Jul 31 2008
Charity Island - Saginaw Bay
One of the more obscure travel destinations in Lower Michigan is Charity Island in Saginaw Bay. The island is roughly 300 acres in size and sits in a very vulnerable location at the mouth of the bay. Like several Michigan destinations, the island is a maze of property ownership.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service owns about 80% of the island and manages the location from the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge. The island itself is contained within the Michigan Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
Although the island is mostly in public ownership, camping is not allowed. It appears that public visitation is not prohibited, although facilities are likely to be minimal on such a remote location.
The Nature Conservancy has been involved with some parcels on the island, most notably the Charity Island Lighthouse. I am not sure whether the conservancy is currently a landowner or simply served as a transfer organization to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
The island does have private ownership. The old lighthouse keeper’s quarters were demolished several years ago and a private residence now sits on the foundation. The owners run dinner cruises to the island. The cost is $79 per person, but it seems like a great adventure. The departure point is Au Gres, MI. The video above shows what a typical cruise is like.
http://www.charityisland.net/index.html
The island’s history is interesting. Here is an excerpt from charityisland.net:
Big Charity Island is also home to a very unique archaeological site. The limestone bedrock formation that outcrops along the Island’s northern shore has mineral deposits known as “chert ” embedded in it. Chert is a form of flint that was a very important material for making stone tools to the people who lived in this area long before there was contact with European explorers. Known as a quarrying site, Big Charity Island is heavily littered with the remains of the stone tool-making activity by generations of Native Americans from over 1500 years ago.
The lighthouse, itself, is being renovated by the Charity Island Preservation Committee. This group is associated with the Arenac County Historical Society.
During my recent visit to Michigan’s Thumb, I snapped several photographs of the distant island. These appear with this blog posting. Additional video of the island can be seen below: