Another contender for best sunrise location in and around Marquette is the Marquette Harbor Lighthouse.

The current brick lighthouse, famous for its vibrant red color, was built in 1866. This replaced the original wooden structure that was built in 1825. Before the electric light was installed, it housed a fourth-order Fresnel lens. The lighthouse and adjacent property is now managed by the Marquette Maritime Museum. I am forever grateful that they invited me for a special sunrise inside the lantern room.

The Marquette Harbor Light shows up in countless of my sunrise photos, whether it’s near or far. For the purposes of this project, the location tagged identifies the location where the photo was taken, rather than what location the photo is of.

Through the trees, along the catwalk, from the surrounding rocks, or around the lighthouse property, there is no shortage of vantage points and photo compositions from the Marquette Lighthouse.

The small collection of sunrises shown here isn’t representative of just how many sunrises I watch near the Marquette Lighthouse. This spot is rich with locations, so many of them are tagged McCarty’s Cove, NOAA Station MCGM4, Marquette Coast Guard Station, or the Lower Harbor Breakwall.

Also, for photos of the lighthouse, here are lighthouses at sunrise, since the location tag is where the photo is taken and not what the photo is of.

Sunrising at Marquette Harbor Lighthouse? Here are a few pointers.

  • Say hi Carole and her dog.
  • Bring your beach towel and take a walk along McCarty’s Cove and a little swim.
  • The ice formations around the lighthouse are incredible during freeze, mid-winter, and Spring thaw.
  • Be mindful of where the sun is along the horizon, depending on the season it will rise on the north or south side of the light, and if you don’t plan for it correctly, the lighthouse will block the sunrise and you’ll be running to the other side in a hurry (been there).
  • They’re not open at sunrise, so be sure to come back later in the day and visit the Marquette Maritime Museum. Sign up for the lighthouse tour!

📍 46° 32' 36" N, -87° 23' 47" W