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With our miles and miles of Great Lakes waterfront, Wisconsin is home to some pretty awesome – and important – lighthouses.
And it turns out you can help the National Park Service man and maintain these lighthouses on a volunteer basis – while getting to say in the lighthouse for free!
The average say is for 3-4 weeks, but you can stay longer if you so desire. During that time you’ll help with maintenance, hosting visitors, running gift shops and more – all while staying in one of these gorgeous, historical locations.
Accommodations vary by lighthouse, but the NPS is clear about what each stay entails. Alll quarters at the light stations have: propane space heater, propane cook stove, propane refrigerator, twin beds, kitchen utensils, dishes, brooms, buckets, and an assortment of tables and chairs.
Sounds like the perfect getaway, honestly.
MIchigan Island Lighthouse actually has two towers, so the folks staying here need to know they're going to get plenty of exercise on the stairs. One of the towers is the oldest of the Apostle Islands lighthouses; the other is the tallest. There's also a steep set of stairs down to the dock. This posting definitely isn't for the faint of heart.
But the trade-off is that it's a relatively quiet assignment. There's just one campsite on the island. Add that the dock can sometimes be compromised by changing water levels, and this opportunity is perfect for folks not afraid of roughing and looking to get far, far away from society.
The keeper’s quarters is a two-story brick house built in 1929. There is no running, potable water. Volunteers pump water from the lake into a tank that gravity feeds to the kitchen. This water needs to be filtered or boiled. There is an outhouse behind the quarters. There is no electricity. The volunteer must bring battery powered lanterns. But the opportunity to volunteer here is once-in-a-lifetime you're not perturbed by the fact that you could be temporarily stranded for a day or two at a time.
The only opportunity not in Lake Superior, Pottawatomie Lighthouse on Rock Island is just off the Door County peninsula. It also offers week rotations for up to six adults, making this a bit more feasible volunteer opportunity. Though there is no electricity or running water., there is an outside water pump and a propane heater and stove. This posting is available Memorial Day through Columbus Day and volunteers are expected to give tours, operate a small gift shop, and perform minor maintenance duties.
Sand Island is a unique opportunity because you actually stay in accommodations a few miles from the lighthouse. It's a modern two bedroom cabin with solar powered lights, hot and cold running water, but no toilet. There is an outhouse just outside. There are ceiling lights, but no other electricity.
There are two group sites and three individual campsites on Sand, meaning you will see more visitors here. The detached living area does mean that volunteers do have a bit of a walk over to the lighthouse each day - it's about two miles and flat, but does get muddy.
If the primitive nature of Michigan Island turns you off, check out all that Devil's Island Lighthouse has to offer. Despite being the most remote, it's one of the most visited.
Situated at the northernmost point in the state of Wisconsin, there are several buildings as part of this posting, including a 80-foot steel light tower overlooks an extensive formation of sea caves. There is one campground on the island, but ferries and boats visit often.
The keepers' cottage is a brick "Queen Anne" style house separate from the lighthouse. There are bathrooms with flush toilets, bathtubs, and showers, potable hot and cold running water and limited DC electricity.
