Lighthouses in New York

This is by no means a complete list of lighthouses in New York. These are just the ones I’ve been able to see so far. Most of these lighthouses are fairly close to me as a Connecticut local. My goal this year is to make it to the lighthouses further north and west along the Saint Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, and Lake Eerie. Fingers crossed I make it to at least one of those regions this year!

Fire Island Lighthouse

This lighthouse, which was built in 1858, is the tallest one in New York State. Be sure to climb to the top of the tower for 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean, Fire Island National Seashore, Long Island’s bays, and the Manhattan skyline. I visited this lighthouse during my Long Island Day trip and it was the highlight of my trip.

Latimer Reef Lighthouse

Latimer Reef Lighthouse is a sparkplug style lighthouse off of the northeast edge of Fishers Island in New York. The lighthouse was built in 1884. You can see this lighthouse in the distance from Stonington, Connecticut, but it looks very tiny from the Connecticut shoreline. I took this picture on one of Cross Sound Ferry’s lighthouse cruises.

Little Gull Island Lighthouse

Little Gull Island is located in Southold, New York. It’s located on a small island that’s located midway between Plum Island and Fishers Island. The current lighthouse tower was built in 1869. It’s currently privately owned. The best way to see this lighthouse if you don’t have your own boat is by taking Cross Sound Ferry’s Long Island Light Tour from Orient Point or taking the Sunset Cruise and Seal Watch With Blackhawk Fishing out of Niantic, Connecticut. Seals tend to hangout around the island, so that’s where the Blackhawk cruise will take you.

Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse

The Sleepy Hollow Lighthouse, also known as Tarrytown Light, is located in Sleepy Hollow on the Hudson River. You can easily visit this lighthouse up close from Kingsland Point Park. The lighthouse was built in 1883 to help boats navigate dangerous shoals in the area. It was a critical guide for Hudson River shipping, but it became unnecessary once the Tappan Zee Bridge was built. It was taken out of service in 1961.
Discover more historic spots along the river: Historic Sites Along The Hudson River in New York

Race Rock Lighthouse

Race Rock Lighthouse is located off of the southwest edge of Fishers Island in New York. This lighthouse was completed in 1878. It’s also said to be one the most haunted lighthouses in the area and it was investigated by Ghost Hunters. If you’re into that kind of stuff, the episode is definitely worth a watch because they caught some pretty interesting evidence. Right now, the New London Maritime Society maintains this lighthouse. They have offered tours of this lighthouse, but right now they’re doing some maintenance and aren’t doing tours. They also offer tours of New London Harbor Light and New London Ledge Light (which is also haunted).

Plum Island Lighthouse

Plum Island Lighthouse is located on Plum Island not far from Orient Point Lighthouse. This lighthouse was built in 1869. There are a handful of lighthouses with this exact design, including Sheffield Island Lighthouse in Norwalk, Connecticut, Morgan Point Lighthouse in Noank, Connecticut, and North Light on Block Island in Rhode Island. The best way to see this lighthouse is from Cross Sound Ferry’s Long Island Light Tour from Orient Point, New York.

Jeffrey’s Hook Light

Jeffrey’s Hook Light, also known as the Little Red Lighthouse, is located under the George Washington Bridge in New York City. The tower is 40-feet tall and it can be visited in Fort Washington Park. I haven’t personally visited it in the park. I viewed and photographed it from the Hudson River while I was on a Circle Line City’ Cruise’s Best of NYC Cruise.

Rondout Light

Rondout Lighthouse in Kingston is the last of three lighthouses marking the entrance to Rondout Creek. Guided tours are offered of the interior of this lighthouse seasonally by the Hudson River Maritime Museum. While it’s only accessible by boat, you can view the lighthouse from land at Kingston Point Park (which is where I took this photo from).

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse

Esopus Meadows Lighthouse is located in Esopus, New York on the Hudson River. The lighthouse was built in 1871. I found out about this lighthouse when I was visiting Wilderstein Historic Site. I could see it in the distance from the property, but I didn’t know what lighthouse it was. I pulled up my trusty Google Maps and was able to locate it. I left Wilderstein and headed to Lighthouse Park to photograph it. You can also book a tour of this lighthouse.

North Dumpling Lighthouse

North Dumpling Island Lighthouse is another lighthouse that’s located off of Fishers Island in Fishers Island Sound. This lighthouse is privately owned. The lighthouse was built in 1849, rebuilt in 1871, and deactivated in 1959. I had never heard of this lighthouse until I took Cross Sound Ferry’s lighthouse tour!

Orient Point Lighthouse

Orient Point Lighthouse is a sparkplug lighthouse that’s off the coast of Orient Point, New York. You’ll often hear this lighthouse referred to as “the coffee pot.” This is because it was originally painted brown. The lighthouse was built in 1899. Today it is home to the Orient Lighthouse Artist Residency.

Saugerties Lighthouse

Saugerties Lighthouse in Saugerties was built in 1869. The lighthouse was built on a massive circular stone base sixty feet in diameter in the Hudson River. Today, the lighthouse is a landmark beacon that is both a living museum and a Bed & Breakfast that you can stay in. If you’re planning to visit this lighthouse, be sure that you check the tides. The lighthouse is only accessible during low tides. The walkway there floods over during high tides.

Bluff Point Lighthouse

Bluff Point Lighthouse is situated on Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. The lighthouse was built in 1874. The island is only accessible by boat, but unfortunately, there aren’t any shuttle services or charters to get out there. I photographed the lighthouse from Peru Dock in Peru, which would be a good spot to launch a boat to get out there.

Champlain Memorial Lighthouse

Crown Point Lighthouse, now known as the Champlain Memorial Lighthouse, sits along the shore of Lake Champlain. The original lighthouse was built in 1858. However, in the early 1900s, stonemasons removed the stone exterior of the lighthouse and then built a new tower around the existing staircase. The new tower, which serves as a monument to the exploration of Lake Champlain, was completed in 1912.

Blackwell Island Lighthouse

Blackwell Island Light, also known as Roosevelt Island Light, sits on Roosevelt Island in the East River between Queens and Manhattan. Construction of the lighthouse began in 1872 and it was built using the labor of prisoners on the island. The Gothic-style lighthouse is 50-feet tall and made out of gray gneiss.

The Statue of Liberty

I debated whether or not to put this on the list, but the fact is, it once served as a lighthouse. The Statue of Liberty served as an official lighthouse from 1886 to 1902 and it was managed by the U.S. Lighthouse Board (you can read a bit about that history here). As many people know, you can visit the statue and Ellis Island!