FAQs

The best place to park for access to the LaSalle shipwreck on the beach in Two Rivers is Point Beach State Forest or the Neshotah Park & Beach, as both offer parking and convenient access to Lake Michigan's shore where the shipwreck is located. You can park in the designated areas within Point Beach State Forest, or at Neshotah Park, and then walk or bike to the beach to view the shipwreck.

Parking and Access

Point Beach State Forest: This is a state forest near Two Rivers with parking available. From the forest, you can access the Rawley Point Trail which leads to the beach, providing a great way to walk to the shipwreck.

Neshotah Park & Beach: This park is located in Two Rivers and also offers parking. From the park, you can easily access the beach and walk to the shipwreck location.

The LaSalle shipwreck is located in Lake Michigan near Two Rivers, Wisconsin, at approximately 44° 11.524' N, 87° 30.591' W.

The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 2021, is one of 18 underwater parks within the National Marine Sanctuary System. Co-managed by NOAA and the state of Wisconsin, it safeguards maritime heritage in Lake Michigan, covering 962 square miles and encompassing 36 known shipwreck sites, including the LaSalle. The sanctuary expands on existing state management efforts, bringing new opportunities for research, resource protection, education, and promoting heritage tourism. Its designation provides a national stage for protecting significant historic sites like the LaSalle, which played a central role in building the nation between the 1830s and 1930s.

The LaSalle was a three-masted schooner launched on April 11, 1874, from the Parsons & Humble shipyard in Tonawanda, New York. It was purpose-built as a "canaller" for transit through the Welland Canal locks, enabling trade on Lake Ontario and connecting the Midwest economically and culturally with eastern markets. Designed for strength, size, and speed, it featured angle-iron deck knees for greater capacity, estimated at over 23,000 bushels of grain. Its boxy construction and dimensions (139 feet long, 26-foot beam, nearly 11-foot depth of hold) allowed it to fit precisely within the canal's lock chambers.

The National Marine Sanctuary System, encompassing 18 underwater parks across over 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters, plays a crucial role in safeguarding America's premier marine places. From Washington state to the Gulf of America, and from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Islands, these sanctuaries protect and manage iconic marine environments and their associated maritime heritage. By investing in innovative solutions, the system aims to strengthen these places against 21st-century challenges, while also supporting commerce and tourism. These unique locations are designed to inspire people to visit, value, and actively steward the nation's ocean and Great Lakes waters.

The schooner Lookout sank on April 29, 1897, around 4 AM. While sailing north from Chicago to Masonville (now Little Bay de Noc, Michigan) without cargo, it encountered a fierce northeast gale and came too close to Twin Rivers Point (now Rawley Point), stranding 200 yards off the beach, approximately five miles north of Two Rivers. Life Saving Service patrolman Gagnun discovered the wreck at 5 AM. Despite the severe storm conditions making it impossible to launch a surfboat from the station, two teams of horses were acquired to transport a surfboat and beach apparatus to the scene. Fearing the ship would break up before rescue, Captain John Olson ordered his seven-man crew to abandon ship in the yawl at 7:00 AM. All crew members safely reached shore, shortly before the rescue team arrived at 7:30 AM.

Today, the wreck site of the schooner Lookout lies partially embedded in a bed of quicksand, in 11 to 15 feet of water, approximately 4.35 miles northeast of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, off Point Beach State Forest in Lake Michigan. The bow and most of the ship’s lower hull remain intact and protected within a fine, gelatinous, soft sand. Near the stern, the quicksand transitions to a hard, sandy bottom. The visible wreckage is well-preserved, having been recently uncovered from the sand in the summer of 2015. While the stern and portside bow sections are likely still buried, the deck machinery and rigging were salvaged shortly after the wreck in 1897.

The Lookout Shipwreck is located in Lake Michigan, off the coast of Two Rivers, Wisconsin, at 44° 11.707' N, 87° 30.596' W.

The shipwreck is located 4.35 miles northeast of Two Rivers, off Point Beach State Forest. The wreck is partially embedded in sand and rests in 11 to 15 feet of water.

Both state and federal laws protect the Lookout shipwreck and other historic sites within the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. These laws prohibit divers from removing artifacts or any part of the structure when visiting the site. Any act of removing, defacing, displacing, or destroying artifacts or the sites themselves is considered a crime. These protections ensure the preservation of these invaluable maritime heritage resources for future generations and research.

