Lighthouses of Alaska & Hawaii
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Alaska

1. Cape Decision Lighthouse

1. Location: Kuiu Island, Tongass National Forest, AK
2. Coordinates: 56°00'05.8"N 134°08'14.6"W (56.0016, -134.1374)
3. Status: Deactivated. Maintained by a preservation society.
4. History: A 1932 Art Deco-style concrete lighthouse built to mark the southern entrance to the Wrangell Narrows. It was one of the last lighthouses built in Alaska before WWII. The station was automated in 1974.
5. Viewing Information: Located in an extremely remote wilderness area and is not accessible to the public. It can only be viewed by private boat or on sightseeing flights. The Cape Decision Lighthouse Society is working to restore it.

2. Cape Hinchinbrook Lighthouse

1. Location: Hinchinbrook Island, Prince William Sound, AK
2. Coordinates: 60°14'14.9"N 146°38'47.4"W (60.2375, -146.6465)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The original 1910 lighthouse was replaced by the current 1934 reinforced concrete Art Deco tower. It marks the entrance to Prince William Sound. The station was heavily damaged but survived the massive 1964 Good Friday Earthquake.
5. Viewing Information: Located on a remote island and is not accessible to the public. It can only be viewed by private boat or on sightseeing flights.

3. Cape Sarichef Lighthouse

1. Location: Unimak Island, Aleutian Islands, AK
2. Coordinates: 54°35'55.0"N 164°55'41.0"W (54.5986, -164.9281)
3. Status: Demolished.
4. History: The original 1904 wooden lighthouse was replaced by a concrete structure in 1950. It was one of the most remote and dangerous stations in the U.S. In 1946, a massive tsunami generated by an earthquake struck the Scotch Cap Lightstation 18 miles away, killing all five coastguardsmen. The Cape Sarichef station was automated in 1979 and demolished in 1999.
5. Viewing Information: Nothing remains of the lighthouse.

4. Cape Spencer Lighthouse

1. Location: Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, AK
2. Coordinates: 58°11'56.3"N 136°38'16.8"W (58.1989, -136.6380)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A 1925 concrete lighthouse marking the main entrance to the Inside Passage from the Gulf of Alaska. It was automated in 1974.
5. Viewing Information: Located in a remote part of Glacier Bay National Park and is not accessible. It is a common sight for cruise ships and tour boats entering or exiting Glacier Bay.

5. Cape St. Elias Lighthouse

1. Location: Kayak Island, AK
2. Coordinates: 59°47'54.2"N 144°35'56.3"W (59.7984, -144.5989)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A 1916 reinforced concrete tower built on a dramatic and remote point. The station was automated in 1974 and is now maintained by a preservation society.
5. Viewing Information: Extremely remote and not accessible to the public. Can only be viewed by boat or plane.

6. Eldred Rock Lighthouse

1. Location: Lynn Canal, near Haines, AK
2. Coordinates: 58°58'15.4"N 135°13'19.1"W (58.9709, -135.2220)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: Built in 1906, this is the last of the original octagonal lighthouses that were common in Alaska. It was built to guide ships through the treacherous Lynn Canal during the Klondike Gold Rush. It was automated in 1973.
5. Viewing Information: The island is accessible by private boat, but the lighthouse itself is not open. It can be seen on ferries and cruises between Juneau and Skagway/Haines.

7. Five Finger Islands Lighthouse

1. Location: Frederick Sound, AK
2. Coordinates: 57°16'13.1"N 133°37'51.5"W (57.2703, -133.6309)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The original 1902 wooden lighthouse burned down and was replaced by the current 1935 Art Deco concrete tower. It was the first manned lighthouse in Alaska and the last to be automated, in 1984.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible to the public. It can be viewed on some whale-watching tours out of Petersburg or on Alaska Marine Highway ferries.

8. Guard Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Tongass Narrows, near Ketchikan, AK
2. Coordinates: 55°26'47.0"N 131°52'47.0"W (55.4464, -131.8797)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The original 1904 wooden lighthouse was replaced by the current square concrete tower in 1924. It marks a dangerous passage near Ketchikan.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. It is best viewed by boat on sightseeing tours from Ketchikan or on cruise ships.

9. Point Retreat Light

1. Location: Admiralty Island, near Juneau, AK
2. Coordinates: 58°24'40.0"N 134°57'14.0"W (58.4111, -134.9539)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The current 1924 concrete lighthouse replaced a 1904 wooden structure. It marks the northern end of Admiralty Island in the Lynn Canal.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. Best viewed by boat or from the Alaska Marine Highway ferry.

10. Point Sherman Light

1. Location: Lynn Canal, near Juneau, AK
2. Coordinates: 58°49'47.0"N 135°08'00.0"W (58.8297, -135.1333)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A modern 1981 lighthouse, it is a cylindrical tower on a building. It replaced the Eldred Rock light as the primary navigational aid for this section of the Lynn Canal.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. It can be seen from the Alaska Marine Highway ferry.

11. Scotch Cap Lighthouse

1. Location: Unimak Island, Aleutian Islands, AK
2. Coordinates: 54°23'44.0"N 164°44'41.0"W (54.3956, -164.7447)
3. Status: Demolished.
4. History: Site of the worst disaster in U.S. lighthouse history. The 1940 reinforced concrete station, built to replace an earlier 1903 wooden lighthouse, was completely destroyed by a massive tsunami generated by the 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake. All five Coast Guard personnel inside were killed. A modern light on a short skeletal tower now marks the spot.
5. Viewing Information: Nothing of the historic lighthouse remains. The location is extremely remote.

