Whitefish Point facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Whitefish Point |
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 Location in Michigan
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| Location | Whitefish Township, Michigan |
| Coordinates | 46°45′54″N 84°57′50″W / 46.76500°N 84.96389°W |
| Offshore water bodies | Lake Superior Whitefish Bay |
| Elevation | 602 feet (183 m) |
Whitefish Point is a special piece of land in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, United States. It sticks out into Lake Superior and marks the entrance to Whitefish Bay. This point is about 11 miles (18 km) north of a small town called Paradise, Michigan.
Whitefish Point is famous for many things. It has the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum, beautiful shores along Lake Superior, and the historic Whitefish Point Lighthouse. It's also a fantastic spot for watching birds.
What Makes Whitefish Point Special?
Whitefish Point is a very important place for nature and history. It's known as an Important Bird Area because so many birds fly through here. The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory works here to study birds and teach people about them. This observatory is part of the Michigan Audubon Society.
Shipwrecks and Lake Superior
Whitefish Point is very close to where the big ship, the SS Edmund Fitzgerald, sank in 1975. This point is a key landmark for all ships traveling into or out of Lake Superior.
The waters around Whitefish Point are known as the "graveyard of the Great Lakes." This means more ships have been lost here than anywhere else on Lake Superior. It can be a very dangerous area for boats.
To protect these sunken ships, there's a special area called the Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve. This preserve helps keep the shipwrecks safe for future generations of divers to explore.
Fun Activities at the Point
Whitefish Point is a popular spot for many activities. People love to collect unique rocks along the shore. It's also a great place to watch large ships pass by.
Bird watching is a huge draw here. The land and water at Whitefish Point create a natural path for birds. This makes it a very important place for birds migrating (flying long distances) each year. The Whitefish Point Bird Observatory does important research on these birds.
Whitefish Point was also once home to a United States Coast Guard station. The Coast Guard helps keep people and ships safe on the water.
