Bearinger Township near Millersburg in Presque Isle County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 24, 2025
1. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Marker
Shipwreck Alley.
For more than 12,000 years, people have traveled on the Great Lakes. From Native American dugout canoes to wooden sailing craft and steel freighters, thousands of ships have made millions of voyages on the Inland Seas. The last 150 years have seen enormous growth in Great Lakes shipping, and today it remains critical to our national economy.
With extraordinary growth comes increased adversity. Fire, ice, collisions and storms have claimed hundreds of vessels, including pioneer steamboats, majestic wooden schooners and huge steel freighters.
Get Into Your Sanctuary.
Today, the 4,300 square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects an incredible collection of 200 shipwrecks. Preserved in clear, fresh Lake Huron water, they offer world-class diving, snorkeling and paddling opportunities, and they are here for you. Get into your sanctuary by climbing the steps of a lighthouse; getting your feet wet on a snorkel expedition; taking a glass bottom boat or kayak tour; or plunging below the waves to explore a majestic schooner.
To learn more about Thunder Bay National Maritime Heritage Center
this page online
The 4,300-square-mile Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary protects the Great Lakes and their rich history. Through research, education, and community involvement, the sanctuary endures that future generations can enjoy our irreplaceable underwater treasures.
The sanctuary encourages paddlers, divers, and snorkelers to visit Thunder Bay's shipwrecks. Seasonal mooring buoys can be found on many popular shipwrecks. Moorings not only make shipwrecks easier to locate and safer to visit, they also help prevent anchor damage to these irreplaceable historical sites.
The Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Trail connects visitors with Lake Huron's fascinating maritime past. Whether, diving a shipwreck or climbing a lighthouse, you can find more stories along the trail. This marker was funded by a federal Transportation Enhancement Grant and by the Northeast Michigan Council of Governments
Please join the sanctuary in preserving our maritime heritage for future generations. Removing artifacts or damaging shipwrecks is illegal. Please report looting to the DNR 1-800-292-7500.
All
Photographed by Mark Parker, June 24, 2025
2. Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Marker
Harbor Office and restrooms in the background.
Erected by Northeast Michigan Council of Governments, Michigan Department of Transportation, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Parks & Recreational Areas • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) series list.
Location. 45° 35.406′ N, 84° 9.678′ W. Marker is near Millersburg, Michigan, in Presque Isle County. It is in Bearinger Township. It is on U.S. 23 0.7 miles north of Moss Point Road, on the right. Follow the dirt road to Hammond Bay Harbor. The marker is near the parking lot for the harbor. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 24025 US-23, Millersburg MI 49759, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Michigan Lower Peninsula and in one of the Lake Huron Shore counties. It is also in the American Midwest. Globally, it is in North America, in the Great North Woods, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 8 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Racer (a few steps from this marker); Lake Huron (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Bearinger Union School (approx. 6.6 miles away); Youth Foundation of America Camp (approx. 7½ miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 8, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. This page has been viewed 90 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on July 8, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. 2. submitted on July 9, 2025, by Mark Parker of Hickory, North Carolina. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
