The "State Stone" a Petoskey
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The Petoskey Stone is a coral that lived
350 million years ago during the Devonian Age when the northern part of
Michigan was covered with a sea of warm water. The scientific name is
Hexagonaria porcarinata (Hexagonaria meaning having six sides). The
Petoskey stone can be found in Michigan from the shores of Traverse City
across the state to Alpena. It can be found in gravel pits, on road
beds, and on the shores of Lake Michigan from Traverse City north.
Leelanau County has many good beaches to look for the "state stone".
Early spring is a good time to look for the stone after the ice has
melted along the shore. Each year, as the ice of Lake Michigan breaks up
and the wind shifts the ice back and forth, it pushes a new crop of
fossils to shore. During the summer months the best time to look for the
stone is after a wind storm or during a mist rain when the stones will
show the fossil pattern more clearly. You can find them on "our
beach" Christmas Cove, Peterson Park, Leelanau State Park, also at Grand
Traverse Lighthouse.
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This lighthouse marks the end of the Leelanau
Peninsula and has guided ships in the Manitou Passage of Lake Michigan
for nearly 150 years making it one of the oldest on the Great Lakes.
This lighthouse is sponsored by the Grand Traverse Lighthouse Foundation
and features a historic and educational museum resembling a lighthouse
keeper's home of the 1920s and 30s with a variety of exhibits depicting
a broad spectrum of maritime and local history. You can also now become
a Guide and a working hand at the light house, so contact the volunteer
keeper program for more details.
Grand Traverse Lighthouse
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