Great Road Trips  – 13 of America’s Best Lighthouses

Last Updated on February 272026

By Ray Jones

Ray Jones is an expert on U.S. lighthouses. He is the author of four books on the subject
including Lighthouses of New EnglandLighthouses of the Southern States
Lighthouses of the Great Lakesand Lighthouses of the West Coast.

Very likely tucked away among your most pleasant memories is an evening stroll along a U.S. beach with the flash of a lighthouse beacon calling from a distance.

IncreasinglyAmerican travelers are answering that call by including U.S. lighthouses among their destinations. Romantichistoricaland invariably graced with a gorgeous settingAmerican lighthouses are also wonderful places for a road trip.

In addition to all the abovelighthouses offer visitors a refreshing dose of authenticity. In factthere is little contrived or touristy about them. (Readers should note that the U.S. as of July 2023 the U.S. government is giving away or auctioning several lighthouses in New England).

Having survived storms and pounding waves for up to two centuriesmany of these visually impressive structures are still doing the job for which they were initially builtthat of guiding vessels along the coast and away from dangerous reefssandbarsand other dangerous obstacles.

Included below are more than a dozen especially interesting and scenic American lighthouses. Since it’s impossible to include all those in Americayou can add your favorites in the comments at the end of this story.

Bass Harbor HeadMaine (1858)

Among the most picturesque U.S. lighthousesBass Harbor Head Light is seen and photographed yearly by countless thousands of visitors to Acadia National Park. Clinging to a rocky promontorythe structure consists of a small white tower attached to a modest dwelling.

Established before the Civil Warthe light marks the entrance to Blue Hill Bay on the west side of Mount Desert Island. It also assists vessels moving in and out of Bass Harbor. Fishermen and pleasure boaters watch for its red lightwhich briefly winks every four seconds.

While the lighthouse is closed to visitorsthey are welcome to walk the grounds and clamber over the colorful rocks that drop into the Atlantic.

This area features some of the tastiest lobster on our planetso visitors should not leave without sampling one or more of these delicious crustaceansperhaps accompanied by an ear of corn and a slice or two of Maine blueberry bread. Travel information is available from www.nps.gov/acad/ or a wide variety of other sources.

Bass Harbor Head Lighthouse

116 Lighthouse Road
Bass HarborME 04653
Tel: (207) 288-3338
Open 9am-7pm daily
https://www.nps.gov/acad/planyourvisit/bass-harbor-head-light-station.htm

Cape CodMassachusetts (1828)

Like a whirlpool of sand in the oceanCape Cod sweeps seaward from the far southeast corner of Massachusetts. It then arches to the north and finally curls back on itself about 20 miles due east of Plymouth.

Deposited by glaciers that blanketed New England during much of the last 100,000 yearsthe sands of the Cape are constantly on the movewearing down in one area and building up in another. The land has only a tenuous hold on this place as the ocean seems always poised to rush in and reclaim the Cape as its own.

Cape Cod is just the sort of place in the U.S. where you would expect to find lighthousesand the Cape can boast an abundance of them. The Cape Cod Lightalso known as the Highland Lightis the most prominent. The tower stands on a high bluff near Truroand its beaconsituated 183 feet above the seacan be seen from up to 23 miles.

For sailors emerging from the dark reaches of the AtlanticCape Cod Light is also often the first visual evidence that the North American continent is near. For more information on the Cape Cod Lighthouse and other nearby historic beaconsvisit the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/caco/planyourvisit/guiding-lights.htm.

Cape Cod Lighthouse

27 Highland Light Road
North TruroMA 02652
Tel: (508) 404-9117
Open: daily 9am-5pm
https://www.highlandlighthouse.org/

Cape MayNew Jersey (1824)

The 157-foot tower of the Cape May Lighthouse soars above the flatsandy New Jersey coast and the blue Atlantic beyond. Although the light station was established in 1824today’s lighthouse was built in 1859. Its distinctive white tower has faithfully served mariners and attracted admiring visitors ever since.

