We’re not known as “Shipwreck Alley” for nothing! The Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary encompasses 4,300 square miles of Lake Huron waters off the coast of Alpena, north to Presque Isle, and south to Alcona. 

Snorkeling, diving, and paddling around the shallow shipwrecks are some of the many activities tourists like to explore while in our area. When done safely, this is a unique freshwater experience like no other! Unlike ocean shipwrecks that become eroded in the salty water, the cold, fresh water of Lake Huron keeps the ships well preserved, making Thunder Bay’s deep water wrecks unchanged for decades.

Here are seven of the most accessible shipwrecks for snorkelers and kayakers to explore along the Alpena area shoreline, taken from our Shallow Shipwreck Guide:

1. American Union

GPS: N45°21.412′ W83°35.368′

Location: off the coast of Thompson’s Harbor State Park. Thompson’s Harbor State Park can be found by following highway US23 about 25 miles north of Alpena. Follow the park entrance along Trailhead Road to the boat launch. The American Union is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 10 ft.     Paddle distance from shore: 2 miles     Wreck length: 185 ft.     Beam: 25 ft.

Gross Tonnage: 543    Cargo: Unknown    Built: 1862 by Ira Lafrinier, Cleveland, Ohio    Wrecked: May 6, 1894

Description: Larger than the typical schooner of its time, the American Union’s deep draft got it in trouble more than once. When rounding Presque Isle in a heavy sea, the ship ran up on the rocks at Thompson’s Harbor and quickly broke apart. Its remains are now scattered and flattened on the lake bottom but are easily viewable to kayakers and snorkelers.

2. Albany

GPS: N45°19.396′ W83°27.508

Location: Albany Bay is just south of Presque Isle Harbor. A trailhead behind Presque Isle Cemetery leads you to the beach after a 3/4 mile hike. The Albany is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 4 ft.     Paddle distance from shore: 3/4 mile    Wreck length: 202 ft.     Beam: 29 ft.

Gross tonnage: 669    Cargo: Provisions    Launched: 1846 by C.L. Gager in Detroit, Michigan   Wrecked: November 26, 1853

Description: The steamer Albany, carrying 200 passengers, provisions, and supplies, went ashore during a storm at Presque Isle. The passengers had a horrible night, but all were safely landed before dark the following day. The wreck was stripped of its furniture and abandoned for the season. The primary wreckage consists of the lower bilge about 106′ in length and features a massive centerline and bilge keelson, with rider keelsons and standing knees machinery support.

3. Portland

GPS: N45°14.929′ W83°24.450′

Location: Bell Bay Besser Natural Area. Take US23 north of Alpena to Grand Lake Rd., and turn right at the first intersection (look for the sign board). Continue following Grand Lake Rd. to Besser Natural Area turn off (look for the DNR signs on the right side of the road). Park in the gravel lot and follow the foot trail to the beach. Follow the shore to the north. The wreck is located 250 ft. offshore to the northeast and is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 8 ft.     Paddle distance from shore: 250 ft.    Wreck length: 150 ft.     Beam: 24 ft.

Gross tonnage: 250   Cargo: Salt   Built: 1863 by Asa Wilcox at Pillar Point, New York   Wrecked: October 13, 1877

Description: When wooden schooners run aground they are often quickly torn apart by waves, currents, and ice. Such is the case of the Portland lost at Besser Bell. The bilge and starboard side rest in shallow water, while the stern and portions of the portside are located in a lagoon now separated from Lake Huron by a buildup of sand and rock.

4. Shamrock

GPS: N45°03.077′ W83°26.052′

Location: In Thunder Bay, just off the coast of the City of Alpena. The Shamrock is located northeast of the Blair Street Pier and straight out from Thomson Beach (parking near the shoreline available) and is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 11 ft.    Paddle distance from shore: .42 miles from Blair St. Pier  Wreck length: 146 ft.     Beam: 30 ft.

