List of lighthouses in Alaska

This is a list of all lighthouses in the U.S. state of Alaska as identified by the United States Coast Guard. There are eleven active lights in the state; the other five have been replaced by automated skeleton towers.

The history of Alaskan lighthouses predates the Seward purchase: the Russians had erected a light at Sitka, in Baranof Castle (located on Castle Hill); this light was found unnecessary by the Lighthouse Service and discontinued, but was taken over by army and maintained by them until 1877.^[1] The first American lighthouses in the state were erected in 1902^[2] but most early lights were rebuilt before 1940 in a distinctive Art Deco style; the only surviving building from the earlier group is the Eldred Rock Light.^[2] The last constructed were replacements for the lights on Unimak Island in 1950.^[3]

Alaska has the northernmost and westernmost lighthouses in the United States,^[4] and some of the most isolated as well. Keepers at the Cape Sarichef and Scotch Cap Lights on Unimak Island in the Aleutians were not permitted to bring their families to the station, and served four years before getting an entire year of leave;^[3] Cape Sarichef received no supplies from August 1912 to June 1913, and both lights shut down in the winter due to sea ice.^[1] Scotch Cap was also the site of the worst lighthouse disaster in US history, when it was destroyed by a tsunami in the 1946 Aleutian Islands earthquake, killing all five coastguardmen stationed there.^[2]

If not otherwise noted, focal height and coordinates are taken from the United States Coast Guard Light List,^[5] while location and dates of activation, automation, and deactivation are taken from the United States Coast Guard Historical information site for lighthouses.^[3]

Name	Location	Coordinates	Image	Focal Height	Built[note 1]	Automated	Deactivated	Status
Cape Decision Light	Kuiu Island	56°00′05″N 134°08′13″W / 56.0014°N 134.1369°W		96 ft (29 m)	1932	1974		Active
Cape Hinchinbrook Light	Hinchinbrook Island	60°14′15″N 146°38′47″W / 60.2374°N 146.6465°W		235 ft (72 m)	1910/1934	1974		Active
Cape St. Elias Light	Kayak Island	59°47′54″N 144°35′56″W / 59.7984°N 144.5988°W		85 ft (26 m)	1916	1974		Active
Cape Sarichef Light	westernmost point of Unimak Island	54°35′54″N 164°55′39″W / 54.5982°N 164.9276°W		177 ft (54 m)[6]	1904/1950	1974	1999	replaced by skeleton tower
Cape Spencer Light	Cross Sound	58°11′56″N 136°38′26″W / 58.1988°N 136.6405°W		105 ft (32 m)	1925[note 2]	1974		Active
Eldred Rock Light	Lynn Canal	58°58′15″N 135°13′15″W / 58.9709°N 135.2209°W		91 ft (28 m)	1905	1973		Active
Fairway Island Light	Peril Strait	57°26′34″N 134°52′18″W / 57.4428°N 134.8718°W		41 ft (12 m)[5]	1904		1917-1925[note 3]	Replaced with minor light
Five Finger Islands Light	juncture of Frederick Sound and Stephens Passage	57°16′13″N 133°37′53″W / 57.2704°N 133.6315°W		81 ft (25 m)	1902/1935	1984		Active
Guard Island Light	Clarence Strait	55°26′45″N 131°52′52″W / 55.4459°N 131.8811°W		74 ft (23 m)	1904/1924	1969		Active
Lincoln Rock Light	Clarence Strait	56°03′25″N 132°41′49″W / 56.057°N 132.697°W		58 ft (18 m)[5]	1903/1911	1968		Original house replaced by skeleton tower on same foundation[note 4]
Mary Island Light	Mary Island in Revillagigedo Channel	55°05′56″N 131°10′57″W / 55.0990°N 131.1826°W		76 ft (23 m)	1903/1937	1969		Active
Point Retreat Light	Admiralty Island	58°24′41″N 134°57′18″W / 58.4115°N 134.9551°W		63 ft (19 m)	1904/1923	1973		Active
Point Sherman Light	Lynn Canal	58°51′11″N 135°09′06″W / 58.8531°N 135.1517°W			1904		1932	demolished; new light erected in 1981
Scotch Cap Light	southwest point of Unimak Island	54°23′45″N 164°44′43″W / 54.3958°N 164.7453°W		116 ft (35 m)[6][note 5]	1903/1950	1971	ca. 1977[7]	replaced by skeleton tower
Sentinel Island Light	Lynn Canal	58°32′46″N 134°55′22″W / 58.5460°N 134.9229°W		86 ft (26 m)	1902/1935	1966		Active
Tree Point Light	Revillagigedo Channel	54°48′10″N 130°56′02″W / 54.8029°N 130.9338°W		86 ft (26 m)	1903/1935	1969		Active

Notes

1. If there is a second date, it represents the date the most recent tower was lit.
2. preceded by an unmanned light in 1913
3. Date of deactivation is uncertain.
4. From 1911 to 1968 light was maintained from fog station on adjacent island.
5. Height is for 1950 tower.

References

1. Noble, Dennis (1999). "Alaska and Hawaii: A Brief History of U.S. Coast Guard Operations" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-07-05.
2. "Lighthouses of the United States: Alaska". Russ Rowlett.
3. "Historic Light Station Information and Photography: Alaska". United States Coast Guard Historian's Office.
4. de Wire, Elinor (2007). The Lightkeepers' Managerie: Stories of Animals at Lighthouses. Sarasota, Florida: Pineapple Press.
5. Light List, Volume VI, Pacific Coast and Pacific Islands (PDF). Light List. United States Coast Guard. 2012.
6. Unimak and Akutan Passes (Map). 1:300,000. US Department of Commerce. 1968. Chart 8860.
7. Bering Sea:Eastern Part (Map). 1:1,534,076. NOAA. 1978. Chart 16006. This is the first chart catalogued which shows the shorter skeleton tower.