Located in Mackinac County, Michigan, Wawatam Lighthouse is a lighthouse. The nearest town is Saint Ignace, about 900 m away (Wawatam Lighthouse lies E of town). Its recorded tower height is about 52 m (171 ft). It dates from 1998.
Wawatam Lighthouse is an automated, modern lighthouse that guards the harbor of St. Ignace, Michigan, in the Straits of Mackinac. Originally completely nonfunctional, it was erected in 1998 by the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) near Monroe, Michigan as a roadside attraction at a welcome center that greeted northbound drivers on Interstate 75 (I-75). After serving in this capacity for six years, the structure was threatened in 2004 when MDOT decided to rebuild the welcome center and demolish the tower.From the Wikipedia article “Wawatam Lighthouse”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Wawatam Lighthouse 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° (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) | 7:43 AM | 90° E | 7:51 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:49 AM | 54° NE | 9:33 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 44m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:26 AM | 89° E | 7:38 PM | 271° W | 44° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 8:18 AM | 124° SE | 4:57 PM | 236° WSW | 21° | 8h 39m |
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 | 7:44 AM | 8:17 AM | 9:05 AM | 4:33 PM | 5:21 PM | 5:54 PM | 9h 04m |
| February | 7:12 AM | 7:42 AM | 8:25 AM | 5:23 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:36 PM | 10h 23m |
| March | 7:23 AM | 7:53 AM | 8:32 AM | 7:05 PM | 7:45 PM | 8:14 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 6:22 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:34 AM | 7:45 PM | 8:25 PM | 8:57 PM | 13h 32m |
| May | 5:33 AM | 6:08 AM | 6:51 AM | 8:21 PM | 9:04 PM | 9:39 PM | 14h 56m |
| June | 5:11 AM | 5:49 AM | 6:35 AM | 8:45 PM | 9:32 PM | 10:10 PM | 15h 43m |
| July | 5:27 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:49 AM | 8:42 PM | 9:27 PM | 10:04 PM | 15h 23m |
| August | 6:07 AM | 6:39 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:22 PM | 14h 10m |
| September | 6:48 AM | 7:18 AM | 7:57 AM | 7:13 PM | 7:52 PM | 8:22 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 7:26 AM | 7:56 AM | 8:37 AM | 6:14 PM | 6:55 PM | 7:25 PM | 10h 59m |
| November | 7:07 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:25 AM | 4:24 PM | 5:09 PM | 5:41 PM | 9h 29m |
| December | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 9:04 AM | 4:05 PM | 4:55 PM | 5:30 PM | 8h 41m |
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 Wawatam Lighthouse, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 2.8 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 | — | -4° | — |
| February | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| March | 5:44 AM – 6:04 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:45 AM – 4:55 AM | 1.2 | 14° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:46 AM – 3:46 AM | 2.0 | 15° | SSE → S |
| June | 12:11 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.8 | 15° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:52 PM – 1:52 AM | 2.0 | 15° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:46 PM – 11:46 PM | 1.0 | 14° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 9:34 PM – 9:44 PM | 0.2 | 11° | SSW → SSW |
| October | Below 10° in darkness | — | 6° | — |
| 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 ≈ 21.93 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 December as the cloudiest (81%). July 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 | 44 | 55 | 75 | 74 | 82 | 85 | 91 | 88 | 86 | 82 | 69 | 58 |
| Low °F | -15 | -18 | -10 | 6 | 27 | 33 | 44 | 46 | 37 | 28 | 13 | -6 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.8 | 1.7 | 1.8 | 3.2 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.9 | 3.1 | 3.5 | 4.2 | 2.6 | 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 Wawatam Lighthouse, closest first.
State Park
Sand Dunes
Mountain Peak
Lake
State ParkSand Dunes
Lighthouse
Natural Arch
LighthouseCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Carp River Campground18.6 km (11.6 mi) · reservable
- Lake Michigan At St. Ignace24 km (15 mi) · reservable
- Brevoort Lake Campground25 km (16 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Wawatam Lighthouse?
What time is golden hour at Wawatam Lighthouse?
Where does the sun rise and set at Wawatam Lighthouse?
Can you see the Milky Way from Wawatam Lighthouse?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Wawatam Lighthouse?
How far is Wawatam Lighthouse from Saint Ignace?
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.