Gross tonnage: 403   Cargo: Lath  Launched: 1875 by Bower and Cash at St. Clair, Michigan   Wrecked: June 24, 1905

Description: The Shamrock was built as the schooner barge John W. Hanaford and reconstructed as a steam lumber carrier in 1904. It was bound from Midland, Ontario to Toledo with a cargo of lath when it encountered a furious gale on the open lake. The ship sprung a leak and became waterlogged, but the lath cargo kept it afloat until it was beached at Black River, MI. The abandoned vessel was later towed to Alpena by the steamer City of Holland and left near the Alpena harbor. The machinery was later removed, but many interesting structural features, including a large propeller, can still be seen on the wreck.

5. Harvey Bissell

GPS: N45°03.287′ W83°25.603′

Location: Lies in Lake Huron’s Thunder Bay just out from the City of Alpena Boat Harbor and Thomson Beach (parking lot at boat harbor open to the public and along US23 at Thomson Park) and is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 12 ft.  Paddle distance from shore: .55 miles from Thomson Beach  Wreck length: 162 ft.  Beam: 33 ft.

Gross tonnage: 496    Cargo: None   Launched: 1866 by Little at Toledo, Ohio    Wrecked: November 24, 1905

Description: The Harvey Bissell went through many changes during the four decades that it sailed the Great Lakes. Originally rigged as a barkentime, it was made a three-masted schooner in 1874, and later cut down to a two-masted towbarge. Like most of its contemporaries, the ship suffered many accidents during its long career. At 39, the Bissell was wrecked for the last time, between Thunder Bay Island and Presque Isle. Three weeks later it was salvaged and towed to Alpena to be dismantled and abandoned in the outer harbor. The ship’s remains lie in the shallows, flattened but nearly complete. Three mast steps can be seen on the heavy skeletons.

6. John F. Warner

GPS: N45°03.050′ W83°26.128′

Location: Lies in Thunder Bay between Blair Street Pier (parking near shoreline) and the City of Alpena Boat Harbor (parking lot open to public), and is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 9 ft.   Paddle distance from shore: .35 miles from Blair St. Pier   Wreck length: 126 ft.   Beam: 26 ft.

Gross tonnage: 200    Cargo: Lumber, Lath   Launched: 1855 by Quayle and Martin at Cleveland, Ohio    Wrecked: October 13, 1890

Description: John F. Warner spent several years trading between the Great Lakes and European ports like Greenwich and Liverpool, England, and Glasgow, Scotland, carrying lumber and staves overseas and pig iron on the return trips. After 1860, it stayed closer to home and engaged in the booming lumber trade. The schooner met its end at  Alpena, Michigan. Anchored off the river mouth, the anchor chain was parted by heavy seas and the ship was driven ashore near the lighthouse. Continuous buffeting by the waves soon broke the vessel in half. The cargo was removed a few days later and the wreck was abandoned south of the harbor where it lies today.

7. Bay City

GPS: N45°03.369′ W83°25.605′

Location: Lies in Thunder Bay just outside of the City of Alpena Boat Harbor and Thomson Beach in Lake Huron (parking lot open to the public) and is marked by a buoy.

Depth: 12 ft.   Paddle distance from shore: .55 miles from Thomson Beach  Wreck length: 146 ft.   Beam: 29 ft.

Gross tonnage: 306   Cargo: None   Launched: 1857 by Augustus Tripp at Saginaw, Michigan   Wrecked: November 29, 1902

Description: Originally brig-rigged, the Bay City was cut down to a schooner barge after it burned at Detroit, MI in 1869. No stranger to the dangers of the Great Lakes, Bay City was over the years beached, dismasted, burned, had its stern washed away, and was repaired many times over. The schooner was finally abandoned after a gale drove it against the piers at Alpena. No longer worth repairing, it was abandoned in place.

Don’t forget, if you want to see our shipwrecks but are not keen on being in the water, you can always book a trip on the Lady Michigan glass bottom boat! Secure your tickets here – BOOK NOW