WayfarrowSpectacle Reef Light
Lighthouse · Mackinac County, Michigan
Spectacle Reef Light is a lighthouse in Mackinac County, Michigan. Michigan has 124 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 8 of them in Mackinac County.
It was built in 1874, in the late 19th century, making it the 34th oldest of the 89 in Michigan with a recorded construction date; its light sits 85 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl R 5s (a red flash every 5 seconds), with a range of about 11 nautical miles; it guards Lake Huron; the recorded designer or builder is Godfrey Weitzel.
Status check, 2026-11: This offshore limestone tower was built 1870–1874 and was the most expensive lighthouse on the Great Lakes. It was auctioned in 2015 and is being restored by the Spectacle Reef Preservation Society. Sources disagree on its height (80, 86, 93 or 97 ft). Spectacle Reef Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 45.7733° N, 84.1367° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1874 |
|---|---|
| Focal height | 85 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl R 5s |
| Range | 11 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Lake Huron |
| Designer / builder | Godfrey Weitzel |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 45.77333, -84.13667 |
Nearby places
- Martin Reef Light Stationlighthouse · Mackinac County · 9.7 mi
- Poe Reef Lightlighthouse · Cheboygan County · 12.1 mi
- Bois Blanc Lightlighthouse · Mackinac County · 14 mi
- Fourteen Foot Shoal Lightlighthouse · Cheboygan County · 15.8 mi
- DeTour Reef Lightlighthouse · Chippewa County · 16.6 mi
- Cheboygan Crib Lightlighthouse · Cheboygan County · 17.8 mi
- Pipe Island Lightlighthouse · Chippewa County · 20.3 mi
- Forty Mile Point Lightlighthouse · Presque Isle County · 22.6 mi
- Round Island Passage Lightlighthouse · Mackinac County · 23.6 mi
- Round Island Lightlighthouse · Mackinac County · 23.6 mi
- Round Island Lightlighthouse · Chippewa County · 23.9 mi
- Mackinaw Heightsghost town · Cheboygan County · 24.9 mi
Questions
Where is Spectacle Reef Light?
Spectacle Reef Light is in Mackinac County, Michigan, at 45.7733, -84.1367.
How many lighthouses are in Mackinac County?
Mackinac County, Michigan has 8 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow.
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wayfarrow status check (web sources) — Checked for current status (facts)
- Wikidata — Wikidata item (CC0)
- National Register of Historic Places — National Register of Historic Places record (public-domain)
- Wikidata — Wikipedia article (linked as a source; text not used) (CC0)
Facts marked "approximately" carry an uncertain date in the source. Text on this page is generated from the sources above; no encyclopedia prose is copied. Last updated 2026-11-05.