Want to explore one of northern Michigan’s coolest, most remote lighthouses? The North Manitou Light Keepers (NMLK) have announced the summer 2023 schedule of tours to the North Manitou Shoal Light, more popularly known as “the Crib.” The active lighthouse is one of the region’s most notable lights, located in Lake Michigan one mile offshore of North Manitou Island and eight miles offshore of Leland.

NMLK formed in 2016 and acquired the Crib in an auction, purchasing the light from the federal government after it was declared “excess property.” At the time, the new owners set a goal of restoring the Crib into both a functional, active lighthouse and an educational resource. The target was to start tours of the Crib by July 2021 – a goal that NMLK beat by two weeks. This year will mark the third summer where NMLK welcomes guests to come out and explore the light.

Summer 2023 tours will run on Saturdays throughout the late spring and early summer, starting on May 20 and running through July 29. Tours leave from Leland Harbor and are limited to 10 people. Additionally, groups of 8-11 people have the option to charter their own tours and select their own dates. More information about tours can be found on the NMLK website.

Since 2016, the restoration work on the Crib has included a full cleaning and painting of the lighthouse, restoration of 22 windows and a lantern housing, and replacement of a roof deck “to save interior spaces from water intrusion.”

Per a press release announcing this summer’s tour dates, NMLK noted that it is now in the second phase of restoration, “which will focus on the interior spaces, which includes four guest rooms, a kitchen, and a great room facing the Manitou Passage. As previously reported by the Leelanau Ticker, one of NMLK’s goals is to one day offer guests the opportunity to enjoy overnight stays at the Crib.