Lighthouses of the United States: Alaska

The U.S. purchased the vast territory of Alaska from Russia in 1867. However, there were no lighthouses in the territory until late in the 1800s, when the discovery of gold in Canada's neighboring Yukon Territory brought a rush of settlers and commerce to the southeastern coastal region. Eldred Rock Light is the only survivor from the first series of quickly-built wooden lighthouses. The other early lights were replaced in the 1920s and 1930s by an interesting group of Art Deco concrete towers.

Many of the lighthouses of southeastern Alaska have been transferred to local preservation groups, but there is no statewide preservation society. Because of Alaska's vigorous and generally wet climate, lighthouse restoration and maintenance is a major challenge.

ARLHS numbers are from the ARLHS World List of Lights. Admiralty numbers are from Volume G of the Admiralty List of Lights & Fog Signals. USCG numbers are from volume 6 of the U.S. Coast Guard List of Lights.

General Sources
Alaska Lighthouses
Excellent photos and informative accounts from Kraig Anderson.
Alaska Lighthouses
A large collection of fine photos by "The Lighthouse People," Sandra and Bob Shanklin.
Online List of Lights - U.S. West Coast
Photos by various photographers posted by Alex Trabas.
Photo Gallery from Around Juneau
Posted by the National Weather Service office in Juneau, this page has photos of five lighthouses of the Juneau region.
Historic Light Station Information and Photography - Alaska
Information and historic photos posted by the U.S. Coast Guard.
National Maritime Inventory - Alaska
National Park Service inventory of Alaska lighthouse data.
Point Retreat Light
Point Retreat Light Station, June 2007
Creative Commons photo by Brian Jackson
Ketchikan Area Lighthouses
Tree Point (2)
1935 (station established 1905). Active; focal plane 86 ft (26 m); white flash every 6 s. 66 ft (20 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern, attached to an oil house; solar-powered VRB-25 lens (1977). Lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted red. The lantern was transferred from the 1905 lighthouse. The original 4th order Fresnel lens (1905), removed in 1968, is on display at the Tongass Historical Museum in Ketchikan. A Coast Guard photo is at right, Trabas has an aerial photo by Michael Boucher, and a 2009 view from sea is available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the area. The Coast Guard has a photo of the original lighthouse. In November 2004 the light station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Located on the mainland overlooking the Revillagigedo Channel about 6 miles (10 km) north of the Canadian border, within the Misty Fjords National Monument (part of the Tongass National Forest). Accessible only by boat or float plane; best seen from the Inland Passage or on air tours from Ketchikan. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-012; Admiralty G6002; USCG 6-21840.
Black Rock
Date unknown (station established 1917). Active; focal plane 55 ft (17 m); white flash every 6 s. Described by the Coast Guard as "cylindrical house on pyramidal skeleton tower." No photo available. Located on a rock about 7 mi (11 km) southeast of the Mary Island lighthouse. Accessible only by boat, but there should be a good view from ships on the Inland Passage. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. Admiralty G6004; USCG 6-21930.
Tree Point Light
Tree Point Light; U.S. Coast Guard photo
Mary Island (2)
1937 (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 76 ft (23 m); white flash every 6 s. 61 ft (18.5 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower on the roof of square concrete fog signal building; 250 mm lens. The original 4th order Fresnel lens is on display at the Juneau-Douglas City Museum in Juneau. The lighthouse is reported to be in poor condition. Trabas has Michael Boucher's photo, a 2009 photo is available, but Google has only a fuzzy satellite view. Located on the northeast coast of Mary Island in the Revillagigedo Channel south of Ketchikan. Accessible only by boat or float plane, and landing is not easy. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-009; Admiralty G6006; USCG 6-21940
Lightship WLV-196 Umatilla
1946 (Defoe Shipbuilding, Bay City, Michigan). Deactivated in 1971. 128 ft (39 m) two-masted steel lightship; beam 9 m (30 ft); lantern on the front mast. Ship painted white. Tom LeCompte has contributed photos taken in 2004, Larry Myhre has a 2009 photo, and Google has a satellite view. The ship served at Pollack Rip and Nantucket Shoals in Massachusetts before being transferred to Umatilla Reef, Washington, in 1961. Long forgotten by lighthouse fans, the vessel was rediscovered by the Lightship Sailors Association in 2000. The Coast Guard has the history of the vessel's service. The ship was bought by Tom Faro, owner of Southeast Stevedoring, as a remote longshore camp for crews loading log ships. The ship was formerly moored at Pennock Island across the harbor from Ketchikan, but Anderson reports that in August 2007 it was moved to a new location north of the Ketchikan airport. Site status unknown; visits to the vessel can be arranged by contacting Tom LeCompte in Ketchikan. Owner/site manager: private. ARLHS ALK-013.
Guard Island (2)
1924 (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 74 ft (22.5 m); white flash every 10 s. 30 ft (9 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, centered on the roof of a square concrete oil house; DCB-24 aerobeacon. Lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted black. The keeper's house and other light station buildings were demolished in 1973. Larry Myhre's photo is at right, the Shanklins have additional aerial photos; Randal Byrd has a photo; Trabas has Michael Boucher's photo; SitNews, the Sitka newspaper, has a feature article on life at the station; and Google has a satellite view. The Coast Guard has a photo of the original lighthouse. In January 2004 the light station was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A preservation group, Guard Island Heritage, has been formed to seek ownership of the light station under NHLPA; the group has plans for restoration and tourist development. Lighthouse Digest has a 2001 article on the start of these efforts, as well as another photo. Located on a island in the entrance to the Tongass Narrows from Clarence Strait, 9 miles (15 km) northwest of Ketchikan. Accessible only by boat or float plane; boat tours from Ketchikan are available in the summer. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-008; Admiralty G6046; USCG 6-22300.
Guard Island Light
Guard Island Light, September 2009
Creative Commons photo by Larry Myhre

