Gull Rock Light Station — a lighthouse in Keweenaw County, Michigan — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. The nearest town is Houghton, about 76 km (47 mi) away (Gull Rock Light Station lies ENE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 14 m (46 ft). It dates from 1867. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Gull Rock Light Station is an active lighthouse located on Gull Rock, just west of Manitou Island, off the tip of Michigan's Keweenaw Peninsula in Lake Superior. The light was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, even as its condition deteriorated, resulting in its placement on the Lighthouse Digest Doomsday List.From the Wikipedia article “Gull Rock Light Station”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gull Rock Light Station 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 | 8:03 PM | 271° W | 42° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:54 AM | 53° NE | 9:52 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 57m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:38 AM | 89° E | 7:50 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:36 AM | 125° SE | 5:03 PM | 235° SW | 19° | 8h 27m |
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 | 8:00 AM | 8:34 AM | 9:24 AM | 4:37 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:02 PM | 8h 53m |
| February | 7:25 AM | 7:57 AM | 8:41 AM | 5:31 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:46 PM | 10h 17m |
| March | 7:34 AM | 8:05 AM | 8:45 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:56 PM | 8:27 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:03 AM | 7:44 AM | 7:58 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 37m |
| May | 5:38 AM | 6:15 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 06m |
| June | 5:14 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:42 AM | 9:02 PM | 9:50 PM | 10:30 PM | 15h 56m |
| July | 5:31 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:56 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:45 PM | 10:23 PM | 15h 35m |
| August | 6:14 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:22 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 17m |
| September | 6:58 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:09 AM | 7:24 PM | 8:05 PM | 8:36 PM | 12h 36m |
| October | 7:39 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:52 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:04 PM | 7:35 PM | 10h 55m |
| November | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 20m |
| December | 7:56 AM | 8:32 AM | 9:25 AM | 4:09 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:37 PM | 8h 29m |
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 Gull Rock Light Station, 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.
- 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 Gull Rock Light Station, closest first.
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LighthouseLighthouseFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gull Rock Light Station?
What time is golden hour at Gull Rock Light Station?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gull Rock Light Station?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gull Rock Light Station?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gull Rock Light Station?
How far is Gull Rock Light Station from Houghton?
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.