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Spectacle Reef Lighthouse

Michigan

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse is a crib lighthouse in Michigan, first lit in 1874. Its official name is Spectacle Reef Light. The tower stands 79 feet tall. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The nearest other lighthouse is Martin Reef Lighthouse, 9.7 mi away. It is best seen from the water or from shore.

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse in Michigan
Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse at a glance

Visiting

Seen by boat or from shore

First lit

1874

Tower height

79 ft

Light 85 ft above water

Official name

Spectacle Reef Light

About Spectacle Reef Lighthouse

Spectacle Reef Light is a lighthouse 11 miles (18 km) east of the Straits of Mackinac and is located at the northern end of Lake Huron, Michigan. It was designed and built by Colonel Orlando Metcalfe Poe and Major Godfrey Weitzel, and was the most expensive lighthouse ever built on the Great Lakes.

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse sits at 45.7733, -84.1367 in Michigan. The closest other lighthouses are Martin Reef Lighthouse (9.7 mi), Poe Reef Lighthouse (12 mi) and Bois Blanc Lighthouse (14 mi). Michigan has 106 lighthouses in all.

Visiting Spectacle Reef Lighthouse

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse stands offshore or on an island without regular public access. Most people see it from shore or from a boat, and some local cruises pass close by.

Heritage status
National Register of Historic Places
Architect
Godfrey Weitzel

Where Spectacle Reef Lighthouse is

45.7733, -84.1367 · more lighthouses in Michigan

Lighthouses near Spectacle Reef Lighthouse

All lighthouses in Michigan →

Also close to Spectacle Reef Lighthouse: Pipe Island Lighthouse 20 mi · Forty Mile Point Lighthouse 23 mi · Round Island Passage Lighthouse 24 mi · Round Island Lighthouse 24 mi · Round Island Lighthouse 24 mi · Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse 29 mi · Wawatam Lighthouse 29 mi · McGulpin Point Lighthouse 31 mi

Questions about Spectacle Reef Lighthouse

Where is Spectacle Reef Lighthouse?

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse is in Michigan, at 45.7733, -84.1367. The nearest other lighthouse is Martin Reef Lighthouse, 9.7 mi away.

Can you visit Spectacle Reef Lighthouse?

Not on foot. Spectacle Reef Lighthouse stands offshore or on an island without regular public access, so most people see it from the water or from shore.

When was Spectacle Reef Lighthouse built?

Spectacle Reef Lighthouse was first lit in 1874.

How tall is Spectacle Reef Lighthouse?

The tower is 79 feet (24 m) tall, and its light sits 85 feet above the water.

What lighthouses are near Spectacle Reef Lighthouse?

The closest are Martin Reef Lighthouse (9.7 mi), Poe Reef Lighthouse (12 mi) and Bois Blanc Lighthouse (14 mi).

Sources: history and visiting details from the Wikipedia article on Spectacle Reef Light (CC BY-SA 4.0); facts and location from Wikidata. Photo credits are listed under each photo and on the photo credits page.