Top lighthouses
LighthouseAu Sable Light
LighthouseCheboygan Crib Light
LighthouseIsle Royale Light
LighthouseRock Harbor Light
LighthouseRound Island Light
LighthouseCopper Harbor Light
LighthouseCrisp Point Light
LighthouseEagle Harbor Light
LighthouseEagle River Light
LighthouseAlpena Light
LighthouseBeaver Island Harbor Light
LighthouseOld Mackinac Point Light
Lighthouses by county
- Alger County11
- Alpena County3
- Benzie County3
- Charlevoix County8
- Cheboygan County7
- Chippewa County6
- Delta County5
- Emmet County6
- Houghton County4
- Huron County4
- Keweenaw County15
- Leelanau County6
- Mackinac County6
- Marquette County8
- Muskegon County3
- Oceana County4
- Ottawa County3
- Presque Isle County4
- Saint Clair County3
- Schoolcraft County3
- Wayne County6
All lighthouses (138)
| Name | County | Elevation | Nearest town | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Au Sable LightPictured Rocks | Alger County | — | Munising | 1 |
| Cheboygan Crib Light | Cheboygan County | 177 m | Cheboygan | 4 |
| Isle Royale LightIsle Royale | Keweenaw County | 189 m | Houghton | 1 |
| Rock Harbor LightIsle Royale | Keweenaw County | 189 m | Houghton | 1 |
| Round Island Light | Mackinac County | 175 m | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Copper Harbor Light | Keweenaw County | 184 m | Laurium | 1 |
| Crisp Point Light | Luce County | 186 m | Newberry | 1 |
| Eagle Harbor Light | Keweenaw County | 183 m | Laurium | 1 |
| Eagle River Light | Keweenaw County | 186 m | Laurium | 1 |
| Alpena Light | Alpena County | 177 m | Alpena | 5 |
| Beaver Island Harbor Light | Charlevoix County | 179 m | Charlevoix | 1 |
| Old Mackinac Point Light | Cheboygan County | 178 m | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Old Presque Isle Light | Presque Isle County | 177 m | Rogers City | 1 |
| Passage Island LightIsle Royale | Keweenaw County | 183 m | Houghton | 1 |
| Pointe aux Barques Light | Huron County | 179 m | Harbor Beach | 2 |
| Rock of Ages LightIsle Royale | Keweenaw County | 183 m | Houghton | 1 |
| Saginaw River Rear Range Light | Bay County | 178 m | Essexville | 5 |
| Sand Hills Light | Keweenaw County | 190 m | Laurium | 1 |
| South Fox Island Light | Leelanau County | 180 m | Charlevoix | 1 |
| Squaw Island Light | Charlevoix County | 176 m | Manistique | 1 |
| Bois Blanc Light | Mackinac County | 180 m | Cheboygan | 1 |
| Windmill Point Light | Wayne County | 176 m | Grosse Pointe Park | 7 |
| Stannard Rock Light | Marquette County | — | Marquette | 1 |
| Mission Point Light | Grand Traverse County | — | Elk Rapids | 2 |
| Spectacle Reef Light | Cheboygan County | — | Cheboygan | 1 |
| Grand Island Harbor Rear Range Light | Alger County | — | Munising | 1 |
| Poe Reef Light | Cheboygan County | — | Cheboygan | 2 |
| Ludington Light | Mason County | — | Ludington | 5 |
| Wawatam Lighthouse | Mackinac County | — | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| South Haven Light | Van Buren County | — | South Haven | 5 |
| Charity Island Light | Arenac County | — | Tawas City | 2 |
| Charlevoix South Pier Light Station | Charlevoix County | — | Charlevoix | 4 |
| DeTour Reef Light | Chippewa County | — | Cheboygan | 1 |
| Detroit River Light | Wayne County | — | Gibraltar | 5 |
| Fort Gratiot Light | Saint Clair County | — | Port Huron | 5 |
| Forty Mile Point Light | Presque Isle County | — | Rogers City | 2 |
| Fourteen Foot Shoal Light | Cheboygan County | — | Cheboygan | 4 |
| Grand Island East Channel Light | Alger County | — | Munising | 1 |
| Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge Inner and Outer Lights | Alger County | — | Newberry | 1 |
| Grand Traverse Light | Leelanau County | — | Charlevoix | 1 |
| Granite Island Lighthouse | Marquette County | — | Trowbridge Park | 2 |
