Shipwrecks and Sea Glass: A West Michigan “Pirate” Adventure

Ahoy, me hearteys! Thar be a shipwreck and treasure on tha shores of this ‘ere Great Lake! Along the beaches of this small West Michigan town, you can find an 1800s shipwreck, sea glass and other treasure. It’s a fun adventure for landlubbers and pirates alike!

 

When our family heard that an old shipwreck was recently exposed on a Lake Michigan beach just an hour from our home, we all looked at each other and immediately hollered, “DAY TRIP!”

So, on a hot day in early June 2021, we all hopped into the family minivan to make the drive to Whitehall, Michigan. We felt like pirates as we scoured the beach there for shipwreck remains and sea glass treasures.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through any Amazon links in this post, I receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you).

 

Whitehall Shipwreck

In 1882, a 124-foot schooner named The Contest was overwhelmed by a storm in Lake Michigan near Whitehall, Michigan. The Contest was aiming for the White Lake Channel with the intention of heading inland to the calmer waters of White Lake. However, The Contest never made it to White Lake. Instead, the ship’s journey ended in destruction as it ran ashore just a few feet south of the channel. The crew survived the collision by jumping from the ship and onto the beach. The ship, however, was destroyed as it continued to be pummeled by the waves and storm.

LEARN MORE:  History of The Contest – MichiganShipwrecks.org

When conditions (water levels and beach erosion) are right, the skeleton-like remains of this ship become fully exposed. At other times, the shipwreck remains mostly hidden under the sand.

Although, the shipwreck was fully exposed just a couple months before, it had mostly retreated back into the sandy beach by the time of our visit. Still, enough of the ruins were exposed for us to easily recognize the wreck, and we felt the day trip was well worth our time.

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How to Find the Whitehall Shipwreck

The best way to find The Contest is to park at the White River Light Station Museum (6199 Murray Rd, Whitehall, MI). The museum was easy to find using our GPS.

TIP:  Pay attention to where you park in the museum parking lot. Some parking spaces are labeled as museum parking only.

From the museum parking lot, you can walk to the beach using the walkway along the channel.

The wreck is beached next to the south channel pier. The visible portion is the bow, which faces south. The wreckage rests right next to the channel walkway. You can see it right away when you arrive at the sandy beach area.

 

Sea Glass Treasure Hunt

Before our excursion, I learned that this beach area is a great place to find sea glass. Our family loves looking for Petoskey Stones and other interesting rocks along beaches; I knew they would enjoy looking for sea glass as well.

FUN FACT:  Sea glass looks like smooth pieces of frosted glass. It is formed when shards of glass become weathered and polished as it is tossed around in large bodies of water (like the ocean or a Great Lake). [Source: BeachLust.com]

So, like pirates, we went on a treasure hunt. We ended up finding a handful of sea glass as we scoured the shoreline.

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Ahoy! Other Treasures and Discoveries

Besides sea glass, we found a variety of other “treasures,” mainly interesting rocks and fossils.

My nine-year-old daughter found so many interesting rocks and fossils that she couldn’t carry all of her finds, and my 12-year-old son discovered a large fish skeleton on the beach that he found intriguing. Blech!

We were also impressed by the variety of animal tracks we found along the beach.

 

White River Light Station Museum

While you are there, you may want to visit the White River Light Station Museum. The grounds feature part of another shipwreck.

The museum is usually open Tuesday through Sunday.

Please visit the museum website for current information about hours and admission costs.

 

Pirate Adventure Awaits You

Argh! Plan a quick stop to this Whitehall beach for shipwrecks and treasure. Your inner pirate will love it!

Would you enjoy a visit to this West Michigan beach?

Have you seen a shipwreck before?

Where have you found sea glass?

 

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