Great Places To View Freighters in Michigan

by Mike Hardy · Published January 29, 2015 · Updated February 10, 2019

An informative piece on one of the great pastimes of living on the Great Lakes. Watching the big Laker freighters slip past is an awesome sight. Here are a couple of places that offer the best views in the region.

Thomas Edison Park – Port Huron

This river’s edge park and walkway offer excellent views of freighter traffic moving up-bound and down-bound on the St. Clair River. Freighters are so close that it’s hard establishing a great photograph of an entire ship. The park also is the site of the Thomas Edison Depot Museum which highlights the life and times of the young inventor as he worked on the railroad as a boy. The picturesque Fort Gratiot Lightstation and Huron Light Ship are a short walk away

Old Mackinac Lighthouse

The lighthouse park along the Mackinaw Straits offer some of the best backdrops for freighter gawking in Michigan. The straits are a convergence of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan. A favorite shot is to capture a big freighter going under the Mackinaw Bridge. You can check the estimated times that the freighters will cross the straits at boatnerd.com

The Soo Locks – Saute Ste. Marie

The Soo Locks is considered one of the top freighter viewing sites in all the Great Lakes. Every up-bound or down-bound freighter must use the Locks to enter or exit Lake Superior. You can watch the ships as they are raised or lowered between the lake and the St. Mary’s River on a special viewing platform. Great views and photographs can also be had at Rotary Park, Aune-Osborn Park, Sherman Park, and the Parks and Recreation area near the Cloverland Hydroelectric.