| Gravelly Shoal Light | Arenac County | — | Tawas City | 2 |
| Green Island Light | Menominee County | — | Menominee | 3 |
| Harbor Beach Light | Huron County | — | Harbor Beach | 2 |
| Holland Harbor Light | Ottawa County | — | Beechwood | 4 |
| Beaver Island Head Light | Charlevoix County | — | Charlevoix | 1 |
| Big Bay Point Light | Marquette County | — | Trowbridge Park | 1 |
| Big Sable Point Light | Mason County | — | Ludington | 3 |
| Manistee Pierhead lights | Manistee County | — | Manistee | 5 |
| Frankfort Light | Benzie County | — | Frankfort | 2 |
| South Manitou Island LighthouseSleeping Bear Dunes | Leelanau County | — | Frankfort | 1 |
| St. Helena Island Light | Mackinac County | — | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Grand Haven South Pierhead Entrance Light | Ottawa County | — | Grand Haven | 5 |
| New Presque Isle Light | Presque Isle County | — | Rogers City | 1 |
| Ontonagon Light | Ontonagon County | — | Ontonagon | 1 |
| Peche Island Rear Range Light | Saint Clair County | — | Marine City | 5 |
| Peninsula Point Lighthouse | Delta County | — | Escanaba | 3 |
| Point Betsie Light | Benzie County | — | Frankfort | 2 |
| Point Iroquois Light | Chippewa County | — | Sault Ste. Marie | 2 |
| Little Sable Point Light | Oceana County | — | Shelby | 3 |
| Little Traverse Light | Emmet County | — | Harbor Springs | 4 |
| Manistique East Breakwater Light | Schoolcraft County | — | Manistique | 4 |
| Manning Memorial Light | Leelanau County | — | Frankfort | 2 |
| Marquette Harbor Light | Marquette County | — | Marquette | 6 |
| McGulpin Point Light | Cheboygan County | — | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Menominee Pier Light | Menominee County | — | Menominee | 5 |
| Muskegon Breakwater Light | Muskegon County | — | Roosevelt Park | 5 |
| Muskegon South Pierhead Light | Muskegon County | — | Roosevelt Park | 5 |
| Port Austin Light | Huron County | — | Bad Axe | 2 |
| Port Sanilac Light | Sanilac County | — | Lexington | 3 |
| Sand Point Light | Delta County | — | Escanaba | 5 |
| Seul Choix Light | Schoolcraft County | — | Manistique | 1 |
| Keweenaw Waterway Upper Entrance Light | Houghton County | — | Hancock | 2 |
| Keweenaw Waterway Lower Entrance Light | Houghton County | — | Dollar Bay | 2 |
| William Livingstone Memorial Light | Wayne County | — | Grosse Pointe Park | 7 |
| Huron Island Light | Baraga County | — | L'Anse | 1 |
| St. Martin Island Light | Delta County | — | Escanaba | 1 |
| Sturgeon Point Light | Alcona County | — | Hubbard Lake | 1 |
| Tawas Point Light | Iosco County | — | East Tawas | 3 |
| Thunder Bay Island Light | Alpena County | — | Alpena | 2 |
| Waugoshance Light | Emmet County | — | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| White River Light | Muskegon County | — | Montague | 4 |
| White Shoal Light | Mackinac County | — | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Whitefish Point Light | Chippewa County | — | Sault Ste. Marie | 1 |
| Grand Island North Light | Alger County | — | Munising | 1 |
| Grays Reef Light Station | Emmet County | — | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Gull Rock Light Station | Keweenaw County | — | Houghton | 1 |
| Round Island Light | Chippewa County | — | Sault Ste. Marie | 1 |
| Middle Island Light | Alpena County | — | Alpena | 2 |
| North Manitou Shoal Light Station | Leelanau County | — | Greilickville | 1 |
| Ile Aux Galets | Emmet County | — | Harbor Springs | 1 |
| Lansing Shoals Light Station | Charlevoix County | — | Newberry | 1 |
| Manitou Island Light Station | Keweenaw County | — | Houghton | 1 |
| Martin Reef Light Station | Mackinac County | — | Cheboygan | 1 |
| Mendota Light | Keweenaw County | — | Laurium | 1 |
| Munising Rear Range Light | Alger County | — | Munising | 1 |
