Copper Harbor Light — a lighthouse in Keweenaw County, Michigan at about 184 m (604 ft) above sea level — is a popular subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. It sits roughly 51 km (32 mi) ENE of Laurium. Its recorded tower height is about 19 m (62 ft). It dates from 1848. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Copper Harbor Light is a lighthouse located in the harbor of Copper Harbor, Michigan USA on the Keweenaw Peninsula of Upper Michigan inside Fort Wilkins Historic State Park. It is a Michigan State Historic Site and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.From the Wikipedia article “Copper Harbor Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Copper Harbor Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 53° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 235° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 19° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:55 AM | 89° E | 8:04 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 53° NE | 9:53 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 58m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:37 AM | 125° SE | 5:04 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 26m |
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 | 8:01 AM | 8:35 AM | 9:25 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:28 PM | 6:02 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:42 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:35 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:41 PM | 9:13 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:37 PM | 9:22 PM | 9:58 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:55 AM | 6:43 AM | 9:03 PM | 9:51 PM | 10:31 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:24 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:31 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:25 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:11 AM | 8:53 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:05 PM | 7:36 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:24 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:44 AM | 4:30 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:57 AM | 8:33 AM | 9:26 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:02 PM | 5:37 PM | 8h 28m |
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 Copper Harbor Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 1.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 14° 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 | — | -6° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:20 AM – 6:20 AM | 0.0 | 10° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:25 AM – 5:05 AM | 0.7 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:24 AM – 3:44 AM | 1.3 | 13° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:55 AM – 2:45 AM | 1.8 | 14° | SSE → S |
| July | 12:26 AM – 1:46 AM | 1.3 | 13° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:09 PM – 11:39 PM | 0.5 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 9° | — |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -4° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.94 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.0+ to show low on the northern horizon here.
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show March as the clearest month (about 77% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (87%). 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 | 40 | 41 | 53 | 52 | 58 | 64 | 80 | 73 | 73 | 65 | 55 | 49 |
| Low °F | -2 | -8 | -2 | 15 | 27 | 35 | 39 | 47 | 41 | 31 | 13 | 8 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 2.6 | 2.5 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 2.5 | 2.8 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
Drones: Drone rules in state parks vary by state and even by park — many require a permit or ban recreational drone flights. Check the park's rules and the FAA B4UFLY app before flying.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Copper Harbor Light, closest first.
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LakeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Copper Harbor Light?
What time is golden hour at Copper Harbor Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Copper Harbor Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Copper Harbor Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Copper Harbor Light?
How far is Copper Harbor Light from Laurium?
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.