Staying On DeTour Reef Light - What To Expect

Staying on DeTour Reef Light as part of the DeTour Reef Light Preservation Society's (DRLPS) "Keeper Program" is an exciting opportunity.

My name is John Reurink, and as a recent addition to the DRLPS Board of Directors, I was especially excited to get learn more about the lighthouse by staying on the light for the weekend of July 3 and 4 (this is a great weekend if you can get it).

After I completed our weekend, I thought it'd be helpful to write about what to expect, should you and your family be lucky enough to reserve a stay as light house "keepers."

DeTour Village fireworks the night of July 4 - one of the days we were on the light.

How you'll get to the light . . .

Incoming guests should plan to arrive at the DeTour State Harbor (the marina just north of the blinking yellow light in DeTour). As of 2026, departure time was noon on the date of your stay.

You'll see parking by the pavillion where you can unload your gear. After, be sure to move your car to the south lot at the marina so you won't be taking up spaces for day boaters with slips at the marina.

DeTour State Harbor - you'll need to arrive here at noon for your stay.

A representative of DRLPS will meet you at the pavillion where you'll sign our legal waiver. Essentially - the light is a wide open platform and there are risks that come with staying on the light - you acknowledge that you understand the risks and DRLPS won't be liable for injuries.

Next, your escort will help you bring your gear to the charter boat that will deliver you to the light. A Note About Gear: Don't over pack! The boat that takes you to the light will only do one trip, and while it's a good sized boat, guests that have over done it and have had little room to enjoy the ride over to the light. Duffle bags work the best and/or soft-sided coolers. (Large, hard-sided coolers are really hard to get onto the light).

The Island Charter fishing boat that will take you to the light.

How you'll get on the light

This is fun - although I admit I was a bit nervous about climbing the rung ladder on the face of the light house structure.

The rung ladder up. Don't worry, you'll be hooked to a safety harness and you won't have to lug up all your own gear, either.

Once the Charter Captain ties the boat to the wall of the light, one of your escorts will climb to the top of the ladder to lower down a safety harness. The harness is hooked to a frame at the top should you slip on the climb up.

Once you arrive on the platform of the light, either the previous guests or your escort will give you the grand tour of the light house and explain what you'll be required to do during your stay.

During your tour, the escorts will get your gear from the boat onto the light.

DRLPS escort helping a keeper at the top of the ladder.

Once you're staying on the light, you'll have some things to take care of as the "keeper" of the light.

Specifically, the largest duty is keeping the household batteries charged by keeping the generator fueled. The light house has a large bank of batteries that power lights, the refrigerator, the cook top and other appliances. When the bank of batteries drops below 60% the generator on the deck will kick on and begin recharging the batteries. Once it runs and quits, your job is to refill the generator's gas tank.

Other tasks include:

• Spraying off the deck each morning. You'll likely be awoken by gulls, cormorants and other birds that like to hang out on the platform in the middle of the night. They are not neat guests - so you'll need to roll out the hose and spray off the deck. It will reach all the way around the lighthouse deck.

• Clean the living quarters before you leave. We tried to leave it cleaner than we found it. This was a chore for us, there was a giant mayfly hatch the night before we were to leave.

• Be sure to pack out all your food.

If you want to learn all about what's expected of you during your stay, read the DRLPS Keeper Manual by clicking here.

The lighhouse platform. Note the generator - you'll need to keep this gassed up during your stay - there's plenty of gas cans available to fill the generator. You'll also notice two propane tanks by the door - these are to power the hot water heater. One of your duties will be to check on these tanks and replace them if the indicator says one is empty.

What to expect . . .

It's not a Hilton - so if you want to be pampered, look elsewhere.

If you want a quiet, peaceful weekend or week - this is your deal. Lots of time to read, to watch freighters go by, to watch sunsets and sunrises and to contemplate just what it would have been like to be assigned to man the light for a summer as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Pro Tip: Download Boatnerd to your phone, you can look up the name of the freighters as they go by. Then jump on your favorite AI program (Claude, Chat GPT, Google's Gemini) and ask for the history of the freighter. Some have amazing stories. One that went by us had spent its first year in the 1940s supporting the Normandy D-day invasion before coming to the Great Lakes as a freighter.

One of a dozen or more freighters that went by the light while we were staying there.

And, if you get bored, there are board games to help pass the time. There's also climbing to the top of the light for amazing views and just gazing out at the blue of Lake Huron.

Stairs to the top the lighthouse.

View from the top of the light.

Sunset from the west deck of the light house.

As far as cooking - just remember the kitchen has no oven, just a microwave, a two burner cook top, and a toaster oven as well as a charcoal grill you can use out on the deck of the lighthouse (be sure to bring your own charcoal and lighter fluid.)

Lighthouse dining room.

Lighthouse kitchen.

When your stay is over . . .

You might be a bit sad to say goodbye to the lighthouse - but you can stay involved and in touch with the light by joining the DRLPS as a member.

If you're up for it, you can also volunteer to help with maintenance, opening it up in the springtime, or helping with other DRLPS duties to ensure this light stays well maintained. Not all of the duties require living in the area - we even have volunteers from other states!

I encourage you to start becoming a member of DRLPS by clicking here.