Like several other lighthouses in the stormy northeast U.S.it also features storm-resistant double-wall construction. The giant tower is 27 feet wide at the base and precisely half that at the top. Not surprisinglythese dimensions lend the building a graceful appearance and may account for its extraordinary stability.

On most daysvisitors are welcome to climb the tower steps. It is said that more than a few marriage proposals have been offered andone may hopeaccepted at the top. Plenty of travel advice is available the National Park Service and other internet sources.

Cape May Lighthouse

215 Light House Avenue
Cape MayNJ 08204
Tel: (609) 224-6066
Open: daily 10am-4pm
https://capemaymac.org

Cape HatterasNorth Carolina (1803)

At Cape Hatteras on the North Carolina Banks stands what is likely the most famous lighthouse in Americaor anywherebut it might have vanished years ago except for an extraordinary effort in the 1990s to save it from the hungry tides. Initiallythe Cape Hatteras Lighthouse was located almost a quarter mile from the ocean.

Stillstorm-driven waves sweeping along the face of sandy Hatteras Island cut ever closer to the foundation of the massive tower. Eventuallythe surf threatened to undermine its foundation. In factthis historic national treasure would have toppled onto the beach if nothing had been done to save the old tower.

Fortunately for those who love U.S. lighthouses and for mariners who have depended on their guidance for more than 200 yearsthe Cape Hatteras Lighthouse still guides seafarers. Its light still shines each nightflashing white every 7.5 seconds from an elevation of 191 feet above high water.

In clear weatherit can be seen from 24 miles away. Listed on the National Register of Historic Placesthe old lighthouse remains a much-loved attraction of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. For information on the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras Lighthouse visitsalso check the National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/caha/.

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

46379 Lighthouse Road
BuxtonNC 27920 (Hatteras Island)
Tel: (252) 473-2111
Open: year-round but programs change (check the Calendar for present programs/hours) at https://www.nps.gov/caha/planyourvisit/hours.htm

Ponce de LeonFlorida (1887)

Named for the Spanish explorer who sought the fabled Fountain of Youththe Ponce de Leon Lighthousewith its sturdy brick towerwas completed in 1887. Its powerful flashing white light also proved extremely useful to marinersfilling an extensive 95-mile dark gap between the St. Augustine Lighthouse to the north and Cape Canaveral Lighthouse to the south. Initiallythe light was produced by whale-oil lamps.

The Ponce de Leon Lighthouse is a delight for lovers of U.S. history and ocean scenery. On most daysthe 168-foot tower is open and can be climbed by anyone hardy enough to manage the winding staircase.

Several of the keeper’s houses display fascinating exhibitsand together they also form one of the best lighthouse museums on the entire East Coast. On display in the lens exhibit building are a magnificent first-order lens served at the Cape Canaveral Lighthouse and a smaller but impressive third-order lens that once brightened the nearby tower.

Ponce de Leon Lighthouse

4931 South Peninsula Drive
Ponce InletFL 32127
Tel: (386) 761-1821
Open: daily 10am-9pm
https://www.ponceinlet.org/

Point IsabelTexas (1852)

Built during the 1850s on the site of an old army camp used by General Zachery Taylor and his troops during the Mexican Warthe Point Isabel Lighthouse would later provide the backdrop for the last battle of the American Civil War.

Union forces used the tower as an observation post as the blue and gray armies grappled with one another at the Battle of Palmetto Ranch on May 131865. Ironicallythe Southerners won the battle only to learn they had already lost the war. General Robert E Lee had surrendered at Appomattox weeks earlier.

Since it was deactivated in 1905this U.S. lighthouse now serves as the primary attraction of a Texas state park. Even after over a century of disusethe 57-foot brick tower and its original third-order lens remain in surprisingly good condition. Restored in 1996 for historical reasonsthe lighthouse is once again operational.

Point Isabel Lighthouse

421 E Queen Isabella Boulevard
Port IsabelTX 78578
Tel: (956) 943-0735
Open: daily 10am-9pm
http://portisabellighthouse.com

MarbleheadOhio (1821)

Built over 200 years agoMarblehead Lighthouse is the oldest active navigational light on the Great Lakes. The Marblehead beacon has flashed out over a lot of history since it was placed in service in 1821only a few years after a U.S. fleet won a decisive victory over the British at the Battle of Lake Erie. Fought just north of Marblehead in September 1813this critical naval battle enabled the United States to retain its hold on much of the Great Lakes.