Wrangell-Petersburg Area Lighthouses
[Lincoln Rock (2) (Lincoln Rock West)]
1944 (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 58 ft (18 m); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 30 ft (9 m) square pyramidal steel skeletal tower built on the large concrete base of the 1903 lighthouse. No photo available, but Google has a fuzzy satellite view. The original lighthouse was abandoned in 1909 after being damaged by a storm. In 1911 a manned fog signal station was built on Lincoln Island about 440 yd (400 m) from the rock, and in 1944 a skeletal light tower was added. The fog signal station was demolished after being deactivated in 1968 and only foundations of the buildings remain along with the skeletal tower. Lighthouse Digest has historic photos, including a 1940s photo of the skeletal tower. Located at the western end of Clarence Strait about 55 miles (90 km) northwest of Ketchikan. Accessible only boat. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-024; Admiralty G6105; USCG 6-22470.
Cape Decision
1932. Active; focal plane 96 ft (29 m); white flash every 5 s. 76 ft (23 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on the roof of a square concrete fog signal building; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1996). The original 3rd order Fresnel lens is on display at the Clausen Museum in Petersburg. The lighthouse is white concrete; the lantern is painted black. A Coast Guard photo is at right, NWS Juneau has two photos, Anderson has good photos, and the Shanklins have a portfolio of aerial photos, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the cape. In 2004 ownership of the lighthouse was transferred to the Cape Decision Lighthouse Society, which is working to restore the light station. In 2005 the station was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Located at the southern end of Kuiu Island at the point between the entrances to the Chatham and Sumner Straits. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Cape Decision Lighthouse Society. ARLHS ALK-001; Admiralty G6286; USCG 6-1020.

Sitka Area Lighthouse
Rockwell
Date unknown. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 50 ft (15 m); continuous red light. 42 ft (13 m) octagonal wood tower with lantern and gallery, attached to a 1-story wood bed and breakfast inn. Duane and Shirleen Hymas have a good 2006 photo, Lisa Drummond has a 2008 photo, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. The lighthouse marks the Rockwell Reef, 100 yards (90 m) offshore. In 2010, the inn and lighthouse were for sale for $1.5 million; a year later the price had been reduced to $989,000. Located on Rockwell Island in Sitka harbor, about 3/4 mi (1.2 km) south of the city's waterfront. Accessible only by boat. Site and tower open, at least to guests of the inn. Owner/site manager: Rockwell Lighthouse Bed and Breakfast. ARLHS ALK-017; Admiralty G6393; USCG 6-24955.
Cape Decision Light
Cape Decision Light, March 2011
U.S. Coast Guard photo

