The Mystery of 'Lost Rock' at Douglas Beach, Lake Michigan

This one is a mystery to me and I hope someone can shed some background on this.

It’s the famous “Lost Rock” located offshore in Lake Michigan at Douglas Beach. The town of Douglas sits southwest of Saugatuck and “Lost Rock” is located south of the beach at Reid’s Point.

So why is this called “Lost” Rock? I found plenty of old photos and postcards showing the rock, but no information; just comments like “the famous Lost Rock at Douglas Beach”…..but no explanation why it’s called ‘lost’.

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The only conclusion I came up with is because it sits all by itself just a few feet in the water along the coastline. Sitting there, it looks like it got ‘lost’ from all the other rocks and therefore is lonesome.

Kids have played here hiding behind the rock, tourists have taken the time to pose with it, and others just take pictures of the lone rock by itself. A photo from 1910 shows initials and dates carved into the side. Some photos show the rock in the water, others show it looking beached on the shoreline.

I just want to know if my assumption is correct – that it got its name due to the fact that it looks like it got lost after straying from the tribe. Take a look at the gallery below…and if you or someone you know has any forthcoming details on this rock, let me know. Is there some kind of Native American legend behind it?

Whatever it is, it has acquired a certain amount of notoriety.