Over its more than two centuries of operationthe Marble Head beacon has guided countless large and small vessels and saved hundredsif not thousandsof lives. During all that timethe old stone tower has changed very little. Late in the nineteenth centuryits height increased from 55 to 65 feetbut otherwiseit looks much as it has since 1821. Fitted with a fourth-order lensit displays a flashing green light.

The Marblehead Lighthouse is so historic and impressive that it merits its state park. This U.S. lighthouse and its six-acre park are a few miles east of Port ClintonOhio.

Marblehead Lighthouse

110 Lighthouse Drive
MarbleheadOH 43440
Tel: (419) 798-4074
Open: daily24 hours per day
www.marbleheadlighthouseohio.org

Big SableMichigan (1867)

During its early daysLudingtonMichiganhad one of the most unusual fog signals in the country. A metal horn made in the shape of a long bugle stood beside a railroad trackand whenever a blanket of fog rolled in from Lake Michigana steam locomotive blew its whistle. Magnified by the hornthe train whistle could be heard for miles out on the lake.

Once the Big Sable Light was established just north of town in 1867this clever but makeshift device gave way to a more conventional foghorn. Then this new U.S. lighthouse was given a 107-foot brick tower and a powerful third-order lens so that lake sailors could be warned long before they were near enough to hear the foghorn.

About the turn of the 20th centurythe tower was encased in steel plates to protect its vulnerable bricks from the harsh Lake Michigan weather. 

The plates have done welland the tower has remained solid for a century. It is white with a broad black middle section to make it more distinctive as a day mark. Surrounded by shifting dunesBig Sable is one of the most scenic light stations in the country. For travel informationvisit www.michigan.gov/dnr.

Big Sable Lighthouse

8800 West M-116
LudingtonMI 49431Tel: (231) 845-7417
Open: Tuesday-Sunday 10am-5pm; closed Mondays
https://splka.org/

Split RockMinnesota (1910)

High on a Minnesota cliff overlooking Lake Superior stands one of the world’s loveliest edifices. It’s the yellow-brick tower of the Split Rock Lighthouse. Photographed millions of timesframed in countless postcardsand featured on the covers of hundreds of publicationsit is undoubtedly one of America’s best-known and most visited lighthouse destinations.

Surprisinglythis old U.S. lighthouse is no longer an official Coast Guard light station. But that does not deter the visitors who swarm here every day during the summer to enjoy this magnificent structure and the spectacular view from its highstony perch.

The octagonal tower is only 54 feet tallbut the cliff soars more than 120 feet over the lake. This places the light’s focal plane 168 feet above the lake and makes it one of the loftiest Great Lakes lighthouses. For additional informationvisit Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.

Split Rock Lighthouse
3713 Split Rock Lighthouse Road
Two HarborsMN 55616
Tel: (218) 226-6372
Open: daily 10am-6pm
https://www.mnhs.org/splitrock

New DungenessWashington (1857)

A five-mile-long blade of sand known as the Dungeness Spit cuts northward from the Olympic Peninsula and threatens vessels moving through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Rising only a few feet above high tidethe spit is also invisible to ships. To help prevent them from running agroundmaritime authorities established the New Dungeness Lighthouse here in 1857.

Both this U.S. lighthouse and the spit took their names from Dungeness Point in Englandcoincidentally famed for its magnificent lighthouse. Like its British namesakeDungeness Spit is also a ship killer; over the yearsmany vessels were lost in its sands. The list of ships wrecked on its sands is nearly endless. The New Dungeness Lightinitially focused by a classic crystal lensis now generated by a modern optic.

The lighthouse is accessible only by boat or a 5-mile hike along the scenic Dungeness Spita crucial part of the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge. This highly worthwhile adventure begins at the refuge parking area and takes about five hours roundtrip. Butimportantlyyou should only attempt the hike the in good weather at low tide. For more informationvisit www.newdungenesslighthouse.org.