Juneau Area Lighthouses
Five Finger Islands (2)
1935 (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 81 ft (24.5 m); white flash every 10 s. 68 ft (20.5 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern, centered on the roof of a square 1-story concrete keeper's house; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1997). Lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted black. One of Alaska's two oldest light stations. Anderson has an excellent page for the lighthouse, Bob Mattson has a good photo, and NWS Juneau has four photos, but the islands are only blurs in Google's satellite view. Preservationists in Juneau are working to restore the light station; a 1999 grant through the State of Alaska helped provide visitor access. In 2004 ownership of the light station was transferred to the preservation group, and the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2011, the station became a summer base for whale researchers. Located on a small island in Frederick Sound on the approaches to Juneau. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Juneau Lighthouse Association. ARLHS ALK-007; Admiralty G6342; USCG 6-23280.
** Sentinel Island (2)
1935 (station established 1902). Active; focal plane 86 ft (26 m); white flash every 10 s. 51 ft (15.5 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern, rising from the front of a square concrete fog signal building; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1997). The original 4th order Fresnel lens is on display at Alki Point Light in Seattle, Washington. The lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted red. The keeper's house was burned in 1971. Brian Hubbard's photo is at right, Trabas has Michael Boucher's photo, and another good closeup is available, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the island. One of Alaska's two oldest light stations. In 1998 a preservation group leased the lighthouse and opened it for custom day tours or overnight visitors. The society plans to establish a Southeast Alaska Maritime Interpretive Center. In April 2004 the light station was transferred to the Gastineau Channel Historical Society under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. Located on an island at the northern end of Favorite Channel about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of Juneau. Visible from AK 7. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Transportation to the light station can be arranged by Auke Bay Landing Craft, and the historical society offers tours during the summer months. Site and tower open for guided tours, group events, and overnight stays by appointment (call 907-586-5338). Owner/site manager: Gastineau Channel Historical Society. ARLHS ALK-011; Admiralty G6538; USCG 6-23850.

Sentinel Island Light
Sentinel Island Light, June 2011
Creative Commons photo by Brian Hubbard
Point Retreat (2)
1923 (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 63 ft (19 m); white flash every 6 s. 25 ft (7.5 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, mounted on the roof of a square concrete fog signal building. The original lantern was removed in the 1950s but replaced by a replica in 2004. Solar-powered 300 mm lens. Lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted black. 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house; a second keeper's house was demolished in 1966 to make way for a helicopter landing pad. Brian Jackson's photo is at the top of this page, Anderson has an excellent page with good photos, Larry Myhre has a distant view, and NWS Juneau also has two photos, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the point. In 2000 a dispute broke out over ownership of the light station; the Alaska Lighthouse Association wants to develop the site as a tourist attraction, but its plans were opposed by the U.S. Forest Service. ALA sought 1505 acres (609 ha) surrounding the lighthouse, and the administration wanted to lease only 10 acres (4 ha). In 2002, the 1505 acres were transferred to the ownership of the Association by act of Congress. ALA plans to locate a bed and breakfast in the keeper's house. In 2002, all the buildings were repainted by ALA volunteers. In July 2003 the lighthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. A replica of the original lantern room was under construction in 2010-11 and should be installed during the summer of 2011. Trabas has posted Michael Boucher's photo showing this work in progress. Located at the northernmost point of Admiralty Island west of Juneau, overlooking the entrance to the Lynn Canal. In 2004 a replica of the original lantern room was installed. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Site open, tower closed. Owner/site manager: Alaska Lighthouse Association. ARLHS ALK-010; Admiralty G6528; USCG 6-23955.

