Distinctly French, Seul Choix Point is located in Schoolcraft County on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan on the Upper Peninsula. A distinct hazard to maritime navigation, the point's leeward side also acted as safe harbor. The navigational season on Lake Michigan typically begins and ends with severe weather, and early French traders dubbed this point the only choice. A long and dangerous stretch of shoreline, the point extends out into Lake Michigan for three miles. Its surface shoals, a navigational nightmare, extend 300 feet from the shoreline. With a large increase in maritime traffic, a lighthouse was erected along this 100 mile dark stretch in 1895.
   Marking a safe harbor and lighting up the dark corridor between the Straits of Mackinac and the western shore, Seul Choix (Sel-shwa) Point was the logical choice for a lighthouse. Completed in September, 1895, the conical shaped brick tower rose 78 feet above the lake. Its cast iron lantern room housed a third order Fresnel lens. Its fixed red beam, visible for thirteen miles, varied with a red flash every 15 seconds. When heavy fog blanketed the area the lighthouse used a steam powered fog signal. A two story red brick keeper’s quarters was placed beside the tower, large enough to accommodate two families.
   Today all of the original light station buildings remain, housing a seasonal gift shop and museum. Operated by the Gulliver Historical Society and Michigan's Department of Natural Resources, the light station grounds offer a picnic site, barbecue grill and restrooms. Tours of the light-keeper's quarters and lighthouse are offered throughout the week from Memorial Day until mid-October.

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