Lighthouse · Lake Superior · Minnesota
Split Rock Lighthouse
A lighthouse on Lake Superior in Beaver Bay Township, Lake County, Minnesota and a National Historic Landmark. The light was taken out of service in 1969. It stands within Split Rock Lighthouse State Park.
The light
On the record
- Deactivated
- 1969
- Tower height
- 16 m (52 ft)
- Focal height
- 40 m (131 ft) above the water
- Range
- 22 nautical miles
- Light characteristic
- 0.5-s Fl every 9.5s
- Built of
- Brick
- Listed
- National Historic Landmark
- NRHP reference
- 69000073
- ARLHS number
- USA783
- Location
- Beaver Bay Township, Lake County, Minnesota
- Coordinates
- 47.2003° N, 91.3675° W
The story
History and visiting
Split Rock Lighthouse
A 1910 light station on a 130-foot diabase cliff above Lake Superior, built after the November 1905 gales wrecked or stranded 29 ships in a single storm.
Great Lakes Lighthouses Worth the Detour
Split Rock Lighthouse is one of the lights we would build a trip around, and why.
Split Rock Lighthouse
The full construction and keeper history, with its sources.
Down the coast
Nearest Superior lights
- Two Harbors Lighthouse19 mi · est. 1892 · MN
- Two Harbors Breakwater Light19 mi · est. 1897 · MN
- Sand Island Light24 mi · WI
- Raspberry Island Light31 mi · WI
- Devils Island Light31 mi · WI
- Chequamegon Point Light42 mi · est. 1897 · WI
Straight-line distance.
By boat
Launches nearby
- Little Two Harbors0.5 mi · hand / carry-in launch
- Split Rock River2.3 mi · hand / carry-in launch
- Twin Points3.6 mi · trailer ramp
- Gooseberry River5.9 mi · hand / carry-in launch
On shore nearby
Worth the stop
- Gooseberry Falls State Park6.4 mi · park
- North Shore Scenic Drive — Highway 6119 mi · drive
On the bottom
Wrecks off this light
- Madeira0.6 mi · lost 1905
- SS Hesper6.7 mi · lost 1905
- SS Lafayette11 mi · lost 1905
On the water
What to fish on Lake Superior
Source
Facts on this page are from the Wikidata record for Split Rock Lighthouse (Q3378404), retrieved 2026-10-09, with the National Register listing at NPGallery. A blank field means the record is silent, not that the light lacks it. Grounds, towers and tours are run by many different owners; check with them before you go.
Chart shoreline generalized from Natural Earth (public domain). Not for navigation. Something wrong or missing? Write to contact@greatamericanlakes.com.