12. Sentinel Island Lighthouse

1. Location: Lynn Canal, near Juneau, AK
2. Coordinates: 58°32'44.0"N 134°55'21.0"W (58.5456, -134.9225)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: The original 1902 wooden lighthouse was replaced by the current concrete Art Deco tower in 1935. It was deactivated in 1966.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. It is best viewed by boat tours from Juneau or from the Alaska Marine Highway ferry.

13. Tree Point Lighthouse

1. Location: Revillagigedo Channel, near Ketchikan, AK
2. Coordinates: 54°48'11.0"N 130°56'02.0"W (54.8031, -130.9339)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: An 1904 octagonal wooden tower that was replaced by the current Art Deco concrete lighthouse in 1935. This is the first/last Alaskan lighthouse for ships traveling the Inside Passage.
5. Viewing Information: Not accessible. It can be seen from cruise ships and Alaska Marine Highway ferries.

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Hawaii

1. Aloha Tower

1. Location: Honolulu Harbor, Oahu, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°18'26.4"N 157°51'56.3"W (21.3073, -157.8656)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: Built in 1926, this iconic 10-story tower was the tallest building in Hawaii for four decades. While a famous landmark, its light has always served as a harbor light rather than a major coastal lighthouse. The clock on the tower was one of the largest in the United States.
5. Viewing Information: Located at the Aloha Tower Marketplace. The observation deck on the 10th floor is free and open to the public, offering panoramic views of Honolulu and the harbor.

2. Barbers Point Lighthouse

1. Location: Kalaeloa, Oahu, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°17'51.0"N 158°06'18.0"W (21.2975, -158.1050)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The current 72-foot concrete tower was built in 1933, replacing an earlier 1888 tower. It marks the western entrance to Pearl Harbor.
5. Viewing Information: Located on a Coast Guard station within an industrial area. The grounds are not open to the public, but the tower can be viewed from nearby beaches.

3. Cape Kumukahi Light

1. Location: Kapoho, Island of Hawaii, HI
2. Coordinates: 19°31'00.0"N 154°48'36.0"W (19.5167, -154.8100)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A 125-foot skeletal tower built in 1934 at the easternmost point of the Big Island. It is famous for surviving a 1960 lava flow from Kilauea volcano, which parted and flowed around the tower, sparing it from destruction.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse can be reached by a rough road. The grounds are open, but the tower is not.

4. Diamond Head Lighthouse

1. Location: Diamond Head, Honolulu, Oahu, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°15'27.9"N 157°48'33.1"W (21.2577, -157.8092)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The current 1917 concrete tower replaced an 1899 original. It is located on a spectacular piece of real estate below the famous Diamond Head crater. The keeper's house is the residence for the Commander of the 14th Coast Guard District.
5. Viewing Information: The lighthouse is on a federal reservation and is not open to the public. It can be viewed well from the Diamond Head Lookout and surrounding beaches.

5. Kalaupapa Light

1. Location: Kalaupapa National Historical Park, Molokai, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°12'21.0"N 156°58'02.0"W (21.2058, -156.9672)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A 138-foot octagonal concrete tower built in 1909. At the time of its construction, it was one of the tallest lighthouses in the Pacific. It served the famous Kalaupapa leprosy settlement.
5. Viewing Information: Access to the Kalaupapa peninsula is strictly controlled and requires a permit or participation in an official tour. The lighthouse can be seen as part of the tour.

6. Kilauea Lighthouse

1. Location: Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, Kauai, HI
2. Coordinates: 22°13'54.7"N 159°24'06.5"W (22.2319, -159.4018)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: A 52-foot concrete tower built in 1913. It is located on the northernmost point of Kauai in a stunning setting. The original second-order Fresnel lens is still in the tower. The light was replaced by a modern beacon in the 1970s.
5. Viewing Information: Located within the Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge (entry fee required). The grounds and lighthouse are open to the public for tours.

7. Lahaina Lighthouse

1. Location: Lahaina, Maui, HI
2. Coordinates: 20°52'19.0"N 156°40'44.0"W (20.8719, -156.6789)
3. Status: Deactivated.
4. History: The oldest lighthouse in the Pacific, this station was established in 1840 as a simple wooden pole. The current concrete tower was built in 1916. The lighthouse was heavily damaged in the 2023 Maui wildfires.
5. Viewing Information: Located in a public park on the Lahaina waterfront. Its current status and accessibility post-fire may be limited.

8. Makapuu Point Lighthouse

1. Location: Makapuu Point, Oahu, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°18'36.6"N 157°38'59.0"W (21.3102, -157.6497)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A short 46-foot tower built in 1909. Its location on a high 600-foot cliff gives it the highest focal plane of any U.S. lighthouse. It houses a massive hyperradiant Fresnel lens, the largest type ever made.
5. Viewing Information: Accessible via a popular 2-mile round-trip paved hiking trail. The trail offers spectacular views, but the lighthouse itself is on a fenced-off government reservation and is not open to the public.

9. Molokai Light (at Kaunakakai)

1. Location: Kaunakakai, Molokai, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°04'56.0"N 157°01'22.0"W (21.0822, -157.0228)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: A modern light on a skeletal tower.
5. Viewing Information: Can be seen from the Kaunakakai pier.

10. Nawiliwili Harbor Lighthouse (Ninini Point)

1. Location: Lihue, Kauai, HI
2. Coordinates: 21°57'21.0"N 159°20'13.0"W (21.9558, -159.3369)
3. Status: Active.
4. History: The current 86-foot concrete tower was built in 1933, replacing an earlier wooden structure.
5. Viewing Information: Located on the grounds of the Kauai Marriott Resort. The tower is not open to the public, but the grounds are accessible.

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Lighthouses of Alaska & Hawaii
[ | AK | HI | MAP | ]

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