Holland Harbor Light

"Big Red" has earned the title of the most photographed light in Michigan. Holland State Park beach is a popular beach, and for good reason. The location is great, there's a great campground attached, with lots of trees and shade, and a nice beach station with snacks, ice cream, etc. We've never camped at this campground, but for day trips to Lake Michigan, this is usually our first choice.

Big Red sits on a pier just across the channel from the popular beach. Access to the light itself is limited, but if you know your way around Holland and are up for a walk, you can walk out onto the pier the light sits on.

Construction began with a budget of only $6000 in 1870. That tower stood tall until 1902 when it was torn down. Four concrete piers were installed atop the pier to serve as a level foundation for the new structure. The steel tower was then lifted from a barge onto the pier and bolted securely to the concrete piers. Standing 45 feet tall, the lower level of the new tower was of open frame construction, with two rooms.

With the fading of the Great Lakes passenger fleet, Holland Harbor had ceased to serve any real commercial traffic. With the station now serving only as a beacon to guide pleasure boats in and out of Lake Macatawa, the Coast Guard announced plans to abandon the old fog signal building to eliminate ongoing maintenance costs in 1972. Over the years, "Big Red" had become as much of an iconic symbol of tourist-centered Holland as tulips and windmills, and fearing the loss of their beloved landmark, the citizenry of Holland gathered together and circulated petitions in an attempt to save the historic structure. To this end, the Holland Harbor Lighthouse Commission was formed in 1974 to coordinate preservation and restoration efforts, and continues to manage the structure to this day.