Looking for a unique and unforgettable experience that goes beyond the standard trip to the beach? Volunteering as a keeper at Ludington’s Big Sable Lighthouse has both quiet morning birding and tour guiding, plus you get to live there for the week.
Big Sable Point Lighthouse
A Week as Lighthouse Keeper at Big Sable Lighthouse
In early August, we volunteered at the Big Sable Lighthouse in Ludington, Michigan. It wasn’t our first rodeo as lighthouse keepers; we previously volunteered at Grand Traverse Lighthouse in Leelanau State Park. But let me tell you, these two experiences were worlds apart. Sure, both are charming lighthouses located in a Michigan State Park with tower climbs, gift shops, and museums, but after that, the experiences were as different as Marquette and Traverse City, each with their own history and vibe.
Both lighthouse gigs come with perks, such as living accommodations while you are resident keepers. Our apartment at the Big Sable lighthouse was shared with the other volunteers that week. The accommodations were quite nice: two living rooms, four bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a gas grill, and a fire pit we could use.
I know you are wondering, so let’s just get it out of the way: “Sable” means sand in French, a question I was asked many times by lighthouse visitors. I had to Google it.
Parking Near the Lighthouse
A question we got a lot at Big Sable was, “Do you get to drive to the lighthouse?” This I didn’t Google.
Usually, the person asking was fanning an overheated face with a brochure, guzzling a gift-shop water bottle after hiking the mile-and-a-half trek from the parking lot to the lighthouse.
Wanting to be as diplomatic as possible, I’d answer carefully: “Since we live in the lighthouse while we are volunteering, we are allowed to park near it.”
Lakeshore Keepers
This leads to questions about the volunteer program: Is there a long wait list? How much does it cost? How did you get started volunteering as a lighthouse keeper?
There is a wait list for resident keepers, but they are always looking for day keepers. If you are interested, check out their website. There is a resident keeper fee ($30 for an individual, $50 for a couple), plus your Lighthouse Keeper membership fee.
“You pay to volunteer?” one incredulous person said. I wasn’t sure they were expecting a response, so I ignored it. But yes, there is a fee. We volunteer our time to support the lighthouse, and the keeper fee is another way to help.
Many have lost interest at this point, but a curious few wanted to know how we learned about the program. So I shared how we met a volunteer lighthouse keeper while visiting the famous Soo Locks, who suggested several lighthouses where we could volunteer. Long story short, this is our fourth time volunteering and our third lighthouse. [insert links to the others in the notes]
It is not a vacation; I always caution people. If you are thinking you can work remotely while volunteering, think again. (Also, the internet can be sketchy.) But it might be the perfect gig for you if you enjoy talking to people and can climb the 130 steps to the top of the tower.
Keepers are expected to work. Sand is a constant issue, hence the name Sable. Whenever there wasn’t a visitor in the lighthouse, we’d run the vacuum, though I swear as soon as we turned it on, eight visitors would walk in the door. Trash patrol is one of the less glamorous assignments. Another is replacing stock in the gift shop and ringing up sales; I enjoy it, but it isn’t for everyone.
Tower Climbs
Only ten people are allowed on the tower’s catwalk at a time, so managing the queue required a lot of walkie-talkie action between the volunteer at the top and whoever drew the short straw at the bottom.
If there was a line, the person at the bottom had to entertain the restless tower climbers while the person at the top became adept at reassuring climbers with a fear of heights.
I don’t have data to support it, but I’m willing to guess at least 80% of the climbers had some anxiety.
While I was leaning out over the railing to scan the crowd below, a climber asked, “Doesn’t that bother you?”
For a second, she stumped me as I looked at the gorgeous view.
She added, “I feel funny inside.” Her back was firmly against the tower’s wall, a sure sign that heights were not her thing.
“Oh, you get used to it,” I assured her. “Look,” I pointed to an eagle doing a flyby, hoping that would take her mind off the funny feeling she was having.
The 130 Steps to the Top
On a particularly windy day, with the wind making the tower howl just a little, almost all the climbers acted like they had some anxiety. One person stuck their head out of the last hatch, said “No way,” and disappeared back through it to do the 130 steps back to the bottom.
For some, the stairs are the worst part. The see-through steps resemble fancy grates and can be visually disorienting, amplifying a visitor’s fear of falling.
One of my kids couldn’t navigate see-through steps and would have full-blown panic attacks, so I wasn’t surprised when several kiddos reached the first landing and refused to go forward. (Been there, done that, I thought.)
Bested by a 5-Year-Old
During our final day, a mom and dad with five kids popped in. Mom had a baby strapped to her front. Their four towheaded kids lined up in front of the desk to buy tickets for the tower. They reminded me of little birds.
The littlest of the four asked, “Who lives here?”
“Well,” I replied, “the lighthouse keepers used to live here,” and pointed to Henry.
“Is that him?” she asked.
“No,” I said. “That is a mannequin showing off his uniform.”
“Is he dead?” she asked.
I could immediately see my error. Ignoring that question, I pointed to other pictures of the family doing normal family stuff.
“Is that baby dead?” she asked, spinning around and firing questions in rapid succession. “Is this their kitchen? Where is their stove?” “Do you live here?”
I finally got a word in and said, “I live upstairs with the other volunteers.” Another mistake.
“I want to go upstairs; I want to see your stove.”
“Here,” I said, handing the mom the tickets. “You can watch a movie in the next room. I’m sure the volunteer in there can answer your questions.”
I looked at the mom and confessed, “I feel a bit overwhelmed.”
She replied in a rather nonplussed voice, “I know. And I’m an introvert,” as if that explained everything. She handed the tickets to her husband and said, “I’m going to the beach.” He didn’t seem phased and took the passel of kids with him to watch the movie and go to the top of the tower.
I could hear the little one peppering the lucky soul in the next room.
Birding & The Lighthouse Trail
To recover from the barrage of questions, we used our off-duty mornings to explore the beach or go hiking.
Hoping to add a few birds to our “Life List,” Chuck brought his camera, and I had my new binoculars.
Chuck stood vigil on the service drive near a stand of scrubby jack pines, hoping to capture the elusive yellow-rumped warbler, but it was not to be. However, the lesser yellowlegs were happy to pose for him.
The Lighthouse Trailhead is near the outhouse and the parking lot where we’d parked our car. The trail is a combination of dune walk and forest trail. On the morning we hiked it, a heavy mist hung low, mingling with the bug spray on my neck and arms. Soon I added sweat to the mix, along with an occasional gnat.
The silence was deafening, with monarch butterflies flitting by soundlessly. It was such a relief to hear the first cricket when the path veered toward the trees. The first thing I noticed was all the dead trees. These, along with the surreal light, created a creepy fairy-tale setting. I kept waiting for a bear to peek around a tree and say, “Hey Goldilocks.”
Thankfully, we left the creepy forest and entered an older forest, where birds were chirping high in the tree canopy. My Merlin bird app identified 24 birds in short order; some were new to me, such as the Red Crossbill and the Yellow-throated Vireo.
Probably the most exciting bird we added to our Life List was a Merlin. When we shared this with someone who lives in Ludington, they casually said, “Oh, I see them all the time.” Apparently, not as rare as I thought.
Whether you are drawn to lighthouses or to the chaotic joy of being a tour guide for curious kids, volunteering as a lighthouse keeper is an experience like no other. It takes a willingness to answer the same question fifty times a day and to climb 130 steps at least once a day for a turn on the catwalk.
Check out the Lakeshore Keepers to explore their volunteer programs and apply for an upcoming season.
Photos
Many more pictures in our gallery.
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