Haines Area Lighthouses
[Point Sherman (2)]
1981 (station established 1904). 6 m (20 ft) post light, also carrying two diamond-shaped daymarkers painted in and red and white checkerboard pattern. The 1-1/2 story wood keeper's house of the original light station survives nearby in poor condition. Google has only a very distant satellite view of the point. The original lighthouse was automated and reduced to a minor light in 1917. In 1932 it was replaced by a buoy offshore and presumably demolished. The present light stands on the original foundation. Located on a headland on the east side of the Lynn canal about 40 mi (65 km) northwest of Juneau. Accessible only by boat. Site open. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard (tower) and U.S. Forest Service (keeper's house). Site manager: Tongass National Forest. ARLHS ALK-015; USCG 6-23865.
Eldred Rock
1905. Active; focal plane 91 ft (28 m); white flash every 6 s. 56 ft (17 m) octagonal cylindrical wood tower with lantern and gallery, centered on the roof of 2-story octagonal wood keeper's house; solar-powered 250 mm lens. The original 4th order clamshell Fresnel lens was cleaned in 2001 and is on display at the Sheldon Museum in Haines. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery black; the keeper's house roof is a conspicuous red. Rob Evans's photo appears at right, Anderson has an excellent page for this lighthouse, Trabas has a good photo by Michael Boucher, and Arthur Chapman has a fine 2009 photo of the station, but Google has only a very distant satellite view. This is the oldest lighthouse in Alaska and the only survivor of a series of octagonal frame lighthouses built in the state between 1902 and 1905. The lighthouse has been reported to be in disrepair, but in 2005 the Coast Guard painted the building, fixed the roof, and did other minor maintenance. The museum has formed the Eldred Rock Lighthouse Committee to work for its restoration and hopes to request ownership under the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act. These plans have been held up by the U.S. Forest Service, which has refused to relinquish the land on which the station stands. Located in the Lynn Canal on the approaches to Haines. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Site and tower closed. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: Sheldon Museum and Cultural Center. ARLHS ALK-006; Admiralty G6543; USCG 6-23880.
Eldred Rock Light
Eldred Rock Light, Haines, June 2006
Creative Commons photo by Rob Evans
Battery Point
Date unknown (station established before 1917). Active; focal plane 60 ft (18 m); white flash every 4 s. Skeletal tower. No photo available, and Google has only a fuzzy satellite view of the point.. There is a reference to this light station in the 1917 U.S. Coast Pilot. Located on Battery Point, a low, rocky promontory at the mouth of Chilkoot Inlet about 4 mi (6.5 km) southeast of Port Chilkoot. Site open, tower closed. Admiralty G6548; USCG 6-23905.

Glacier Bay Area Lighthouse
Cape Spencer
1925. Active; focal plane 105 ft (32 m); white flash every 10 s. 25 ft (7.5 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, centered on the roof of a square concrete keeper's quarters and fog signal building; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1998). The original 3rd order Fresnel lens is on display at the Alaska State Museum in Juneau. Lighthouse painted white, lantern and gallery black; the keeper's house roof is a conspicuous red. NWS Juneau has two photos, Gabe Emerson has a view from the sea, Mike Criss has an aerial photo, and Google has a very distant satellite view. Located on the north side of the entrance to Cross Sound, the western approach from the Pacific to Juneau and Haines. Accessible only by boat or float plane. Site and tower closed. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve. ARLHS ALK-004; Admiralty G6508; USCG 6-1070.

Valdez-Cordova Area Lighthouses
Cape St. Elias
1916. Active; focal plane 85 ft (26 m); white flash every 10 s. 55 ft (17 m) square cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern and gallery, rising from the corner of a square concrete fog signal building; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1998). The original 3rd order Fresnel lens is on display at the Cordova Historical Museum in Cordova. 3-story brick keeper's quarters. The lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted red. Rasmus Velling's photo is at right, Anderson has a fine page for the lighthouse, the Coast Guard has a dramatic historic photo, Lighthouse Digest featured the lighthouse in December 2000, and Google has a satellite view. One of the most remote of all U.S. lighthouses. Endangered: the Shanklins found the lighthouse in poor condition. A new preservation group began restoration in summer 2000 by repairing the roof of the keeper's quarters and renovating the building for overnight stays. Located on the southwestern end of Kayak Island, which juts 25 miles (40 km) into the Pacific southeast of Prince William Sound. Accessible only by boat or helicopter. Site open, tower closed. Owner: U.S. Coast Guard. Site manager: Cape St. Elias Lighthouse Keepers Association. ARLHS ALK-005; Admiralty G6582; USCG 6-1100.
* Odiak Pharos
late 1970s. Active (privately maintained); focal plane 26 ft (8 m); continuous white light. 18 ft (5.5 m) octagonal tower with a small lantern centered on an observation deck at the top. Anderson has two photos, the Shanklins also have a photo, Lighthouse Digest has an article on the lighthouse, and Google has a fuzzy satellite view. This is the northernmost lighthouse in the U.S. It was built by Bob and Rose Arvidson, the original owners of the Cordova Rose Lodge. The current owners, Gaye and Gary McDowell, refurbished the lighthouse after buying the property in 1998. Located at 1315 Whitshed Road southwest of the Cordova waterfront. Site open, tower status uncertain. Owner/site manager: Cordova Rose Lodge. ARLHS ALK-018; Admiralty G6646; USCG 6-25625.
Cape St. Elias Light
Cape St. Elias Light, April 2006
Panoramio photo copyright Rasmus Velling; used by permission
Cape Hinchinbrook (2)
1934 (station established 1910). Active; focal plane 235 ft (71.5 m); white flash every 15 s. 67 ft (20 m) octagonal cylindrical reinforced concrete tower with lantern, attached to concrete fog signal building; solar-powered VRB-25 aerobeacon (1998). Lighthouse is white concrete; lantern painted black. 1-story reinforced concrete keeper's house. The original 3rd order Fresnel lens is on display at the Valdez Museum in Valdez. The museum has proposed to build a replica of the earlier (1910) light tower in downtown Valdez. Kebby Kelley has contributed a 2003 Coast Guard closeup photo, and the Coast Guard also has a historic photo, but Google has only a very distant satellite view of the cape. Located on the east side of the entrance to Prince William Sound from the Pacific about 65 miles (105 km) south of Valdez. Site and tower closed. Owner/site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-002; Admiralty G6592; USCG 6-1125.

