WayfarrowThunder Bay Island Light
Lighthouse · Alpena County, Michigan
Thunder Bay Island Light is a lighthouse in Alpena County, Michigan. Michigan has 124 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 3 of them in Alpena County.
Its light sits 62 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl G 10s (a green flash every 10 seconds), with a range of about 16 nautical miles; it guards Lake Huron.
Status check, 2026-11: The first 1831 tower fell over. Its 1832 limestone replacement still stands, but it was raised and wrapped in brick in 1857, so sources disagree on whether it dates from 1832 or 1857. Height figures also vary (57 ft to the ventilator ball vs. 63 ft). Thunder Bay Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is not reachable by road: the nearest road is about 4 miles away, so it is seen from shore or reached by water. It stands at 45.0372° N, 83.1944° W.
Key facts
| Focal height | 62 ft |
|---|---|
| Light characteristic | Fl G 10s |
| Range | 16 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Lake Huron |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 45.03722, -83.19444 |
Nearby places
- Alpena Lightlighthouse · Alpena County · 11.3 mi
- Middle Island Lightlighthouse · Alpena County · 12.4 mi
- Sturgeon Point Lightlighthouse · Alcona County · 23 mi
- Old Presque Isle Lightlighthouse · Presque Isle County · 25.2 mi
- New Presque Isle Lightlighthouse · Presque Isle County · 26.4 mi
- Hagensvilleghost town · Presque Isle County · 35.2 mi
- Forty Mile Point Lightlighthouse · Presque Isle County · 46.8 mi
Questions
Where is Thunder Bay Island Light?
Thunder Bay Island Light is in Alpena County, Michigan, at 45.0372, -83.1944.
How many lighthouses are in Alpena County?
Alpena County, Michigan has 3 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)
- 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.