The Pathfinder's string of bad luck culminated on the night of November 17, 1886. While in tow of the steam barge Jim Sheriffs, loaded with 1,200 tons of iron ore, it encountered an enormous gale and snowstorm north of Rawley Point. The Pathfinder iced up and its towline broke. Despite several attempts by the Jim Sheriffs' captain to re-establish the tow, the severe sea conditions made it impossible. The schooner ultimately went ashore in a bed of quicksand at approximately 4 a.m. on November 18, 1886, off the Point Beach State Forest coast.

No, the Pathfinder is not visible from shore.

The sanctuary's main goals are stewardship of the nation's maritime heritage, research, resource protection, and education. It also aims to promote recreation and heritage tourism in partnership with local communities. Activities include mapping the lakebed using sonar, conducting archaeological assessments, installing real-time wind-and-wave buoys for boating safety, developing educational programs for teachers and the public, creating an advisory council, and planning to install moorings at shipwreck sites to facilitate diving and protect the wrecks from anchor damage.

The Pathfinder shipwreck lies in 15 feet of water in a bed of quicksand off the coast of Two Creeks, Wisconsin. It was discovered in 2013 by Suzze Johnson, a powered parachute operator, who had a clear view of the wreck from the sky. Although the hull structure has split and twisted, most of the vessel’s lower hull remains intact, along with its cargo of iron ore. Many of its upper deck works, rigging, and anchors were salvaged shortly after its grounding, but major structural components like its centerboard trunk and keelson structure are still present, making it an excellent site for divers, kayakers, and snorkelers.

The Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, designated in 2021, is a protected area in Lake Michigan co-managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the state of Wisconsin. It encompasses 962 square miles along 82 miles of Wisconsin's coast, protecting 36 known historic shipwreck sites and an estimated 60 more yet to be discovered. These wrecks, dating from the 1830s to the 1930s, represent vessels crucial to the nation's development and are considered nationally important archaeological resources due to the cold, fresh water of Lake Michigan preserving many of them in excellent condition.

The Tubal Cain is one of the 36 historic shipwreck sites located within the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary, which was designated in 2021. This sanctuary, co-managed by NOAA and the state of Wisconsin, provides stewardship for maritime heritage in Lake Michigan. The inclusion of sites like the Tubal Cain within the sanctuary expands opportunities for research, resource protection, and education, and helps promote recreation and heritage tourism on a national stage.

The Tubal Cain was partially insured for between $10,000 and $18,000, and its cargo was insured for $37,500. On December 6, 1867, the remains of the vessel were sold to Jonah Richards, Esq. for $800. It is unclear if Richards intended to salvage the vessel, as no further documentation of its actions could be found.

The National Marine Sanctuary System safeguards America's premier marine places, protecting 18 underwater parks spanning over 629,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes waters across various regions. By investing in innovative solutions, the system aims to strengthen these iconic places to address 21st-century challenges while simultaneously supporting American commerce and tourism. These unique locations inspire people to visit, value, and steward the nation's iconic ocean and Great Lakes waters.

The Tubal Cain's final voyage occurred on November 26, 1867. While carrying 18,000 bushels of wheat from Milwaukee, it went ashore near Two Rivers, Wisconsin. The wreck was attributed to a combination of harsh weather conditions that morning – a hard southeastern wind, rain, and heavy fog – and careless navigation. Fortunately, all crew members survived the initial grounding. However, a northeast gale later that evening washed away her cabin, and by Tuesday, she had settled so deeply into the sand that her deck was ten feet underwater. Only her anchors and rigging could be salvaged.

Today, the remains of the Tubal Cain are located 1.33 miles northeast of the Two Rivers, Wisconsin harbor entrance, approximately 300 feet offshore, on a heading of 120 degrees. The wreck rests in 7 to 10 feet of water, lying on an even keel. Its port and starboard sides are intact up to the deck shelf, but the deck and bulwark are no longer present. The shifting sands of Rawley Point have recently exposed the vessel, contributing to its well-preserved state and lack of invasive mussel colonization. The keel and lower hull appear unbroken, suggesting the upper hull sections may still be buried in the sand.