Kenai Peninsula Lighthouse
* Homer Spit
Date unknown (before 1964). Active; focal plane 34 ft (10.5 m); green flash every 6 s. Approx. 26 ft (8 m) octagonal wood-shingled tower with lantern, mounted atop a 2-story motel. Building and tower painted gray, lantern red. The lantern is empty; the light is displayed from a short post on the lantern roof. A photo is available, Google has a satellite view, and the lighthouse also appears in a historic photo showing damage to the area following the 1964 Cook Inlet earthquake and tsunami. Homer is a town on the north side of the entrance to Kachemak Bay from Cook Inlet, south of Anchorage. Homer Spit is a 4.5 mi (7.5 km) gravel bar that extends across more than half the mouth of the bay. At the southeast end of the spit is a harbor, a ferry terminal of the Alaska Marine Highway, and a resort. The lighthouse is at the extreme end of the spit. Note: ARLHS incorrectly identifies this light with the faux lighthouse at the Salty Dawg Saloon. Site open, tower closed. ARLHS ALK-025; Admiralty G6708; USCG 6-26200.

Unimak Island Lighthouses
Note: Unimak, the largest and easternmost island of the Aleutian Islands, is separated from the mainland of the Alaska Peninsula by only a very narrow channel on the east end of the island. The much wider strait of Unimak Pass, at the western end of the island, is the principal route for vessels between the Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea. The historic light stations of Scotch Cap and Cape Sarichef guide vessels through the pass.
[Scotch Cap (4)]
Date unknown (station established 1903). Active; focal plane 110 ft (33.5 m); white flash every 6 s. Approx. 8 m (26 ft) square skeletal tower with an open lantern and gallery. No current photo available, but Google has a satellite view of the station. The second Scotch Cap Light, built in 1940, was destroyed by a tsunami on 1 April 1946, killing its 5 crew members. Dennis Dowling has an account of this disaster, the worst ever to befall a U.S. light station. In 1950, a fog signal building with a light on a short tower replaced the destroyed lighthouse; this structure has now been replaced by a skeletal light tower with no fog signal. Steven Bonnell's photo, at right, shows the ruins of the lost lighthouse; he also has a photo of the memorial plaque. The original lighthouse was a hexagonal wood tower centered on a 1-story keeper's house. Located on the southwestern coast of Unimak Island marking the southern entrance to Unimak Pass. Site closed. Site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-016; Admiralty G6912; USCG 6-1220.
[Cape Sarichef (3)]
1979 (station established 1904). Active; focal plane 170 ft (52 m); white flash every 2.5 s. Skeletal tower. No current photo available, and Google has only a very fuzzy satellite view of the cape. Lighthouse Explorer's photo, contributed by Robert Deering, shows the 1950 lighthouse, a short hexagonal tower mounted at one end of a white rectangular fog signal building. This building was demolished in 1999. The original lighthouse was a hexagonal wood tower centered on a 1-story keeper's house. Located on the northwestern coast of Unimak Island marking the northern entrance to Unimak Pass. Site closed. Site manager: U.S. Coast Guard. ARLHS ALK-003; Admiralty G6916; USCG 6-1230.

Scotch Cap Light and ruins of the 1940 lighthouse, 1973
photo copyright Steven Bonnell; used by permission

Information available on lost lighthouses

Notable faux lighthouses:

  • Salty Dawg Saloon, Homer, has a well-known lighthouse; it is active but not recognized as an aid to navigation. There is a second faux lighthouse near the base of the Homer Spit.

Adjoining page: South: British Columbia

Return to the Lighthouse Directory index

Checked and revised July 14, 2011. Lighthouses: 17; lightships: 1. Site copyright 2011 Russ Rowlett and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.