Lighthouses I Have Visited

V# C#LIGHTHOUSE STATEDATE RATING NOTES
1 1Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse FL27 Aug 2011 42 volunteer tour docent (2013) & staff member (2014-present)
2 2Ponce de Leon Inlet FL24 Oct 2013 44
3 3Hillsboro Inlet FL8 Feb 2014 35
4 4St. Augustine FL2 Mar 2014 46
5 -Old Point Loma CA19 May 2014 36 temporarily closed for rennovations when I visited
6 -New Point Loma CA19 May 2014 25 not open to the public
7 5Cape Florida FL30 Aug 2014 37
8 6Old Cape Henry VA16 Sep 2014 31
9 -New Cape Henry VA16 Sep 2014 29 not open to the public
10 7Hunting Island SC14 Oct 2014 34 only SC lighthouse currently open to the public for climbing
11 8Finns Point Rear Range NJ18 Oct 2014 27 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
12 9Tinicum Rear Range NJ18 Oct 2014 28 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
13 10East Point NJ18 Oct 2014 34 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
14 11Cape May NJ18 Oct 2014 35 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
15 12Hereford Inlet NJ18 Oct 2014 30 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
16 13Abescon NJ18 Oct 2014 37 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
17 14Barnegat NJ19 Oct 2014 36 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
18 15Navesink North NJ19 Oct 2014 35 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
16Navesink South NJ19 Oct 2014 31 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
19 17Sandy Hook NJ19 Oct 2014 47 NJ Lighthouse Challenge
2018Sea GirtNJ19 Oct 201433NJ Lighthouse Challenge
21 19 Tybee Island GA 6 Dec 2014 38
22 20 St. Simons Island GA 7 Dec 2014 40
23 33 Gasparilla Island FL 4 May 2015
6 May 2017 		26
30		 not open to the public in 2015
FLA Event in 2017 - now open to the public on a limited basis
24 21 Port Boca Grande FL 4 May 2015 36 climb to lantern room rarely available to the public
25 22 Faro Blanco FL 8 Oct 2015 25 FLA Event - privately built lighthouse only occasionally open for climbing
26 - Sombrero Key FL 9 Oct 2015 30 FLA Event - offshore, not open to the public
27 23 Key West FL 10 Oct 2015 35  
28 - American Shoal FL 10 Oct 2015 26 FLA Event - offshore, not open to the public
29 24 Garden Key FL 11 Oct 2015 28 FLA Event - Dry Tortugas, not normally open for climbing
30 25 Loggerhead Key FL 11 Oct 2015 32 FLA Event - Dry Tortugas, not normally open for climbing
31 26 Cape San Blas FL 17 Oct 2015 29 relocated to Port St Joe
32 27 Crooked River FL 17 Oct 2015 34  
33 28 Saint George Island FL 17 Oct 2015 32 full-size replica of the Cape St. George Lighthouse destroyed by erosion
34 29 Sapelo Island GA 24 Oct 2015 38 open for climbing as part of Saturday tours by the Sapelo Island Visitor Center
35 30 Pensacola FL 15 May 2016 36  
36 - St. Johns FL 18 Jun 2016 20 FLA Event - not open for climbing
37 31 St. Johns River / Mayport FL 18 Jun 2016 18 FLA Event - not normally open for climbing
38 - Sanibel Island FL 11 Sep 2016 30 not normally open for climbing
39 32 Egmont Key FL 29 Jan 2017 29 not normally open for climbing
40 - Morris Island (Charleston) SC 9 May 2017 23 view from north end of Folly Island
41 - Sullivans Island (Charleston) SC 10 May 2017 22 not open to the public
42 34 Oak Island NC 12 May 2017 30  
43 35 Bald Head Island NC 12 May 2017 35  
44 - Cape Fear NC 12 May 2017 14 tower demolished; foundation and some buildings remain
45 - Price's Creek Front Range NC 12 May 2017 18 not accessible; visible from Southport ferry
46 36 Currituck NC 14 May 2017 38  
47 37 Cape Hatteras NC 15 May 2017 39  
48 38 Bodie Island NC 16 May 2017 41  
49 - Roanoke Marshes (Manteo) NC 16 May 2017 28 replica - main room open, but not open for climbing
50 39 Roanoke River (Edenton) NC 16 May 2017 30 only surviving original NC Sounds lighthouse; climb to lantern room rarely available to the public
51 40 Roanoke River (Plymouth) NC 16 May 2017 24 replica
52 41 Cape Lookout NC 17 May 2017 39 open seasonlly (May-Sept); requires boat trip, with NPS offering ferry service
53 42 Amelia Island FL 18 May 2017 33 not normally open to the public except for limited base tours
54 43 Round Island (Pascagoula) MS 13 Feb 2018 23 replica including material salvaged from original tower
55 44 Biloxi MS 14 Feb 2018 36  
56 45 St. Marks FL 9 Jun 2018 38 rarely open for climbing
attached dwelling museum open on limited schedule
57 46 Cape Canaveral FL 15 Dec 2018 32 not normaly open for climbing to the top
58 - Cape Romain (new) SC 17 Oct 2019 20 not open for climbing
59 - Cape Romain (old) SC 17 Oct 2019 17 not open for climbing

