear Point on the mainland. The separate tower climb follows a 117-step spiral staircase for a higher view over the passage and island. Pets aren’t permitted anywhere on South Manitou Island.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Sleeping Bear Dunes
27 sightingsPiping PloverMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
70 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
56 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
68 sightingsSandhill CraneMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
58 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 8 PMSighting map
31 sightingsLoonMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Sleeping Bear Dunes. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
