Gravelly Shoal Light is a lighthouse in Arenac County, Michigan. It sits roughly 28 km (17 mi) S of Tawas City. Its recorded tower height is about 20 m (66 ft). It dates from 1939.
Gravelly Shoal Light is an automated lighthouse that is an active aid to navigation on the shallow shoals extending southeast from Point Lookout on the western side of Saginaw Bay. The light is situated about 2.7 miles (4.3 km) offshore and was built to help guide boats through the deeper water between the southeast end of Gravelly Shoals and Charity Island. Architecturally this is considered to be Art Deco style.From the Wikipedia article “Gravelly Shoal Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gravelly Shoal Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 56° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (NW) in June to 238° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 69° in summer but only 23° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:52 AM | 56° NE | 9:21 PM | 305° NW | 69° | 15h 29m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:33 PM | 271° W | 46° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:07 AM | 123° ESE | 4:59 PM | 238° WSW | 23° | 8h 53m |
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 | 7:34 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:52 AM | 4:36 PM | 5:22 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 15m |
| February | 7:05 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:15 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:34 PM | 10h 30m |
| March | 7:19 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:26 AM | 7:02 PM | 7:40 PM | 8:09 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 6:21 AM | 6:52 AM | 7:30 AM | 7:39 PM | 8:18 PM | 8:48 PM | 13h 26m |
| May | 5:36 AM | 6:09 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:27 PM | 14h 45m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:36 AM | 8:35 PM | 9:20 PM | 9:56 PM | 15h 28m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:06 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:33 PM | 9:16 PM | 9:51 PM | 15h 10m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:19 AM | 8:01 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 14h 02m |
| September | 6:45 AM | 7:14 AM | 7:52 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:47 PM | 8:16 PM | 12h 33m |
| October | 7:20 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:29 AM | 6:13 PM | 6:52 PM | 7:21 PM | 11h 03m |
| November | 6:59 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:14 AM | 4:26 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 39m |
| December | 7:30 AM | 8:03 AM | 8:50 AM | 4:10 PM | 4:57 PM | 5:31 PM | 8h 55m |
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 Gravelly Shoal Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from March through September. June gives the longest window (about 3.7 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 17° 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 | — | 8° | — |
| March | 5:27 AM – 6:07 AM | 0.7 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 5:03 AM | 1.7 | 16° | SSE → S |
| May | 1:28 AM – 3:58 AM | 2.5 | 17° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:44 PM – 3:24 AM | 3.7 | 17° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:30 PM – 2:00 AM | 2.5 | 17° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:32 PM – 12:02 AM | 1.5 | 16° | S → SSW |
| September | 9:25 PM – 9:55 PM | 0.5 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 8° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -2° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.76 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 60% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (81%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 51 | 61 | 78 | 78 | 87 | 91 | 95 | 94 | 90 | 87 | 69 | 60 |
| Low °F | -15 | -19 | -12 | 3 | 24 | 34 | 42 | 42 | 35 | 25 | 12 | -8 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
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 Gravelly Shoal Light, closest first.
Sand Dunes
LighthouseSand DunesSand Dunes
LighthouseSand DunesSand DunesFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gravelly Shoal Light?
What time is golden hour at Gravelly Shoal Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gravelly Shoal Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gravelly Shoal Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gravelly Shoal Light?
How far is Gravelly Shoal Light from Tawas City?
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.