Gull Island Light is a lighthouse in Bayfield County, Wisconsin. It lies in or next to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore, so park hours, fees and rules apply. It sits roughly 43 km (27 mi) NE of Washburn. Its recorded tower height is about 15 m (49 ft).
Gull Island Light is a steel skeletal tower with an automated navigational beacon on Gull Island in Lake Superior, within Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Ashland County, Wisconsin. Proposals for a light on or near Gull Island date to 1863, but the beacon was not established until 1929. During the intervening decades, several vessels grounded or were wrecked on the shoals around Gull and nearby Michigan Island.From the Wikipedia article “Gull Island Light (Wisconsin)”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Gull 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 67° in summer but only 20° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:06 AM | 90° E | 7:14 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 09m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:08 AM | 53° NE | 9:01 PM | 307° NW | 67° | 15h 53m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:49 AM | 89° E | 7:01 PM | 271° W | 43° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:45 AM | 125° SE | 4:16 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 | 7:09 AM | 7:44 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:51 PM | 4:40 PM | 5:14 PM | 8h 56m |
| February | 6:36 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:50 AM | 4:43 PM | 5:26 PM | 5:58 PM | 10h 19m |
| March | 6:45 AM | 7:16 AM | 7:56 AM | 6:27 PM | 7:07 PM | 7:38 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:43 AM | 6:15 AM | 6:56 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:50 PM | 8:22 PM | 13h 35m |
| May | 4:52 AM | 5:28 AM | 6:12 AM | 7:46 PM | 8:30 PM | 9:06 PM | 15h 03m |
| June | 4:28 AM | 5:07 AM | 5:55 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:59 PM | 9:38 PM | 15h 51m |
| July | 4:45 AM | 5:23 AM | 6:09 AM | 8:08 PM | 8:54 PM | 9:32 PM | 15h 31m |
| August | 5:27 AM | 6:00 AM | 6:42 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:14 PM | 8:48 PM | 14h 14m |
| September | 6:10 AM | 6:40 AM | 7:20 AM | 6:36 PM | 7:16 PM | 7:46 PM | 12h 35m |
| October | 6:50 AM | 7:20 AM | 8:02 AM | 5:35 PM | 6:16 PM | 6:47 PM | 10h 56m |
| November | 6:33 AM | 7:06 AM | 7:52 AM | 3:42 PM | 4:29 PM | 5:02 PM | 9h 23m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:33 AM | 3:23 PM | 4:14 PM | 4:50 PM | 8h 33m |
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 Gull 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 | 5:30 AM – 5:30 AM | 0.0 | 11° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 3:23 AM – 4:13 AM | 0.8 | 13° | SSE → SSE |
| May | 1:30 AM – 3:00 AM | 1.5 | 14° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:55 PM – 2:05 AM | 2.2 | 14° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 11:30 PM – 1:00 AM | 1.5 | 14° | S → SSW |
| August | 10:17 PM – 10:57 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 July as the clearest month (about 58% average cloud cover) and December as the cloudiest (76%). 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 | 42 | 52 | 72 | 76 | 86 | 89 | 98 | 93 | 89 | 80 | 68 | 54 |
| Low °F | -25 | -24 | -24 | 9 | 25 | 36 | 44 | 44 | 33 | 18 | 1 | -16 |
| Precip. (in) | 1.2 | 1.4 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 3.8 | 4.2 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 2.0 | 1.9 |
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.
Permits, drones & access
National Park Service rules. Under federal law (54 U.S.C. 100905), still photography in National Park Service areas needs a permit only when it (1) takes place where members of the public are not allowed, (2) uses models, sets or props that are not part of the location's natural or cultural resources or administrative facilities, or (3) would cause the park to incur additional administrative costs to monitor the activity. Ordinary visitor and most landscape photography needs no permit. Commercial filming rules are separate and have changed in recent years — confirm current requirements with the park before a paid shoot.
Drones: Launching, landing or operating unmanned aircraft (drones) is prohibited in National Park Service units under a 2014 Superintendent's closure (36 CFR 1.5), except where a park has issued specific written approval. Flying from outside the boundary over park land can also violate park rules and disturb wildlife.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Gull Island Light, closest first.
Lighthouse
Wilderness Area
Lighthouse
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Gull Island Light?
What time is golden hour at Gull Island Light?
Where does the sun rise and set at Gull Island Light?
Can you see the Milky Way from Gull Island Light?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Gull Island Light?
How far is Gull Island Light from Washburn?
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.