The concrete breakwater walkway leading to the white Grand Marais lighthouse, with the town shoreline behind it

Artists' Point in Grand Marais

Facts checked against official sources on November 11, 2026

Photo: m01229, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

What it is
Rock point and gravel spit on the east side of the Grand Marais harbor
Lighthouse
34-foot steel skeletal tower, first lit 1922 (NPS inventory, 2002)
Parking
On Artist's Point or the city lot off Broadway Avenue (Visit Cook County)
Coast Guard station
Closed in 2022; calls now routed through Station Duluth
Main risk
Waves over the breakwater in strong wind; rescue Nov. 2, 2025
In this guide
  1. What is on the point
  2. Getting there and parking
  3. The lighthouse and the breakwater
  4. Waves, ice and rescue: the safety notes
  5. Artists' Point by season
  6. Before you go

Short answer: Artists' Point is the rocky point and gravel spit that forms the east side of the Grand Marais harbor. From it, a breakwater runs out to the Grand Marais Light, a 34-foot white steel tower first lit in 1922, according to a 2002 National Park Service inventory. Visit Cook County lists parking on the point itself or in the city lot off Broadway Avenue. The one thing to plan around is the lake: in strong wind, waves break over the breakwater, and a woman was swept off it on November 2, 2025.

This guide is for anyone stopping in Grand Marais who wants to know what is out on the point, how to get there, and when to stay off the breakwater. It covers the geology, the lighthouse and its history, the closed Coast Guard station, and the conditions that have caused trouble. Facts come from the Minnesota DNR, the National Park Service, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Cook County Historical Society, the City of Grand Marais, Visit Cook County and WTIP, Grand Marais's public radio station. Sources are listed at the end.

You will see the name spelled two ways. Visit Cook County and the City of Grand Marais write "Artist's Point." The Minnesota Historical Society writes "Artists' Point." They mean the same place.

What is on the point

FeatureWhat it isSource
The rock pointFormer bedrock island of columnar basalt, now tied to the mainlandMinnesota DNR, regional visitor guide
The tomboloThe spit of land connecting the point to town; it shelters the harborMinnesota DNR, regional visitor guide
East breakwaterRailed walkway out to the lighthouse; the Army Corps of Engineers repairs the railingsWTIP
Grand Marais Light34-foot white steel skeletal tower on a concrete pier, first lit 1922National Park Service inventory (2002)
Former Coast Guard stationBuilt 1928, closed in 2022, grounds in caretaker statusMinnesota Historical Society, WTIP
East BayThe bay on the other side of the spit, with cobblestone beaches and big-wave viewsRegional visitor guide, WTIP

The geology

In its Lake Superior coastal program document, the Minnesota DNR describes the Grand Marais waterfront this way: "a Precambrian island of columnar basalt helped to create a tombolo," a formation "in which a bedrock island is connected to the mainland by a sand or gravel beach." The DNR calls it "one of Minnesota's finest examples of a tombolo" and says it "provides excellent natural protection for the city's harbor."

The DNR document does not name Artists' Point. According to a regional visitor guide, Artist's Point "is the island and tombolo, a spit of land, that makes up the east side of the harbor, including the east breakwall and lighthouse."

Why painters come here

Visit Cook County suggests you "watch the painters at Artist's Point recreating sailboats, the lighthouse and the beautiful scenes of Lake Superior." The City of Grand Marais protects the area in its comprehensive plan, which lists the policy "No development of Coast Guard Station and Artist's Point area and Beartree Park."

Getting there and parking

Artists' Point is on the east side of the Grand Marais harbor. For the drive up Highway 61 and the stops along the way, see Duluth to Grand Marais, stop by stop. Visit Cook County puts Grand Marais "about 285 miles" from Minneapolis, "usually 5 to 5.5 hours by car."

  • Parking: Visit Cook County says "there is also parking in the city's municipal parking lot off Broadway Avenue or on Artist's Point." The DNR's Gitchi-Gami State Trail page also lists the "Grand Marais public water access near the U.S. Coast Guard station" as a parking spot. The DNR asks trail users to park "only in designated areas."
  • State park permit: Artists' Point is not a state park, so the state park vehicle permit does not apply here.
  • By bike: the Gitchi-Gami State Trail's Grand Marais segment starts at 3rd Avenue and runs 5.1 miles to Cut Face Creek Wayside, per the DNR. The DNR says "no special fees or passes are required to use the trail."
A wooden boardwalk trail through mossy spruce and birch forest on Artists' Point in Grand Marais
Photo: Tony Webster, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The lighthouse and the breakwater

The Grand Marais Light

The National Park Service's Inventory of Historic Light Stations (archived copy, last modified February 2002) lists these fixed details:

  • Station established: 1885
  • Present tower first lit: 1922
  • Tower: white steel skeletal tower on a pier and concrete foundation, 34 feet tall, with a focal height of 48 feet
  • Original optic: fifth-order Fresnel lens, installed 1885

The dates differ slightly by source. The Cook County Historical Society says "the first lighthouse in Grand Marais was established in 1884," while the NPS inventory gives 1885 for the station.

