WayfarrowPilot Island Light
Lighthouse · Door County, Wisconsin
Pilot Island Light is a lighthouse in Door County, Wisconsin. Wisconsin has 54 lighthouses on record at Wayfarrow, 16 of them in Door County.
It was built in 1858, in the Civil War era, making it the 2nd oldest of the 36 in Wisconsin with a recorded construction date; the tower stands about 41 feet tall (20th tallest of 26 measured in Wisconsin); its light sits 49 feet above the water; the light characteristic is recorded as Fl(2) W 6s (a group of 2 white flashes every 6 seconds), with a range of about 12 nautical miles; it guards Lake Michigan; the structure is built of stone.
Status check, 2026-11: This 1858 cream-brick keeper's dwelling has a short tower built into its roof and replaced the 1849 Plum Island light. It is still an active aid to navigation, but it is closed to the public on a Fish and Wildlife Service refuge and is listed as endangered. Pilot Island Light is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It stands at 45.2844° N, 86.9196° W.
Key facts
| Current structure built | 1858 |
|---|---|
| Tower height | 41 ft |
| Focal height | 49 ft |
| Light characteristic | Fl(2) W 6s |
| Range | 12 nautical miles |
| Body of water | Lake Michigan |
| Material | stone |
| Heritage designation | National Register of Historic Places listed place |
| National Register | Listed |
| Coordinates | 45.28439, -86.91958 |
Nearby places
- Plum Island Range front lightlighthouse · Door County · 2.2 mi
- Plum Island Range rear lightlighthouse · Door County · 2.5 mi
- Plum Island Range Lightslighthouse · Door County · 2.5 mi
- Pottawatomie Lightlighthouse · Door County · 10.9 mi
- Cana Island Lightlighthouse · Door County · 14.9 mi
- St. Martin Island Lightlighthouse · Delta County · 17 mi
- Eagle Bluff Lightlighthouse · Door County · 17.4 mi
- Baileys Harbor Range Rear Lightlighthouse · Door County · 17.7 mi
- Baileys Harbor Range Front Lightlighthouse · Door County · 17.7 mi
- Baileys Harbor Directional Lightlighthouse · Door County · 17.8 mi
- Minneapolis Shoal Light Stationlighthouse · Delta County · 17.8 mi
- Baileys Harbor Lightlighthouse · Door County · 18 mi
Questions
Where is Pilot Island Light?
Pilot Island Light is in Door County, Wisconsin, at 45.2844, -86.9196.
How many lighthouses are in Door County?
Door County, Wisconsin has 16 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.