Beaver Island Harbor Light is a lighthouse in Charlevoix County, Michigan at about 179 m (587 ft) above sea level. It sits roughly 51 km (32 mi) NNW of Charlevoix. It dates from 1856.
Beaver Island Harbor Light (or St. James Light) is a lighthouse located in St. James, Michigan, on the northern end of Beaver Island on Lake Michigan. It has also been called "St. James Harbor Light" and "Whiskey Point Light". It is associated with a U.S. Coast Guard station, which was formerly a lifesaving station. The tower is constructed of Cream City Brick. Whiskey Point was originally named for the 1838 fur trading post that operated on the point, and for the commodity that was the post's chief item of sale. Soon afterward in the 1850s, St. James's Harbor on Beaver Island became established as a safe haven in a storm (an event quite common on Lake Michigan). The light was thus a natural extension of the emergency usage. The original light was constructed in 1856, and the light currently in use was constructed in 1870. At this time, the harbor is used by the Beaver Island ferry,...From the Wikipedia article “Beaver Island Harbor Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaver Island Harbor Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 236° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:46 AM | 90° E | 7:55 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:53 AM | 54° NE | 9:36 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 43m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:21 AM | 124° SE | 5:01 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 40m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
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.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:47 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:40 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:35 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:48 PM | 8:18 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:37 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:28 PM | 9:00 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:37 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:42 PM | 14h 55m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:12 PM | 15h 42m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:30 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 22m |
| August | 6:10 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 09m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:00 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:25 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:29 AM | 7:59 AM | 8:40 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:28 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:43 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:27 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 30m |
| December | 7:43 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:09 PM | 4:59 PM | 5:33 PM | 8h 42m |
Local time (America/Detroit), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Beaver Island Harbor Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 15° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 1 (excellent dark-sky site), which is excellent for astrophotography.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:47 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:48 AM – 4:58 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:49 AM – 3:49 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:14 AM – 3:04 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:55 PM – 1:55 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:49 PM – 11:49 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:37 PM – 9:47 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -20° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.93 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show September as the clearest month (about 61% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). August is the warmest month and February the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 43 | 41 | 55 | 60 | 67 | 73 | 78 | 78 | 75 | 73 | 60 | 55 |
| Low °F | 1 | -10 | -3 | 15 | 31 | 37 | 49 | 54 | 44 | 35 | 18 | 11 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.9 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 2.8 | 2.5 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this lighthouse
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Summer brings open towers and tours; autumn and winter offer storms, fewer crowds and lower sun angles.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Telephoto lens, ND filter for smooth water, Rain cover. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Beaver Island Harbor Light, closest first.
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Scenic Viewpoint
Sand Dunes
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LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaver Island Harbor Light?
What time is golden hour at Beaver Island Harbor Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaver Island Harbor Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaver Island Harbor Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaver Island Harbor Light?
How far is Beaver Island Harbor Light from Charlevoix?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, USGS GNIS / GeoNames, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.