DeTour Reef Light is a lighthouse in Chippewa County, Michigan. It sits roughly 56 km (35 mi) NE of Cheboygan. Its recorded tower height is about 19 m (62 ft). It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The DeTour Reef Light is a non-profit-operated lighthouse marking the southern entrance of the DeTour Passage between the eastern end of Michigan's Upper Peninsula and Drummond Island. The light is an automated active aid to navigation. It marks the northern end of Lake Huron. The passage is used by almost all of the Great Lakes commercial freighter traffic moving to and from Lake Superior, with approximately 5,000 vessel movements annually. It is said to be "the gateway to Lake Superior." In addition, many recreational boaters use the passage. The Light is located in Lake Huron, three miles (5 km) south of the nearest town, DeTour Village, Michigan.From the Wikipedia article “DeTour Reef Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At DeTour Reef 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 67° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:40 AM | 90° E | 7:48 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:46 AM | 54° NE | 9:31 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 45m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:23 AM | 89° E | 7:35 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:15 AM | 124° SE | 4:54 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:41 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:02 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:51 PM | 9h 03m |
| February | 7:09 AM | 7:39 AM | 8:22 AM | 5:20 PM | 6:02 PM | 6:33 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:11 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:19 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:42 PM | 8:22 PM | 8:54 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:30 AM | 6:05 AM | 6:48 AM | 8:18 PM | 9:01 PM | 9:36 PM | 14h 57m |
| June | 5:07 AM | 5:45 AM | 6:31 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:29 PM | 10:07 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 5:23 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:45 AM | 8:39 PM | 9:24 PM | 10:01 PM | 15h 24m |
| August | 6:03 AM | 6:36 AM | 7:17 AM | 8:05 PM | 8:46 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:15 AM | 7:54 AM | 7:10 PM | 7:49 PM | 8:19 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:34 AM | 6:10 PM | 6:51 PM | 7:21 PM | 10h 58m |
| November | 7:04 AM | 7:37 AM | 8:22 AM | 4:20 PM | 5:06 PM | 5:38 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:37 AM | 8:11 AM | 9:01 AM | 4:02 PM | 4:52 PM | 5:26 PM | 8h 40m |
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 DeTour Reef 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:52 AM – 6:02 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:43 AM – 4:53 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:45 AM – 3:45 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:11 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:42 AM | 1.8 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:45 PM – 11:45 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:32 PM – 9:42 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 ≈ 21.94 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 66% average cloud cover) and May as the cloudiest (82%). 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 | 44 | 53 | 68 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 87 | 85 | 83 | 76 | 64 | 57 |
| Low °F | -8 | -16 | -7 | 12 | 29 | 36 | 45 | 51 | 40 | 31 | 15 | 0 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.0 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 2.5 | 2.3 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 DeTour Reef Light, closest first.
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National Wildlife Refuge
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph DeTour Reef Light?
What time is golden hour at DeTour Reef Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at DeTour Reef Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from DeTour Reef Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at DeTour Reef Light?
How far is DeTour Reef Light from Cheboygan?
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.