Granite Island Lighthouse is a lighthouse in Marquette County, Michigan. The nearest town is Trowbridge Park, about 18.4 km (11.4 mi) away (Granite Island Lighthouse lies N of town). Its recorded tower height is about 15 m (49 ft). It dates from 1868. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Because it was positioned near the busy shipping lanes of the mid-19th century, a lighthouse was built on Granite Island in 1868 by the U.S. Lighthouse Board and commissioned in 1869. The lighthouse keeper's dwelling and the square tower attached to it are built of cut stone with white limestone decorations on the corners and windows. The 11⁄2-story dwelling shares its design with lighthouses found on Gull Rock and Huron Islands Lighthouse as well as the Marquette Harbor Light. There is an existing Fog Signal Building, which was constructed in 1910 to replace the one originally built in 1879. It is made of structural steel and is a bell tower. The fog bell was the one from the light at Thunder Bay Island Light, and was removed. in 1939. Lighthouse keepers and assistant keepers operated Granite Island Light until 1937 when the facility was automated and the living quarters were...From the Wikipedia article “Granite Island Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Granite Island Lighthouse the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 54° (NE) at the June solstice and 125° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 307° (NW) in June to 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:54 AM | 90° E | 8:02 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:57 AM | 54° NE | 9:48 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 51m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:37 AM | 89° E | 7:49 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:32 AM | 125° SE | 5:05 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 33m |
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 | 7:57 AM | 8:31 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:40 PM | 5:29 PM | 6:03 PM | 8h 58m |
| February | 7:24 AM | 7:55 AM | 8:38 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:15 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 20m |
| March | 7:33 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:44 AM | 7:15 PM | 7:55 PM | 8:26 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:57 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:09 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:40 AM | 6:16 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:34 PM | 9:18 PM | 9:53 PM | 15h 02m |
| June | 5:17 AM | 5:56 AM | 6:43 AM | 8:59 PM | 9:46 PM | 10:25 PM | 15h 50m |
| July | 5:34 AM | 6:11 AM | 6:57 AM | 8:55 PM | 9:41 PM | 10:19 PM | 15h 30m |
| August | 6:15 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:20 PM | 9:02 PM | 9:35 PM | 14h 13m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:08 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:03 PM | 8:34 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:37 AM | 8:08 AM | 8:49 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:20 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:39 AM | 4:31 PM | 5:17 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 24m |
| December | 7:53 AM | 8:28 AM | 9:20 AM | 4:12 PM | 5:03 PM | 5:38 PM | 8h 34m |
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 Granite Island Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.3 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 6:07 AM – 6:17 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:10 AM – 5:00 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:16 AM – 3:56 AM | 1.7 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:38 AM – 2:58 AM | 2.3 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:15 AM – 1:55 AM | 1.7 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:03 PM – 11:53 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:48 PM – 9:48 PM | 0.0 | 10° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.79 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 3.5+ 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 68% average cloud cover) and January 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 | 42 | 49 | 69 | 73 | 84 | 86 | 92 | 92 | 86 | 77 | 65 | 54 |
| Low °F | -14 | -16 | -10 | 11 | 26 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 35 | 23 | 6 | -7 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.9 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 3.5 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
- Tell someone where you're going in remote areas and carry the ten essentials.
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 Granite Island Lighthouse, closest first.
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LighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Granite Island Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Granite Island Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Granite Island Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Granite Island Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Granite Island Lighthouse?
How far is Granite Island Lighthouse from Trowbridge Park?
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.