What to do and see in Gladstone, United States: The Best Places and Tips

The 40 ft. lighthouse tower is an easy climb on a circular staircase to a beautiful view from the platform at the top. The spectacular panorama of lake Michigan is unparalleled. Be sure to bring you camera.The rocky shoreline yields fossils estimated at 400-500 million years old. In the fall, thousands of monarch butterflies converge on the area to rest before their migration across Green Bay.General InformationTo reach the Peninsula Point Lighthouse and Picnic Area from Rapid River, go east on US-2 to the Stonington exit. Follow County Road 513 and Forest Road 2204 for 19 miles to the parking lot. The last mile of road is not recommended for recreational vehicles or trailers over 16 feet long or 8 feet high. A parking area for RV's is available at the beginning of the narrow, winding final mile of road.HistoryCongress appropriated funds for the building of a lighthouse on the Stonington Peninsula on July 20, 1864. This marked the beginning of an era of lighthouse history that well over a hundred years later can still add fuel to the fires of imagination. The wooden sailing ships needed navigational help to keep their hulls from being torn open on the treacherous shoals of the channels leading to safety at the docks of Escanaba and Gladstone, Fayette and Nahma. There were busy ports transporting fish, lumber, iron ore and other products. The shipping industry was growing at a rapid rate.The U.S. Government recognized the need for a lighthouse on the peninsula to aid navigation around these dangerous shoals and reefs separating Big Bay de Noc, Little Bay de Noc, and Green Bay of Lake Michigan.The Michigan historical lighthouse at Peninsula Point was completed in 1865, and the lantern was lighted for the first time. The building consisted of a 40 ft. tall light tower with a beacon lit by an oil lamp and reflectors. Attached to the north side of the tower was a 1-1/2 story brick home for the and his family.The first lighthouse keeper was Mr. Charles Beggs, who died there in 1887. The second, Mr. Henry Corgan, and the third, Mr. Peter Knutsen. In 1889 Captain James D. Armstrong was appointed keeper and this was home to him and his family until 1922. At this time an automatic acetylene light replace the hand operated oil lamp ant it was no longer necessary to occupy the site. However, Captain Armstrong continued to be responsible for Peninsula Point until 1931.The light went out for the last time in 1936. In 1937, the USDA-Forest Service was granted custodianship, repairs were made to the buildings, and public picnic grounds were constructed by the Civilian conservation Corps.The Stonington Grange took over the maintenance of the structure and grounds and in 1949 won first prize in their State contest for their work at the Michigan historical lighthouse.The house portion burned to the ground in 1959. The debris was cleared and the damage to the north side of the tower repaired in 1962 by the USDA Forest Service.Picnic GroundsThe USDA Forest Service operates the grounds as a picnic area, with 10 tables and grills on the lawns surrounding the tower. Pit toilets are available, as well as drinking water.Information courtesy of the USDA Forest Service

Features: Biking, Hiking, and Cross Country SkiingPicture yourself gliding silently past a clearwater stream gurgling in and out of pockets of glistening ice, or entering a pristine forest of pines and larch trees to see elk standing in the distant shadows, or even stopping with your companions in snow-draped woods to enjoy a steaming cup of hot chocolate.All these scenarios and more can be enjoyed on a day trip to one of the public cross-country ski pathways found in Michigan's beautiful state forests.

A series of exciting changes to this scenic course in the Hiawatha National forest will make for enjoyable rounds. The course opened in 1940 and expanded to 18 holes in 1988. Recent improvements have made the hilly challenge much more player friendly. Large, undulating greens and tree-lined fairways on this magnificent 6,500-yard layout provide for a glorious time. Five holes caress the Days River. A delicious Friday night fish-fry is offered. A PGA professional is on staff, and a large, renovated practice facility is available.

This is an 18 hole golf course that has 3,000 to 3,500 yards and a par of 37.

The Sand Point Lighthouse was constructed in 1867 to direct ships around the Sand point and into the deep water channel of the Escanaba Harbor. This building, with a 4th order Fresnel lens, has been restored to its original appearance, with a turn of the century interior. The building and grounds are on the National Register of Historic Places.

The museum features displays about our cities local resources, industry, logging, railroads, and the county’s relationship to the lakes and land. There is an extensive clothing collection, as well as a 1905 motor launch. Open May-Sept.

The William Bonifas Fine Arts Center in downtown Escanaba claims the title “home to all the arts” for the Central Upper Peninsula region. Each year the Alice Uren Powers galleries in the Bonifas Arts Center host a series of local and regional art exhibitions along with traveling exhibits on loan from institutions like the Smithsonian or Detroit Institute of Arts. The center focuses most of its efforts on art created by artists of the area. An Upper Peninsula regional competitive exhibit each fall titled Northern Exposure showcases the best of the U.P.; a Bay Area Art Association show in the spring features work in all media; and special theme exhibits are featured in the summer, such as “Companions and Choices,” a quilt exhibit or “Re-Visioning Nostalgia: the Agrarian Roots of Contemporary Life.”

A historical trail takes the path of Chippewa Indians. French Missionaries once met with Native Americans nearby. A cemetery of early white settlers is on the trail. Located on the Escanaba River.