| Munising Front Range Light | Alger County | — | Munising | 1 |
| Poverty Island Light Station | Delta County | — | Escanaba | 1 |
| Presque Isle Harbor Breakwater Light | Marquette County | — | Marquette | 5 |
| Grassy Island Light | Wayne County | — | Wyandotte | 8 |
| St. Clair Flats Range Front Light | Saint Clair County | — | Pearl Beach | 5 |
| Copper Harbor Front Range Light | Keweenaw County | — | Laurium | 1 |
| North Manitou Island LightSleeping Bear Dunes | Leelanau County | — | Greilickville | 1 |
| Pipe Island Light | Chippewa County | — | Sault Ste. Marie | 1 |
| Pentwater South Pierhead Light | Oceana County | — | Hart | 3 |
| Pentwater North Pierhead Light | Oceana County | — | Hart | 3 |
| Jacobsville Lighthouse | Houghton County | — | Dollar Bay | 2 |
| Grand Haven North Pierhead Light | Ottawa County | — | Grand Haven | 5 |
| Saugatuck Harbour lighthouse | Allegan County | — | Douglas | 4 |
| St. Joseph North Pier Outer Light | Berrien County | — | Saint Joseph | 6 |
| Caseville Harbor Light | Huron County | — | Pigeon | 2 |
| Lake St. Clair light | Wayne County | — | Grosse Pointe Shores | 5 |
| Pentwater Light | Oceana County | — | Hart | 3 |
| Grand Marais Harbor of Refuge Outer Light | Alger County | — | Newberry | 1 |
| Saugatuck Harbor Lights | Allegan County | — | Douglas | 4 |
| Beaver Harbor Lighthouse | Charlevoix County | 177 m | Charlevoix | 1 |
| De Tour Lighthouse | Chippewa County | 177 m | Cheboygan | 1 |
| Manitou Island Lighthouse | Keweenaw County | 184 m | Houghton | 1 |
| Marquette Lighthouse | Marquette County | 184 m | Marquette | 6 |
| North Breakwater Lighthouse | Benzie County | 177 m | Frankfort | 2 |
| North Piech Lighthouse | Keweenaw County | 184 m | Laurium | 1 |
| Old Lighthouse | Presque Isle County | 177 m | Rogers City | 1 |
| Portage Entry Lighthouse | Houghton County | 184 m | Dollar Bay | 2 |
| Presque Isle Breakwater Lighthouse | Marquette County | 184 m | Marquette | 5 |
| Copper Harbor Rear Range Lighthouse | Keweenaw County | 184 m | Laurium | 1 |
| Lower Harbor Breakwall Lighthouse | Marquette County | 184 m | Marquette | 6 |
| Grosse Isle North Channel Front Range Lighthouse | Wayne County | 174 m | Riverview | 7 |
| Grand Island Harbor Lighthouse | Alger County | 184 m | Munising | 1 |
| Bay Furnace Lighthouse | Alger County | 184 m | Munising | 1 |
| Munising Front and Rear Range Lighthouse | Alger County | 193 m | Munising | 1 |
| Escanaba Lighthouse | Delta County | 177 m | Escanaba | 5 |
| Seul Choix Point Lighthouse | Schoolcraft County | 178 m | Manistique | 1 |
| Harbor Point Lighthouse | Emmet County | 179 m | Harbor Springs | 4 |
| McGulpin Point Lighthouse | Emmet County | 217 m | Saint Ignace | 1 |
| Beaver Island Lighthouse | Charlevoix County | 193 m | Charlevoix | 1 |
| Charlevoix Lighthouse | Charlevoix County | 177 m | Charlevoix | 4 |
| River Front Range Lighthouse | Cheboygan County | 183 m | Cheboygan | 4 |
| Manistee North Pierhead Lighthouse | Manistee County | 177 m | Manistee | 5 |
Sky = estimated Bortle class (1 darkest – 9 brightest).
Map
How to photograph lighthouses
Lighthouses work at both ends of the day: blue hour when the beacon is lit, and golden hour when white towers take on warm tones.
- During blue hour, use 5–15 second exposures to capture the beam; check whether the light is still active.
- Shoot from the beach or a jetty to place the tower against open sky and sea.
- Stormy weather and crashing surf add drama; keep a safe distance from waves on rocks and piers.
- A telephoto from across a bay compresses the tower against cliffs or the moon.
- Many lighthouses are on private or Coast Guard property — check public access and opening hours.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.