Plum Island Range Lights — a lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin — is a classic subject for landscape photographers. It is part of Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge. It sits roughly 49 km (31 mi) S of Escanaba. It dates from 1896.
The Plum Island Range Lights are a pair of range lights located on Plum Island in Door County, Wisconsin. Plum Island was transferred to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service in 2007 and became part of the Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Plum Island is seasonally open to the public for day-time use.From the Wikipedia article “Plum Island Range Lights”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Plum Island Range Lights the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 55° (NE) at the June solstice and 124° (ESE) 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) | 6:52 AM | 90° E | 7:00 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 08m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 5:01 AM | 55° NE | 8:40 PM | 306° NW | 68° | 15h 40m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 6:36 AM | 89° E | 6:47 PM | 271° W | 45° | 12h 12m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:25 AM | 124° ESE | 4:08 PM | 237° WSW | 21° | 8h 43m |
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 | 3:45 PM | 4:31 PM | 5:04 PM | 9h 07m |
| February | 6:20 AM | 6:50 AM | 7:32 AM | 4:34 PM | 5:15 PM | 5:46 PM | 10h 25m |
| March | 6:32 AM | 7:01 AM | 7:40 AM | 6:15 PM | 6:54 PM | 7:23 PM | 11h 52m |
| April | 5:32 AM | 6:03 AM | 6:43 AM | 6:54 PM | 7:34 PM | 8:04 PM | 13h 30m |
| May | 4:44 AM | 5:19 AM | 6:02 AM | 7:29 PM | 8:11 PM | 8:46 PM | 14h 53m |
| June | 4:22 AM | 5:00 AM | 5:46 AM | 7:53 PM | 8:38 PM | 9:16 PM | 15h 38m |
| July | 4:39 AM | 5:15 AM | 5:59 AM | 7:50 PM | 8:34 PM | 9:10 PM | 15h 19m |
| August | 5:18 AM | 5:50 AM | 6:30 AM | 7:16 PM | 7:57 PM | 8:29 PM | 14h 07m |
| September | 5:57 AM | 6:27 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 | 5:24 PM | 6:04 PM | 6:34 PM | 11h 00m |
| November | 6:15 AM | 6:47 AM | 7:32 AM | 3:35 PM | 4:20 PM | 4:52 PM | 9h 32m |
| December | 6:47 AM | 7:21 AM | 8:10 AM | 3:17 PM | 4:06 PM | 4:40 PM | 8h 45m |
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 Plum Island Range Lights, 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 | 4:53 AM – 5:13 AM | 0.3 | 12° | SSE → SSE |
| April | 2:52 AM – 4:12 AM | 1.3 | 15° | SSE → S |
| May | 12:51 AM – 3:01 AM | 2.2 | 16° | SSE → S |
| June | 11:13 PM – 2:23 AM | 3.2 | 16° | SSE → SSW |
| July | 10:56 PM – 1:06 AM | 2.2 | 16° | S → SSW |
| August | 9:53 PM – 11:03 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 ≈ 21.89 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
- 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.
- 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 Plum Island Range Lights, closest first.
Lighthouse
Lighthouse
National Wildlife Refuge
Lighthouse
Dark Sky Place
Sand Dunes
Wilderness Area
National Wildlife Refuge
State ParkFAQ
When is the best time to photograph Plum Island Range Lights?
What time is golden hour at Plum Island Range Lights?
Where does the sun rise and set at Plum Island Range Lights?
Can you see the Milky Way from Plum Island Range Lights?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Plum Island Range Lights?
How far is Plum Island Range Lights 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.