Michigan Lights - Port Austin Reef Light

Port Austin Reef Light in Lake Huron.
9/25/2019 dwm photo

The Port Austin Reef Light is 2 miles off shore, to the left of the state's "thumb" where it points into Lake Huron.

Prior to our visit, I searched various lighthouse websites to find a location where it was most visible.

We drove northeast out of Bay City on State Highway 25.  It is a gorgeous drive along marshes on the edge of Saginaw Bay, passing through areas where summer cottages line the road and shore.

The community of Port Austin marks the center of the "T" where highway 25 goes west to east and highway 53 creates the stem of the T.  After 30 minutes of searching for a better viewpoint, we doubled back to Port Austin and parked near the city's harbor of refuge.

The view from the end of the breakwater without
magnification.  9/25/2019 (dwm)

I crossed the parking lot in search of a route to the best view.  That spot was where the pier ended and the cement breakwaters created a mouth for the city harbor.

Before the trip I purchased a 400 millimeter lens, for just a situation like this, two miles from the light.  My previous lens never would have made these pictures

You can read about the Port Austin Reef Light here.  After taking half a dozen photos while anchoring my tripod, there was little else to do.  It wasn't much, but Port Austin was in the collection.

There are more lights to see... the Pointe Aux Barques was just 10 miles down Michigan Highway 25... you'll see it next Sunday.        See more lighthouses of Lakes Michigan and Lake Huron here.