The Sturgeon Bay Canal has two lights at its Lake Michigan entrance: the red North Pierhead Light on the breakwater and the taller Canal Light set back on shore. Together they are the most photogenic reminder that the canal is a working shortcut across the peninsula.
Access is limited around the Coast Guard station, but the lower breakwater and nearby natural areas give good views. Go when the lake is calm; wind off Lake Michigan can make the pier feel much wilder than the map suggests.