Plan to make a detour on your next trip "Up North". Once you've crossed the Mighty Mack and before you make your way to the famous Castle Rock, make sure you allow time for a stop at Chief Wawatam Park in St. Ignace.

Once inside the park you'll find a mesmerizing and immersive attraction as you become part of a large human-sized sundial! There's something about this installation that just fascinates me. According to science site LifeLab.org here's how it works:

Get our free mobile app

To use it a person stands on the appropriate month marked on the ground and their shadow is cast on a numbered marker that tells the time.

It's definitely worth a stop if you're out exploring St. Ignace or waiting for the nearby Star Line Mackinac Island Ferry! Even more impressive is the fact that the sundial is so big you can even see it via satellite image:

via Google Maps
via Google Maps
loading...

Also located within Chief Wawatam Park is a splash pad, fishing platform, several hands-on activities for the kids, and of course the famous Chief Wawatam Lighthouse at the end of the pier.

About Chief Wawatam

Chief Wawatam was a 1700s Ojibwa chief who famously rescued English fur trader Alexander Henry and the two quickly became close to maintain relations between the tribe and the British.

The vessel the SS Chief Wawatam was also a coal-fired ship that operated as a train and passenger ferry, and ice-breaker throughout the Straits of Mackinac between St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.

Weird Sculptures Spotted From Michigan Roads

More From 1240 WJIM AM