The state park encompasses 183 acres (74 ha) at the end of a sand spit that forms Tawas Bay.

The park is home to the Tawas Point Light, which, although it has been remodeled several times, serves as the sole representative of a true Victorian-era style station built on the Great Lakes.

[3] The park was created after the lighthouse property was declared surplus by the United States Government.

[7] The park has been recognized as an important bird area by the National Audubon Society because it "[s]upports an incredible diversity and abundance of passerine migrants each spring and fall.

"[8] The park features a campground on Tawas Bay and water that is shallow and warm for swimming along two miles of sandy beach.