Located in Charlevoix County, Michigan, Beaver Island Head Light is a lighthouse. It sits roughly 38 km (23 mi) NW of Charlevoix. Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1858. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Beaver Head Light is located high on a bluff on the southern tip of Beaver Island. Boats trying to navigate North on Lake Michigan need to carefully work their way between Beaver Island and Gray's Reef. The 46-foot (14 m) cylindrical tower was built in 1858, to replace an 1852 tower. The decagonal lantern room offers panoramic vistas of the Lake. The tower is open to the public from 8:00 a.m. though 9:00 p.m. during the summer. In 1866, the attached yellow brick lighthouse keeper's dwelling was constructed. A frame addition was added to the keepers quarters to accommodate assistant keepers. In 1915, the 22-by-40-foot (6.7 m × 12.2 m) fog signal building was constructed. Other outbuildings on the grounds including an oil house, garage and storage building and outhouse. A radio beacon was placed in 1962, at which time the station was decommissioned and declared surplus. That...From the Wikipedia article “Beaver Island Head Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Beaver Island Head Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (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 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 55° NE | 9:36 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 42m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:30 AM | 89° E | 7:42 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:20 AM | 124° SE | 5:02 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 41m |
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 | 7:46 AM | 8:20 AM | 9:07 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 05m |
| February | 7:15 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:27 AM | 5:28 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 | 7:49 PM | 8:28 PM | 8:59 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:24 PM | 9:07 PM | 9:41 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:48 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:12 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:53 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:06 PM | 15h 21m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:44 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:52 PM | 9:24 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:52 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 | 6:18 PM | 6:58 PM | 7:28 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:10 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:28 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:42 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:06 AM | 4:10 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 8h 43m |
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 Head Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:47 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:47 AM – 4:57 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:47 AM – 3:57 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:10 AM – 3:10 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:53 PM – 1:53 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:48 PM – 11:58 PM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:37 PM – 9:57 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.92 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
- 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.
- Moonrise or the Milky Way over the tower makes a classic night composition; plan with the azimuth tables.
- Check road and trail conditions with the managing agency before you go.
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 Head Light, closest first.
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National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Beaver Island Head Light?
What time is golden hour at Beaver Island Head Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Beaver Island Head Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Beaver Island Head Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Beaver Island Head Light?
How far is Beaver Island Head Light from Charlevoix?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, 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.