The Paulding Light

Michigan · United States · Road

Every clear night, look for the parked cars. Over the next rise, as soon as the sun is down, a red light appears along the old railway grade.

The Paulding Light appears along an old railway grade and power line in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and it is one of the most reliable light phenomena in the country.

The instructions are simple. On any clear night, look for the parked cars. Over the next hill, as soon as the sun goes down, a red light appears in the distance.

Cold spots are reported on the viewing hill.

The local explanation involves a railway brakeman with a lantern.

Students from Michigan Tech investigated it properly. Using a telescope, they resolved the light into the headlights and tail lights of cars on a highway several miles away, visible along the straight cut of the power line and distorted by air layers. They reproduced it on demand by driving a car along that stretch.

The light is still there and people still come every night, which is the honest ending to this and to a great many entries here.

The site is public forest road.

FAQ

Where is The Paulding Light located?

The Paulding Light is in Michigan, United States.