Ghost ships, 40-foot water clarity & how to view them without scuba gear.

Book the 2-hour commercial Shipwreck Tours glass-bottom cruise out of Munising for narrated, floodlit overhead viewing. Paddlers can launch a sea kayak from Sand Point Beach on calm mornings (<1 ft waves) and paddle 2.5 miles along Grand Island's southern shore into Murray Bay. Tie off to the yellow Alger Preserve mooring buoy—never drop an anchor into the wooden deck.

Launch a sea kayak from the public ramp at Powell Point or Sand Point Beach in Munising. Paddle north into the East Channel on early summer mornings when winds blow from the south. Hover your kayak directly over the boiler; through polarized sunglasses, you can count the fire tubes and follow the massive propeller shaft stretching into the sand.

Park at the Hurricane River Campground day-use lot. Take the 1.5-mile trail east along the beach toward Au Sable Light Station. Look for the black iron spikes and heavy timber frames poking out of the sand dunes and surf. Wear wading shoes or water sandals to walk right up to the 100-foot hull section resting in 2 feet of transparent water.

Take the passenger ferry from Leland to South Manitou Island. Hike the 2-mile South Beach trail through cedar woods to the dune bluff directly overlooking the ship. On calm summer mornings with south/southwest winds under 8 knots, paddle a sit-on-top kayak or snorkel the outer hull perimeter. Do not board the vessel—the rusted steel is razor-sharp and structurally compromised.

Pack a mask, snorkel, and fins on the morning ferry from Leland to South Manitou. Walk 10 minutes east from the ferry dock along Sandy Point beach. Look out into the clear water for the dark silhouette of the hull just 15 yards out. Wade in and snorkel directly over the intact oak stem and heavy decking.

Drive to Forty Mile Point Lighthouse County Park north of Rogers City (free admission). Take the wooden boardwalk down to the shoreline and walk north 200 yards along the gravel. You will walk right up to the massive wooden hull section on the sand. On calm mornings, wade out with a mask and snorkel to inspect the submerged engine bed and lower ribs.

Park at the Besser Natural Area trailhead north of Alpena. Walk the 0.75-mile historic ghost town trail through towering white pines to Bell Bay's sandy beach. Launch a paddleboard or swim 100 yards straight out to the yellow seasonal NOAA mooring buoy; look down to trace the entire 150-foot outline through 8 feet of transparent water.

Board the Lady Huron glass-bottom catamaran at the Great Lakes Maritime Heritage Center in Alpena for a narrated 2-hour cruise. Experienced sea kayakers can launch from Partridge Point on calm days (<1 ft waves) and paddle 2.5 miles out to NOAA Buoy #7 to snorkel over the towering steam boiler.

Put in directly from the sandy beach at Alpena's Thomson Beach park (Blair Street Pier). Paddle 180 yards east toward the seasonal NOAA mooring buoy. Put on polarized sunglasses to cut the surface glare; follow the wooden keel line and examine the iron rudder hardware resting on the sandy floor.

Launch from Kiwanis Beach or the St. Ignace public boat launch early in the morning before commercial ferry wakes build in the bay. Paddle east along the shoreline; look straight down through 8 feet of water to trace the centerboard box and heavy oak ribs embedded in the sand.

Take the Drummond Island vehicle ferry from DeTour Village. Drive to the Whitney Bay public launch or Yacht Haven. Launch a kayak for an easy 1-mile paddle across glassy bay waters. Glide right alongside the protruding wooden ribs of the Troy and peer down at the tug engine machinery.

Visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum and historic 1861 lighthouse at Whitefish Point. Walk the gravel point where storms uncover heavy timber wash-ups. On calm summer mornings when Lake Superior wave buoys report wave heights under 1.0 foot, launch a sea kayak into the sheltered lee of Whitefish Bay to explore near-shore preserves.