The Leelanau Historical Society (LHS) is gearing up for its Annual Manitou Island Day Trip, which will take place on South Manitou Island on Monday, September 9, 2024.
Per Leelanau Historical Society and Museum Executive Director, Kim Kelderhouse, the program was born in the early 1990’s as a way to celebrate the unique history of The Manitou Islands and make them more accessible to visitors.
The outing typically surrounds North Manitou Island, which can be tough to access without overnight camping; though, past LHS tours have also included South Manitou, and on a few rare occasions, even both islands! This year, however, the North Island dock is filled with sand (a frequent occurrence), making it impossible for ferries to anchor.
“So, we said we’ll still do our trip, but this year we’ll go to South Manitou Island,” she notes. “It’s important to our organization to get people out there and highlight the area.”
Per Kelderhouse, The Manitou Islands contain the earliest traces of European settlement in Leelanau County. They’re also smack in the middle of the Manitou Passage, which, in conjunction with the Great Lakes, served as a primary “water highway” for fur trappers and 19th-century travelers; and are deeply entrenched in the indigenous history and local lore of the Sleeping Bear Dunes.
In celebration of that history, this year’s day trip will begin with a visit to South Manitou Island Village – headlined by stops at the island’s museum and the former United States Life-Saving Service station (constructed ca. 1901) – as well as the South Manitou Island Lighthouse, and an afternoon tour of the farming location for Mammoth Distilling’s “Rebirth of Rosen Rye.”
To round out the day, guests re-board the Mishe-Mokwa ferry for a scenic excursion around the North Manitou Shoal lighthouse, weather permitting.
“We’re working diligently to give [all participants] the opportunity to do everything!” Kelderhouse adds. “You’re going to have a really unique experience when you go on this trip.”
The tour cost is $85 for LHS members and $115 for non-LHS members. There’s also a 50-percent cancellation fee within 15 days of the trip. Guests are asked to provide their own sack lunch and water bottles, though snacks and other cash purchases will be available. For details and registration, visit https://www.leelanauhistory.org/manitou-island-day-trip/.