 

My Favorite Lighthouses
(without regard to rating)
My Top Lighthouses
(by rating)
Lighthouses I Most Want To Visit
  1. Ponce Inlet, FL
  2. St. Augustine, FL
  3. St. Simons Island, GA
  4. Jupiter, FL
  5. Sandy Hook, NJ
  6. Pensacola, FL
  7. Cape Hatteras, NC
  8. Cape Lookout, NC
  9. Navesink, NJ
  10. Tybee Island, GA
  1. Sandy Hook, NJ
  2. St. Augustine, FL
  3. Ponce Inlet, FL
  4. Jupiter, FL
  5. Bodie Island, NC
  6. St. Simons, GA
  7. Cape Hatteras, NC
  8. Cape Lookout, NC
  9. Tybee Island, GA
  10. St. Marks, FL
  1. Portland Head, ME
  2. Block Island, RI
  3. Montauk Point, NY
  4. Fire Island, NY
  5. Boston, MA
  6. Yaquina Head, OR

Rating System (adapted from the system used by LighthouseRatings.com)

Age & Historical Significance (year the current light tower was built, regardless of the age of the light station)
5 = 1850 or older (pre-Lighthouse Board)
4 = 1851-1865 (pre-Civil War)
3 = 1866-1909 (post-Civil War)
2 = 1910-1939 (Lighthouse Bureau era)
1 = 1940 or newer (Coast Guard era or modern replica of historic structure)

Height (of current tower)
5 = 150 ft or taller
4 = 100 ft - 149 ft
3 = 60 ft - 99 ft
2 = 30 ft - 59 ft
1 = 29 ft or shorter

Preservation Score (of current tower)
5 = excellent/pristine
4 = good
3 = fair
2 = deteriorated
1 = destroyed/ruined

Accessibility
5 = can climb the tower and can see the beacon
4 = can climb the tower, but can't see the beacon (beacon inaccessible or removed)
3 = can't climb the tower, but can enter light station buildings
2 = can't enter any buildings, but can view up close
1 = light can only be viewed from a distance

Optic (historic or full-size replica)
5 = Fresnel (1st-3.5th order) in tower
4 = Fresnel (4th-6th order) in tower
3 = Fresnel on display at light station, but not active in tower
2 = no Fresnel at light station; light active with a modern optic
1 = no Fresnel at light station; light inactive (no optic)
0 = no optic; lantern also removed

Surrounding Area (scenic beauty, rural vs urban, clean vs trashed)
5 = excellent
4 = good 
3 = average
2 = fair/unremarkable
1 = poor/unappealing

Water View
5 = excellent
4 = good
3 = average
2 = poor
1 = can't see the water

Historical Displays & Keeper's Dwellings (museum, signage, displays, etc)
5 = accessible original keeper's dwelling
4 = accessible replica keeper's dwelling
3 = museum, but no accessible keeper's dwellings
2 = no museum, some displays (such as an oil house or other outbuildings)
1 = tower only, possibly including very limited signage

Majesty/Intangibles/"Wow" Factor
5 = amazing
4 = impressive
3 = average
2 = unremarkable
1 = forgettable

Bonus Points
-1 Lighthouse has been moved from its original location more than a short distance (ex: deduction for Cape San Blas, but not Cape Hatteras)
+1 Lighthouse has particular historical significance (superlatives, unusual design/construction, or location of noteable historical events)
+1 Site includes a museum covering more than just the lighthouse's history (local, natural, military, and/or maritime history)
+1 Easy access via paved roads
-1 Boat access only, with few or no regularly scheduled ferry/tour service
+1 Extensive visitor hours (open at least 4 days/week for at least 4 hours/day); does not apply to lighthouses that can only be viewed from a distance
+1 Guided tours available and/or knowledgeable staff/volunteers on site to answer questions

Total Score Possible: minimum 5, maximum 50