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THE PARK:
Old Mission Peninsula is an 18-mile
appendage that splits Lake Michigan's Traverse Bay neatly in
half. Presbyterian Minister Peter Dougherty arrived in 1838 to
establish the missionary for which the peninsula would be named.
As settlers arrived they discovered ideal growing conditions
on the narrow land moderated by the surrounding waters of Lake
Michigan. Getting the crops to market was not so easy as growing
them, however, thanks to a series of rocky shoals around the
tip of the peninsula.
Congress authorized funds for the building
of a lighthouse here in 1859 but the Civil War prevented construction
until 1870. A keeper was stationed here until the 1930s when
a navigational marker was built on the shoals in the lake. The
Mission Point Light remains the focal point of the park that
was created by the state of Michigan after World War II. The
lighthouse sits directly on the 45th parallel - halfway between
the equator and the North Pole.
WALKS:
The trail system stitches several
paths into a loop of a couple miles around the tip of the peninsula
that works through woodlands and along the shore of Lake Michigan.
This is easy hiking for your dog on mostly level terrain with
plenty of opportunity for your dog to visit the waters of the
lake.
Look for distinctive wood-burned trail markers as you go. This
is a passive recreation park with activities limited to hiking
and beachcombing. The lighthouse is not open to the public as
it is used as living quarters for township employees.
BONUS:
This time of year on Old Mission
Peninsula is cherry harvest time. Stop and pick your own or grab
a fresh quart at a roadside farm stand. If you prefer your cherry
trees for the blossoms come back in early spring and admire the
miles of orchards marching over the hillsides.
DIRECTIONS
TO LIGHTHOUSE PARK:
From Route 31 in Grand Traverse,
take Route 37 north to the end of the 18-mile penisula.
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