Mendota Canal Light

aka Bete Gris Light Station

Lac La Belle, Michigan, USA

Bete Grise Bay, Lake Superior

Located near the tiny port of Lac La Belle on the eastern shore of the Keweenaw Peninsula, this small, T-shaped lighthouse was built in 1895. It replaced an earlier light dating to 1870 and marked the entrance to the Mendota Ship Canal, which was a man-made waterway cut through solid rock. The canal served as a shortcut from the mines in the heart of the Keweenaw to Lake Superior. Mendota Light was taken out of service in 1960, when the Coast Guard installed new pierhead lights at Lac La Belle. The original light once shone a light that flashed every 20 seconds.

This privately-owned lighthouse is accessible only by water. In 1998, it was purchased by Gary and Connie Kohs. They keep a restored 1941 Chris Craft handy for pleasure boating.

Mendota Canal Light also has its own web site, which has additional photos, including a close-up of its 4th Order Fresnel lens. The site also has considerable historical information about this lighthouse, a live web cam, current weather, and more.