01
Climb Tawas Point Lighthouse
A barber-pole brick tower on a sand spit that grows every year. The lens room view takes in the whole bay.
Mile 40 · Iosco County, Michigan
Lat 44.27° N · Lon 83.51° W
Tawas & East Tawas.
Twin towns curled around a soft sand bay. Tawas Point Lighthouse, the best swimming on the coast, and an ice‑cream shop that closes when the lake freezes.
Mile
40
US-23 N
Quick facts
Best month
July
Lake at 71° · long days
Beaches
5 mi sand
Tawas Point + city beach
Drive
2 hr 15 min
Detroit via I-75 / US-23
Lighthouses
1 · Tawas Pt
1876 brick
Things to do · 5 picks
What to do in Tawas.
Curated by Sunrise Coast Council editors. Half a day to a week, family-friendly to wilderness-grade.
02
Beach day at Tawas Point State Park
A two-mile spit of sand with shallow, bath-warm water. Best swimming on the coast, hands down.
03
Bike the Tawas Bay loop
A waterfront path that loops around the bay, past the harbor, the marina, and out to the lighthouse.
04
East Tawas pier walk at sunrise
A 500-ft pier into the bay. The light hits it first. The water is at its calmest at 6 AM.
05
Lumber heritage walking tour
A dozen plaques through historic East Tawas, telling the story of the white pine boom that built the town in the 1880s.
A 145-year-old light
Where the light arrives first.
Tawas Point juts a mile and a half into Lake Huron, and it grows every year — about three feet on average — as the south-running current piles sand on its tip. When the lighthouse went up in 1876 it was right at the water. Today, the keeper's quarters look out on a quarter-mile of beach grass before the lake even starts.
Climb the 85 steps to the lantern room. The 4th-order Fresnel is still there. So is the original brass railing. The view east is unbroken to the horizon, which sits at 12 miles and feels like 50.
67 ft
Tower height
1876
Built
3 ft/yr
Spit growth
Tawas · a 145-year-old light
"The bay shallows up so gradually you can walk out a quarter mile and still touch sand."— Lake Huron Pilot Guide, 1962
Where on the coast.
Where to stay · 3 picks
All Tawas lodging →
Cottages, inns, campgrounds.
Cottage
Tawas Bay Beach Cottages
Six pastel cottages on the sand. Kayaks, fire pit, the bay 20 feet away.
from $165 / night
Inn
East Tawas Junction Inn
An 1888 hotel restored to its original tin-ceiling glory. Walk to everything.
from $142 / night
Camp
Tawas Point State Park Campground
210 sites with full hookups, half of them facing Lake Huron.
from $28 / night
Questions · 4 answers
Common questions about Tawas.
Quick answers to what travelers ask most before driving up.
Q.01
Where is Tawas City, Michigan?
Tawas City sits at Mile 40 on US-23 in Iosco County, on the southern shore of Tawas Bay roughly two and a quarter hours north of Detroit. East Tawas, the connected twin town, lies one mile east along the bay.
Q.02
Is Tawas Point State Park worth visiting?
Yes — Tawas Point State Park is widely considered the best swimming beach on Michigan's Sunrise Coast. The two-mile sand spit creates shallow, warm water that reaches the low 70s in July, and the 1876 Tawas Point Lighthouse anchors the tip.
Q.03
Can you climb the Tawas Point Lighthouse?
Yes. The lighthouse is open for tower climbs from May through October. Admission is about $8, and the climb is 85 steps to the lantern room with the original 4th-order Fresnel lens still in place.
Q.04
What's the best time of year to visit Tawas?
July offers the warmest Lake Huron swimming temperatures (around 71°F) and the longest daylight. June and August are also strong. Spring brings warbler migration to Tawas Point; September delivers fall color with thinner crowds.