The keeper's house, now a museum

The lighthouse keeper's house is on shore, not on the point. The Cook County Historical Society says it "was built in 1896 by the federal government for the Lighthouse Keeper and his family," was acquired by the society in 1966, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. The society also displays "the Fresnel lens from the Grand Marais Lighthouse." The Cook County History Museum is at 8 S. Broadway Ave. Its page lists winter hours of Thursday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., checked November 2026, and says hours may change for events and holidays. Call 218-387-2883 before you go. For more in town, see things to do in Grand Marais.

The breakwater walkway

WTIP reported in April 2025 that the "reinforced fencing and railing" leading out to the lighthouse had been bent by "wave action" and "ice sheets that are pushed over by the wave action," and that the Army Corps of Engineers' Duluth office repairs the railings in harbors from Grand Marais to Marquette, Michigan, each year. At the time, WTIP said "it is safe to walk out to the Grand Marais Lighthouse, just use extra caution as the railings integrity is compromised." Expect the railings to look different after each winter.

Waves, ice and rescue: the safety notes

The breakwater sits in open Lake Superior water. These are the documented incidents and conditions:

  • November 2, 2025: WTIP reported that four people walked out to the lighthouse during a wind advisory, with gusts expected of 40 to 50 mph, and a woman was swept into the lake. Her group and a nearby fisher pulled her out, and she was taken to the hospital. Cook County Sheriff Pat Eliasen: "Large waves will knock you into the water, and strong currents can make it impossible to get to safety."
  • February 18, 2026: a winter storm "brought 58 mph east winds to the Grand Marais harbor," per WTIP, and ice-filled waves "came over the rock breakwall, filling up the marina with ice."
  • East Bay in wind: WTIP calls the East Bay "a prime location for seeing large waves whenever the wind picks up." Watching from the shore of the bay keeps you off the breakwater.

No Coast Guard station on the point anymore

The Coast Guard station on the point was built in 1928 and commissioned in 1929, according to the Minnesota Historical Society's MNopedia. WTIP reported in October 2022 that the station, "situated on Artist Point near the breakwall housing the Grand Marais Lighthouse," closed that summer. Cook County officials said at the time that the closing "left the burden of Lake Superior water rescue to Cook County Sheriff's Department and to the Grand Portage tribal government." MNopedia's chronology says "all emergency calls are routed through Station Duluth." In an emergency, call 911.

A simple rule

If waves are washing across the breakwater, or the walkway is icy, stay on the rock point or the East Bay shore. The National Weather Service in Duluth posts Great Lakes marine forecasts and a Lake Superior beach hazards page, which warns that "cold water can KILL."

Artists' Point by season

SeasonWhat to knowSource
SummerVisit Cook County describes painters recreating sailboats, the lighthouse and lake scenesVisit Cook County
FallThe 2025 rescue happened on November 2, during a wind advisoryWTIP
WinterIce-filled waves topped the marina breakwall in February 2026; railings take ice damageWTIP
SpringRailing repairs follow the winter; WTIP reported damage in April 2025WTIP

Judge the day by the wind and the waves, not the calendar.

Before you go

  • Check the wind: look at the National Weather Service forecast for Grand Marais before walking the breakwater. A wind advisory is a reason to stay on shore.
  • Park legally: use the lot off Broadway Avenue, the parking on the point, or the public water access near the former Coast Guard station.
  • Winter footing: expect ice on the walkway and rock. The railings may be damaged after a hard winter.
  • Pair it with the museum: the Cook County History Museum, in the 1896 keeper's house, holds the lighthouse's Fresnel lens. Call 218-387-2883 for current hours.
  • Plan the rest of the day: for campsites nearby, see camping near Grand Marais. For a waterfall hike in Judge C.R. Magney State Park, 14 miles northeast of Grand Marais per Visit Cook County, see the Devil's Kettle hike.

Related guides: All North Shore guides · Minnesota hikes and waterfalls · Things to do in Grand Marais · Duluth to Grand Marais, stop by stop · Camping near Grand Marais

Sources

Keep planning

Lakefront campsites at the Grand Marais municipal campground beside Lake Superior in Minnesota

Camping near Grand Marais

Camping near Grand Marais, MN: the city campground, Cascade River and Judge Magney state parks, and three national forest campgrounds, with prices and booking.

The Devil's Kettle on the Brule River, where half the river drops into a pothole

Devil's Kettle hike

The Devil's Kettle hike in Judge C.R. Magney State Park: distance, stairs and permits, plus what DNR hydrologists actually measured about the disappearing water.

Split Rock Lighthouse above Lake Superior on the North Shore Scenic Drive

Duluth to Grand Marais drive

Duluth to Grand Marais on Highway 61, stop by stop: Scenic 61 vs. the expressway, every state park in order, where you need a permit, and winter driving notes.