The Peninsula Point Lighthouse
The Peninsula Point Light Station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.
Constructed in 1865 with Cream City Brick from the Milwaukee area, this tower is all that remains of the Peninsula Point Light Station. The site once included numerous outbuildings and sidewalks: traces of these are still visible. After building a new lighthouse 6 miles to the south on the shallow reef that extends out from this point, the Coast Guard deactivated the light in 1936. The site became part of the Hiawatha National Forest in 1937, and the picnic area was developed with the help of the C.C.C. (Civilian Conservation Corps) workers. The keeper’s dwelling attached to the tower burned in 1959 and was later demolished.
If you look into the tall grassy area, you can find the remains of an old brick grill. There are picnic tables and grills available at this park for your pleasure, and the beach nearby has many fossils that you can look for.
Peninsula Point Beach
The beach can be accessed from both sides of the peninsula, and rockhounders can find fossils on both sides. The trail runs along one side of the peninsula. The side that is along the road has beautiful sunsets, as shown below. You can view beautiful sunrises along the other side.
Peninsula Beach Rockhounding
Among the fossils you can find, brachiopods are the most numerous, and if you keep searching, you can find other fossils like the horned corals featured below.
Hiking Trail Signs
Along the trail, you can see the signs telling you that no motorized vehicles or horses are allowed. There is a parking area available near the trailhead. If you start the trail near the lighthouse you are warned about poison ivy that is in the area.
Trees Along the Trail
There are many interesting tree formations in the area. One tree looks like it was clawed by a giant bear.
The Hiking Trail
You can view more trail information by following the Peninsula Point Hiking Trail on the trails on this website.
Along this trail, you can view the sunrise on one side and the sunset along the road on the other side. The trail is easy to hike, and we found a few interesting things along the way. There were also wild edibles to be found along this trail. The time that we hiked it, we came across some deer, a porcupine, and a horned turtle.
Visiting this place is well worth it. You can have a picnic, explore the lighthouse, and hike the less-than-2-mile trail to take in the sights. See if you can find the old abandoned grill that I found. I visited the place quite a few times before spotting it.
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