Apr 08 2008
Manitowoc (WI) Breakwater Light Walk
During last week’s trip to Wisconsin, I took an hour away from family for a walk to the Manitowoc Breakwater Light. Parking for this walk is found along Maritime Drive on Manitowoc’s north-side shore. A marina is just to the south.
The breakwater is a fairly typical piece of construction from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers. A walkway pushes east for several hundred feet towards a dredge spoils area. This is probably where the USACE places the muck pulled from the Manitowoc harbor.
A wetland area is found in the unfilled portion of this dredge area. There were many, many birds there during my visit. As I approached, I noticed a local birder. I asked if he had seen anything interesting. He mentioned that he had just seen a common loon swimming by. There were many, many kinds of gulls in the wetland area as well.
The breakwater structure then moves southward along the interior portion of the dredge disposal area. From this vantage point, great views of the City of Manitowoc can be obtained. Manitowoc is a city of roughly 30,000 people. It’s an old industrial city, but the factories and smokestacks seem in proportion with the other buildings in the area. It’s just a good, old, settled city. It is comfortable and the kind of place that I really like.
It was a quite a cold day as I walked. The winds off the lake were biting. However, just as I hiked the main causeway east towards the light, the sun began to shine brightly. This gave a bit of warmth and lit up the view of Manitowoc’s downtown.
The lighthouse itself is quite impressive. A staircase allows a walker to approach close to the light. From the base of the lighthouse, it is possible to walk completely around the structure. Views north towards Two Rivers, WI are possible here.
During the warmer months, this is also a prime location from which to view the approach of the S.S. Badger Carferry. It steams right into the harbor a few feet from the light. It is quite a dramatic view.
This walk is also a popular spur from the Mariner’s Trail that connects Manitowoc with Two Rivers. I have blogged about this trail previously. You can read that post here:
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/expatriate/?p=433
This was my route on Microsoft’s Virtual Earth. It is a 0.69 mile route each way. Round trip is almost a mile and a half: