St. Martin Island Light — a lighthouse in Delta County, Michigan — is a lesser-known subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge. The nearest town is Escanaba, about 36 km (22 mi) away (St. Martin Island Light lies SE of town). Its recorded tower height is about 23 m (75 ft). It dates from 1905. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
St. Martin Island Light is an exoskeleton lighthouse on St. Martin Island. It marks one of four passages between Lake Michigan and the bay of Green Bay. Constructed in 1905, this light tower is the only example in the US of a pure exoskeletal tower on the Great Lakes. Similar designs exist in Canada. Painted white, the hexagonal tower is made of iron plates which are supported by six exterior steel posts that have latticed buttresses. The cream city brick lightkeeper's house was modeled after that used for the Plum Island Range Lights. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 19, 1984, Reference #84001387 as St. Martin Light Station (U.S. Coast Guard/ Great Lakes TR). It is not on the state list/inventory. A steam fog signal was also installed. which was thereafter replaced by a diaphone. The lighthouse keeper's dwelling has been abandoned and "is in poor...From the Wikipedia article “St. Martin Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At St. Martin Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (SE) in late December. Sunset moves from 306° (NW) in June to 237° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 68° in summer but only 21° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:51 AM | 90° E | 8:00 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:59 AM | 55° NE | 9:40 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 41m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:35 AM | 89° E | 7:47 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:25 AM | 124° SE | 5:07 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 42m |
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 | 7:51 AM | 8:24 AM | 9:11 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:30 PM | 6:03 PM | 9h 06m |
| February | 7:19 AM | 7:50 AM | 8:32 AM | 5:32 PM | 6:14 PM | 6:45 PM | 10h 24m |
| March | 7:31 AM | 8:01 AM | 8:40 AM | 7:14 PM | 7:53 PM | 8:23 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:31 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:42 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:04 PM | 13h 31m |
| May | 5:43 AM | 6:17 AM | 7:00 AM | 8:28 PM | 9:11 PM | 9:46 PM | 14h 54m |
| June | 5:21 AM | 5:59 AM | 6:44 AM | 8:52 PM | 9:38 PM | 10:16 PM | 15h 40m |
| July | 5:37 AM | 6:13 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:49 PM | 9:34 PM | 10:10 PM | 15h 20m |
| August | 6:16 AM | 6:48 AM | 7:29 AM | 8:16 PM | 8:56 PM | 9:29 PM | 14h 08m |
| September | 6:56 AM | 7:26 AM | 8:05 AM | 7:21 PM | 8:00 PM | 8:30 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:34 AM | 8:04 AM | 8:44 AM | 6:23 PM | 7:03 PM | 7:33 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:15 AM | 7:47 AM | 8:32 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:18 PM | 5:50 PM | 9h 31m |
| December | 7:47 AM | 8:21 AM | 9:11 AM | 4:16 PM | 5:05 PM | 5:39 PM | 8h 44m |
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 St. Martin Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.0 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 16° 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| March | 5:52 AM – 6:12 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:52 AM – 5:02 AM | 1.2 | 15° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:52 AM – 4:02 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:15 AM – 3:15 AM | 3.0 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:58 PM – 1:58 AM | 2.0 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:53 PM – 12:03 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:42 PM – 10:02 PM | 0.3 | 12° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 7° | — |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | -3° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.9 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.0+ 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 61% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (75%). 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 | 43 | 42 | 52 | 53 | 63 | 73 | 79 | 79 | 74 | 68 | 59 | 52 |
| Low °F | -4 | -7 | -3 | 16 | 31 | 37 | 49 | 54 | 44 | 35 | 18 | 10 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.7 | 1.7 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.1 | 2.8 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
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 St. Martin Island Light, closest first.
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State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph St. Martin Island Light?
What time is golden hour at St. Martin Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at St. Martin Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from St. Martin Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at St. Martin Island Light?
How far is St. Martin Island Light from Escanaba?
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.