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Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light
The Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal is a shipping canal connecting Sturgeon Bay on Green Bay with Lake Michigan, across the Door Peninsula, at the city of Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, United States.PutSturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light into our Sturgeon Bay tour itinerary builder app and find out what's close by, where to stay, and where to head next.
The canal is approximately seven miles in length, and consists of two parts: a dredged portion of Sturgeon Bay, and a 1.3-mile canal dug through the eastern side of the Door Peninsula. This shorter portion was dug by a private group headed by then-president of Chicago and North Western Railway, William B. Ogden, between July 8, 1872 and the late fall of 1881. Although smaller craft began using the canal in 1880, it was not open for large-scale watercraft until 1890.
The cost of making the 1.3 mile cut up to 1881 was $291,461.69.
In 1893, the Ogden private investors group sold all interest in the canal to the United States government. Since that time, the canal has been maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The original canal was 7,400ft long, 100ft wide, and 6ft deep. As of June 1997 the canal was 7mi long, 125ft wide, and 16+1/2to deep. A jetty extends into Lake Michigan 1,350ft and 800ft wide at the mouth.
Several famous lighthouses mark the course of the canal, including the Sturgeon Bay Canal Lighthouse at the eastern entrance on the northern side of the canal (approximately 230 feet from Lake Michigan) next to the Coast Guard Station Sturgeon Bay; the Sturgeon Bay Canal North Pierhead Light on the Lake Michigan coastline; and the Sherwood Point Lighthouse in Idlewild, on the far western end, on the southern shore of the outer edge of Sturgeon Bay.
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Sturgeon Bay Ship Canal North Pierhead Light reviews
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Don’t miss this gem! Was absolutely beautiful and so fun to be able to walk all the way out. Easily accessible and be sure to check out the beautiful secluded beach right next to it!
Don’t miss this gem! Was absolutely beautiful and so fun to be able to walk all the way out. Easily accessible and be sure to check out the beautiful secluded beach right next to it! more »
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We made a trip to here for a sunrise over Lake Michigan. We had to get up super early since it was middle of summer, but it was worth the effort. It was super quiet, but a beautiful sunrise. Be...
We made a trip to here for a sunrise over Lake Michigan. We had to get up super early since it was middle of summer, but it was worth the effort. It was super quiet, but a beautiful sunrise. Be... more »
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Very nice. We visited this lighthouse on new years eve. The kids enjoyed it. We flew in from Florida to visit.
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Beautiful spot. Limited public access, but you can walk right out to the end of the pier for great views.
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