New Dungeness Lighthouse

SequimWA 98382
Tel: (360) 683-6683
Open: daily 9am-5pm
https://newdungenesslighthouse.com/

Heceta HeadOregon (1894)

Establishing an unbroken string of maritime lights along the US West Coast took decades. One of the last dark stretches was 90 miles of bleak shoreline south of NewportOregon. The navigators of ships plying these waters found their way in the gloombut in the spring of 1894help arrived in the form of a bright maritime light shining from atop a 56-foot white masonry tower perched on the cliffs at Heceta Head.

The new Heceta Head Lighthouse had an exquisite first-order lens with 640 individual prisms. Originallythe light came from a five-wick coal-oil lampand a weighted cable powered the gears that turned the lampcausing the light to flash. Although the old lamp has long since given way to a million-candlepower electric bulbthe original classic lens still shines. Its beam flashes seaward from an elevation of more than 200 feet and is visible from up to 21 miles.

Among the most scenic U.S. lighthouses in the WestHeceta Head is understandably popular with photographers. It has an additional treat in store for travelers as the historic keeper’s quarters now serve as a delightful bed-and-breakfast inn. For more informationvisit www.hecetalighthouse.com.

Heceta Head Lighthouse

725 Summer Street
FlorenceOR 97439
Tel: (800) 551-6949
Open: daily 11am-5pm
https://www.hecetalighthouse.com/

East BrotherCalifornia (1874)

Built in 1874the classically Victorian East Brother Lighthouse now serves as a navigational light guiding vessel into San Pablo Bay. But it’s now also a famous bed-and-breakfast inn.

Located on a small island just off San Pablo Pointthis U.S. lighthouse marks the channel through the narrow and often treacherous San Pablo Straits linking the Sacramento River estuary to the open waters of the San Francisco Bay.

Unable to buy property on the mainland at an acceptable pricethe government resorted to building the station on tiny East Brother Island. Construction crews had to blast away much of the one-third-acre island to level the site. In factthere was hardly room to squeeze the combination two-story tower and dwelling and separate fog signal building. In 1967 the Coast Guard decided to automate the station. The plan was to place its light on a poleand tear down the old buildings. Local preservationists managed to save the structure andover timerestore the station to its original Victorian charm. The fifth-order light is still in operation.

East Brother Lighthouse

1900 Stenmark Drive
RichmondCA 94801
Tel: 510) 233-2385
Open: daily 9am-9pm
www.ebls.org

Point Pinos LighthouseCalifornia (1855)

Now surrounded by a lush golf coursethe Coast Guard now leases the West Coast’s oldest active lighthouse to the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural Historywhich uses it as a maritime museum.

Like many other early California lighthouses built during the 1850s by contractor Francis Gibbonsthis one consists of a Cape Cod– stone keeper’s residence with a conical brick tower rising through its roof. Originally granitethe Point Pinos Lighthouse was covered with reinforced concrete following the severe earthquake that devastated San Francisco and much of the central California coast in 1906. The third-order Fresnel lens in place here since 1855 still shines.

Counted among the West’s most important historical treasuresthis old U.S. lighthouse has played host to notables the likes of John Steinbeck and Robert Louis Stevenson. The station’s first keeperformer gold rush miner Charles Laytondied in a shoot-out with the notorious bandito Anastasio Garcia. Layton’s wife then took over as keeper.

While the lighthouse is open to the public only on Saturday and Sunday afternoonsit is viewable from many points along the Monterey Peninsula’s extraordinarily scenic Sunset Drive.

Point Pinos Lighthouse

80 Asilomar Avenue
Pacific GroveCA 93950
Tel: (831) 648-5722
Open: Friday 1pm-3pm / Saturday-Sunday 11am-3pm / closed Monday-Thursday
https://www.pointpinoslighthouse.org/

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Ray Jones’s books on lighthouses and other subjects may be purchased at your favorite bookstore or coastal gift shop. They can also be ordered directly from the publisher Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.