The bright red Grand Haven Lighthouse has "cooled off" in this evening view on Lake Michigan, but still attracts plenty of lighthouse fans on the pier. One of two beacons affixed to the Grand Haven Pier (used as range lights at one time), the entrance to this natural harbor has seen a series of improvements since 1838.
   While the English added eastern coastal colonies during the 17th century, French fur traders worked deep into the North America continent and Great Lakes region. Here in a land called Gabagouache, a river carved out a natural harbor. The Grand River, Michigan's longest, made for easy access into the interior, a land rich with fur bearing animals. The Grand Haven Harbor was the site of one of the area's first trading posts, where exchanges between the French and Native Americans became commonplace.
   It would be another 150 years before American settlers moved into the area from the east. And not long afterward the first lighthouse was established. The Michigan harbor was easily recognized as a "grand haven" from the brutally rough seas of Lake Michigan, and needed a beacon during inclement weather. The current 51 foot steel clad tower was built in 1905, with the front light and fog signal building added in 1922. The Grand Haven State Park, found along South Harbor Drive, takes in the area around the lighthouse and pier. This glowing scene catches a group of sightseers as the sun sets on the pier and harbor.

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