Located in Charlevoix County, Michigan, Charlevoix South Pier Light Station is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Charlevoix, about 600 m away (Charlevoix South Pier Light Station lies WNW of town). Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1948. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Charlevoix South Pier Light Station is located on Lake Michigan at the entrance to Lake Charlevoix in Charlevoix County in the U.S. state of Michigan at the end of the south pier/breakwater of the channel leading to Round Lake in the city of Charlevoix.From the Wikipedia article “Charlevoix South Pier Light Station”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Charlevoix South Pier Light Station the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) 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) | 7:45 AM | 90° E | 7:54 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 55° NE | 9:33 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:29 AM | 89° E | 7:41 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:18 AM | 124° ESE | 5:02 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:04 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:25 PM | 5:58 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 7:13 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:27 PM | 6:09 PM | 6:39 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 7:25 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:34 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:17 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:26 AM | 6:57 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:47 PM | 8:27 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:12 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 5:16 AM | 5:53 AM | 6:39 AM | 8:46 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:09 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:52 AM | 8:43 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:03 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 6:11 AM | 6:43 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:09 PM | 8:50 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 6:51 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:59 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:54 PM | 8:24 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:28 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:38 AM | 6:17 PM | 6:57 PM | 7:27 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 7:08 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:28 PM | 5:13 PM | 5:45 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:15 AM | 9:04 AM | 4:11 PM | 5:00 PM | 5:34 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Charlevoix South Pier Light Station, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 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 4 (rural / suburban transition), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:46 AM – 6:06 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:45 AM – 5:05 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:44 AM – 3:54 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:06 AM – 3:16 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:49 PM – 1:59 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:46 PM – 11:56 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:35 PM – 9:55 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: 4 Bortle 4 — Rural / suburban transition. Light domes are visible in several directions; the Milky Way is clear but lacks detail near the horizon. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 20.88 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.
- Shoot RAW to keep the most latitude for high-contrast sunrise and sunset scenes.
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 Charlevoix South Pier Light Station, closest first.
Lighthouse
Sand Dunes
State Park
State Park
Lake
LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Charlevoix South Pier Light Station?
What time is golden hour at Charlevoix South Pier Light Station?
Where does the sun rise and set at Charlevoix South Pier Light Station?
Can you see the Milky Way from Charlevoix South Pier Light Station?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Charlevoix South Pier Light Station?
How far is Charlevoix South Pier Light Station 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.