Down through the ages, America's lighthouses have served mariners as welcoming beacons. These landmark sentinels also possess a magical attraction for visitors who come in droves to witness their solitary majesty.
More than 750 lighthouses dot the nation's coastlines and lakeshores. Many are open to visitors, and some can be climbed for great views and a close-up look at the complex optical lenses that are capable of casting beams of life saving light many miles out to sea.
We've combed the lengthy U.S. Lighthouses directory to come up with eight of the most spectacular, historically important and accessible of American lighthouses. Here they are, from New England to California.
1. Portland Head Light, Cape Elizabeth, Maine
There are nearly 60 lighthouses along the rugged coast of Maine, and we've found two that merit out list — the foremost being Portland Head. Built in 1787, it's Maine's and one of the nation's oldest lighthouses. George Washington appointed its first keeper. Its classic profile draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year, and the view from atop the 80-foot light offers a panoramic view of Casco Bay.
2. Pemaquid Point Light, Bristol, Maine
What this stubby little 1835 rubble stone light lacks in stature, it more than makes up for with its wonderfully scenic setting. Exposed bedrock descends from the lighthouse to the ocean creating a unique, postcard landscape. By popular vote of Maine residents, the iconic light was chosen to be featured on the Maine quarter during the U.S. Mint's 50 State Quarters Program.
3. Boston Light, Massachusetts
Perched on Little Brewster Island in the outer section of Boston Harbor, this light became the first operational lighthouse in America in 1716. The original tower was destroyed during the Revolutionary War and replaced in 1783. While all U.S. lighthouses are now fully automated, the Boston Light still has an official keeper, who serves primarily as a tour guide, escorting visitors arriving daily on Boston Harbor cruises.
4. Block Island Southeast Light, Rhode Island
Documentation supporting this light's designation as a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1997 called it the most architecturally sophisticated lighthouse built in the United States in the 19th century. Executed in red brick in 1875 atop Block Island's Mohegan Bluffs, it is a remarkable expression of Gothic Revival style, with its 67-foot octagonal tower mated to a pitched roofed 2.5-story keeper's house.
5. Cana Island Lighthouse, Wisconsin
Several dozen lighthouses were built in 19th and early 20th centuries to protect shipping on America's Great Lakes. Wisconsin's Door County peninsula on Lake Michigan is home to 11 such beacons, and perhaps the most iconic and photographed of them all is the Cana Island Light. Dating to 1869, this well-preserved 89-foot beacon and its cream brick keeper's quarters occupy an 8.7-acre island near Baileys Harbor. Visitors can climb its 97-step spiral staircase to an outdoor deck for a bird's-eye view of the surrounding scenery.
6. Bodie Island Lighthouse, North Carolina
North Carolina's Outer Banks rank as one of maritime history's most ominous places. Ever shifting sandbars, particularly around Cape Hatteras, claimed nearly 2,000 ships before a string of five lighthouses was built in the 18th and 19th centuries. The third-generation 1872 Bodie beacon is often overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse (tallest in the U.S. at 210 feet) but a recent renovation that opened Bodie's 156-foot tower for climbing makes it a must-see.
7. Heceta Head Lighthouse, Oregon
Noted for its dramatic setting in a forested cliff-side notch some 1,300 feet above the Pacific breakers, Heceta is the most iconic and popular of West Coast lights. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and situated in a state park just north of Florence, it not only welcomes day visitors but also overnight guests at a charming bed-and-breakfast housed in the former light keeper's quarters.
8. Pigeon Point Light Station, California
Standing 115 feet tall alongside scenic Highway 1, 27 miles north of Santa Cruz, Pigeon Point is a northern California landmark and arguably the Golden State's most outstanding lighthouse. The 1872 tower suffered storm damage in 2001 that forced its closure. Repairs and overall restoration have been undertaken by California State Parks, but progress has been slowed due to a lack of funding. Grounds remain open and visitors can view the beacon's 19th century Fresnel lens displayed in the Fog Signal Building.
