Cana Island Light is a lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin. It sits roughly 38 km (24 mi) NE of Sturgeon Bay. Its recorded tower height is about 24 m (79 ft). It dates from 1869. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cana Island lighthouse is a lighthouse located just north of Baileys Harbor in Door County, Wisconsin, United States. Along with the Baileys Harbor Range Lights, the lighthouse was built to replace the Baileys Harbor Lighthouse in 1869 and was first lit in 1870. It is still used as an active navigational aid under the jurisdiction of the United States Coast Guard, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Since the 1970s, both the lighthouse and its keeper's quarters are open for visitors to tour by means of the Door County Maritime Museum. On August 9th, 2025, the island was hit by a storm and suffered severe damage, with around 30% of the island's trees being lost.From the Wikipedia article “Cana Island Light”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Cana Island Light the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 123° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 305° (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) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:02 AM | 55° NE | 8:40 PM | 305° NW | 68° | 15h 38m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:48 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 123° ESE | 4:10 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 45m |
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 | 6:51 AM | 7:24 AM | 8:11 AM | 3:46 PM | 4:33 PM | 5:05 PM | 9h 09m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:35 PM | 5:16 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 26m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:41 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:24 PM | 11h 53m |
| April | 5:33 AM | 6:04 AM | 6:44 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:46 AM | 5:20 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:28 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:45 PM | 14h 51m |
| June | 4:24 AM | 5:01 AM | 5:47 AM | 7:52 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:15 PM | 15h 36m |
| July | 4:40 AM | 5:16 AM | 6:00 AM | 7:49 PM | 8:33 PM | 9:09 PM | 15h 17m |
| August | 5:19 AM | 5:51 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 06m |
| September | 5:58 AM | 6:28 AM | 7:06 AM | 6:22 PM | 7:01 PM | 7:31 PM | 12h 34m |
| October | 6:35 AM | 7:04 AM | 7:45 AM | 5:25 PM | 6:05 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:36 PM | 4:21 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 34m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:19 PM | 4:08 PM | 4:41 PM | 8h 47m |
Local time (America/Chicago), 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 Cana Island Light, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from April through August. June gives the longest window (about 3.2 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 2 (typical truly dark 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 | 4:52 AM – 5:12 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:51 AM – 4:11 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:49 AM – 2:59 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:10 PM – 2:20 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:54 PM – 1:04 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:51 PM – 11:01 PM | 1.2 | 15° | SSW → SSW |
| September | 8:42 PM – 9:02 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: 2 Bortle 2 — Typical truly dark site. The summer Milky Way shows rich structure; clouds look like black holes in the stars. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.85 mag/arcsec². Aurora needs roughly Kp 4.5+ 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 61% average cloud cover) and November as the cloudiest (75%). July is the warmest month and January 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 | 45 | 53 | 73 | 75 | 83 | 87 | 93 | 95 | 88 | 80 | 67 | 57 |
| Low °F | -26 | -19 | -16 | 2 | 26 | 36 | 47 | 44 | 34 | 24 | 2 | -14 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.3 | 1.6 | 1.9 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 2.4 | 2.0 |
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.
- 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 Cana Island Light, closest first.
Sand Dunes
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
LighthouseSand Dunes
LakeSand Dunes
National Wildlife RefugeFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cana Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Cana Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Cana Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Cana Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Cana Island Light?
How far is Cana Island Light from Sturgeon Bay?
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.