Pilot Island is a small dolomite outcrop that sits in the middle of the Death’s Door Passage off the tip of Door County, Wisconsin. It makes a great day trip…as long as you remember that you aren’t allowed to land.
Pilot Island light and collapsed fog signal building
The Pilot Island Light sits at the eastern end of the Port Des Morts Passage at the tip of Door County. This narrow channel was extensively used by Great Lakes schooners as they made the trip down the bay to the lumber docks of Oconto, Wisconsin or the iron ore smelters of Green Bay. It earned a reputation as a ship’s graveyard during the days of working sail when dozens of vessels were lost to its contrary currents and fickle wind conditions. The Pilot Island light was built during the mid-19th century in an effort to mark the opening to the safe passage between Plum island and the shoal waters at the tip of the Door peninsula.
A nice daytrip to Pilot Island starts at the Liberty Grove Town Park at the end of Europe Bay Rd. From this put-in you can paddle south down the coast toward Newport State Park and Rowley’s Bay, or head north toward the Door passage. It takes a little over an hour to make the trip out to Pilot.
The island is administered by the US Fish and Wildlife Service, and visitors aren’t allowed, so if you want to stretch your legs, you will need to stop at the beach near the Northport ferry docks, or continue on to land at Detroit or Washington Islands.
During the summer paddling season, the island is a rookery for gulls and cormorants, and you can expect to be dive-bombed if you get too close. On the first of November, the only residents to be found were a group of sandpipers.
An interesting site with some history on the light is found here: http://www.terrypepper.com/Lights/michigan/pilotisland/pilotisland.htm