Huron Island Light — a lighthouse in Baraga County, Michigan — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Huron National Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is L'Anse, about 42 km (26 mi) away (Huron Island Light lies NE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 12 m (39 ft). It dates from 1868. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Huron Island Light is a lighthouse on Lighthouse Island, also known as West Huron Island, on Lake Superior near Big Bay, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as Huron Islands Lighthouse in 1975. The lighthouse, its island and neighboring islands are part of Huron National Wildlife Refuge and Huron Islands Wilderness, administered by the Seney National Wildlife Refuge unit of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).From the Wikipedia article “Huron Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Huron Island 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 236° (SW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 66° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:56 AM | 90° E | 8:05 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:58 AM | 53° NE | 9:51 PM | 307° NW | 66° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:39 AM | 89° E | 7:52 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:36 AM | 125° SE | 5:06 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 31m |
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 | 9:23 AM | 4:41 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:04 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 7:26 AM | 7:58 AM | 8:41 AM | 5:33 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:48 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 7:36 AM | 8:06 AM | 8:46 AM | 7:17 PM | 7:58 PM | 8:28 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:33 AM | 7:05 AM | 7:46 AM | 7:59 PM | 8:40 PM | 9:12 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 5:42 AM | 6:18 AM | 7:02 AM | 8:36 PM | 9:21 PM | 9:57 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 5:18 AM | 5:57 AM | 6:45 AM | 9:02 PM | 9:49 PM | 10:29 PM | 15h 52m |
| July | 5:35 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:59 AM | 8:58 PM | 9:44 PM | 10:22 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 6:17 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 8:23 PM | 9:05 PM | 9:38 PM | 14h 15m |
| September | 7:00 AM | 7:30 AM | 8:10 AM | 7:26 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:37 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:40 AM | 8:10 AM | 8:52 AM | 6:25 PM | 7:06 PM | 7:37 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 7:23 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:43 AM | 4:32 PM | 5:19 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:56 AM | 8:32 AM | 9:23 AM | 4:13 PM | 5:04 PM | 5:40 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Huron Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.2 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 | — | -5° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 5° | — |
| March | 6:20 AM – 6:20 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:13 AM – 5:03 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 2:20 AM – 3:50 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:45 AM – 2:55 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:20 AM – 1:50 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 11:07 PM – 11:47 PM | 0.7 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | Below 10° in darkness | — | 10° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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
- 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.
- Bring a spare battery — cold weather and long exposures drain them fast.
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: Launching or landing drones on National Wildlife Refuge lands generally requires a special use permit from the refuge manager, and wildlife disturbance rules apply everywhere.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Huron Island Light, closest first.
National Wildlife Refuge
Sand Dunes
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallWaterfallSand DunesWaterfallWaterfallFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Huron Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Huron Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Huron Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Huron Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Huron Island Light?
How far is Huron Island Light from L'Anse?
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.