Munising Rear Range Light is a lighthouse in Alger County, Michigan. The nearest town is Munising, about 1.1 km (0.7 mi) away (Munising Rear Range Light lies W of town). Its recorded tower height is about 33 m (108 ft). It dates from 1908.
The Munising Rear Range Light works with the Munising Front Range Light to project a line of light out into Lake Superior in order to guide boats from the open lake into the safe harbor at Munising, Michigan. This harbor is a natural bay (thus providing protection from easterly or westerly storms) and sheltered on the north by Grand Island. Grand Island however provides a serious navigation hazard, and as boats navigate in the East Channel, there are several dangerous rock ledges that have the potential to sink a vessel. This pair of range lights replaced the ineffective Grand Island East Channel Light in 1905. The history of these lighthouses is documented by Terry Pepper and is not reproduced here. The light is located on the hill south of the village of Munising. It is only a 33-foot (10 m) steel tower, but located up on the hill, it is 107 feet (33 m) above the lake level. It...From the Wikipedia article “Munising Rear Range Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Munising Rear Range 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° (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) | 7:51 AM | 90° E | 7:59 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:55 AM | 54° NE | 9:44 PM | 306° NW | 67° | 15h 49m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:34 AM | 89° E | 7:46 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:28 AM | 124° SE | 5:03 PM | 236° SW | 20° | 8h 35m |
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 | 7:53 AM | 8:27 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:38 PM | 5:27 PM | 6:00 PM | 9h 00m |
| February | 7:20 AM | 7:51 AM | 8:34 AM | 5:30 PM | 6:12 PM | 6:43 PM | 10h 21m |
| March | 7:30 AM | 8:00 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:29 AM | 7:00 AM | 7:41 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:06 PM | 13h 34m |
| May | 5:39 AM | 6:14 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:30 PM | 9:14 PM | 9:49 PM | 15h 00m |
| June | 5:15 AM | 5:54 AM | 6:41 AM | 8:55 PM | 9:42 PM | 10:21 PM | 15h 47m |
| July | 5:32 AM | 6:10 AM | 6:55 AM | 8:51 PM | 9:37 PM | 10:14 PM | 15h 27m |
| August | 6:13 AM | 6:46 AM | 7:28 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:58 PM | 9:31 PM | 14h 12m |
| September | 6:55 AM | 7:25 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:31 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:46 AM | 6:21 PM | 7:02 PM | 7:32 PM | 10h 57m |
| November | 7:16 AM | 7:49 AM | 8:35 AM | 4:29 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:48 PM | 9h 26m |
| December | 7:49 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:15 AM | 4:10 PM | 5:01 PM | 5:36 PM | 8h 37m |
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 Munising Rear Range Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.5 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 | 6:04 AM – 6:14 AM | 0.2 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 4:06 AM – 5:06 AM | 1.0 | 14° | SSE → S |
| May | 2:01 AM – 3:51 AM | 1.8 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:31 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.5 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 12:09 AM – 1:49 AM | 1.7 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:59 PM – 11:49 PM | 0.8 | 13° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:44 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.0 | 11° | 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: 1 Bortle 1 — Excellent dark-sky site. The Milky Way casts faint shadows; zodiacal light and airglow are obvious. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.92 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 | 40 | 45 | 67 | 69 | 80 | 82 | 90 | 85 | 83 | 77 | 63 | 53 |
| Low °F | -12 | -17 | -12 | 10 | 28 | 33 | 41 | 45 | 35 | 25 | 8 | -5 |
| Precip. (in) | 2.5 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 4.1 | 4.5 | 3.1 | 3.0 |
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
- 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.
- 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.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Munising Rear Range Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
Waterfall
State ParkWaterfall
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Grand Island National Recreation Area3.6 km (2.2 mi) · reservable
- Bay Furnace Campground4.4 km (2.8 mi) · reservable
- Grand Island Cabins8.4 km (5.2 mi) · reservable
- Au Train Lake Campground13.5 km (8.4 mi) · reservable
- Hovey Lake Campsites14.0 km (8.7 mi)
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Munising Rear Range Light?
What time is golden hour at Munising Rear Range Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Munising Rear Range Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Munising Rear Range Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Munising Rear Range Light?
How far is Munising Rear Range Light from Munising?
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.