Grand Island Thumb Area Facilities

About

The Thumb is the distinctive eastern peninsula of Grand Island, a 13,500-acre National Recreation Area situated half a mile from Munising, Michigan in Lake Superior. The area's primary feature is the historic Grand Island East Channel Lighthouse, a wooden structure built between 1868-1870 by the Lighthouse Board to guide vessels through the eastern channel into Munising Harbor. The lighthouse was decommissioned by 1913 and remains on private property, inaccessible by land. Visitors can view the lighthouse from the water via Pictured Rocks cruises, Alger underwater preserve tours departing from Munising Harbor, or by private boat and kayak. Grand Island itself offers dramatic 300-foot sandstone cliffs, pristine beaches, inland lakes, and dense hardwood forests. Access to the island is by passenger ferry from Grand Island Landing on M-28 (approximately 2.5 miles west of Munising) or by private watercraft. While the Thumb Area Facilities itself is primarily a viewing destination with no developed camping infrastructure, the broader Grand Island NRA offers 19 individual backcountry campsites and two group sites with primitive facilities including vault toilets, fire rings, picnic tables, and bear lockers. Camping reservations are required via Recreation.gov from Memorial Day through Columbus Day.

Directions

Access Grand Island via passenger ferry or private watercraft. The ferry departs from Grand Island Landing on M-28, approximately 2.5 miles west of downtown Munising, Michigan. The Thumb is located on the southeastern shore of the island. The lighthouse cannot be reached by land as it sits on private property; it must be viewed from the water via boat tour or kayak.