Alaska’s Lighthouses: Beacons of Navigation and Maritime History
Explore the lights that mark Alaska’s remote waterways, from the stories of Mary Island and Point Retreat to other historic structures along the coast.
Signals Across Remote Waters
Guiding Mariners, Remembering Coastal Lives
Along Alaska’s island passages and rugged shoreline, lighthouses and other light structures have helped mariners identify hazards and navigate difficult approaches. Their histories also tell of the keepers, crews, and coastal communities connected by these routes. Alaska Lighthouses brings together public records and imagery to explore both the practical work of these lights and the maritime lives surrounding them.
Featured Lights and Coastal Stories
Mary Island Light
Discover a Southeast Alaska light whose history reflects the challenges of guiding vessels through the region’s intricate waterways.
Point Retreat Light
Learn about the light marking Point Retreat and its place in the navigation history of Southeast Alaska’s coastal routes.
Other Alaska Lighthouses
Browse more of the state’s named lighthouses and discover how each served a different stretch of Alaska’s extensive coastline.
Additional Light Structures
Look beyond the featured stations to the other light structures that have helped mariners find their way through Alaska’s waters.
Two Lights, Two Alaskan Waterways
Mary Island & Point Retreat
Client
Mary Island Light stands near Ketchikan on the approaches to Revillagigedo Channel; Point Retreat marks the northern end of Admiralty Island in Southeast Alaska.
Date
Established in the early 1900s; Point Retreat’s present tower dates to 1924.
My Role
Southeast Alaska Maritime Landmarks
Mary Island Light helped guide vessels through the busy waters near Ketchikan, where island passages and coastal traffic made reliable aids to navigation essential. Point Retreat Light serves mariners traveling the waters around the northern tip of Admiralty Island, near the routes linking Juneau and the Inside Passage. Together, their histories reflect the expansion of federal navigation aids in Alaska and the changing technology behind the lights that still mark its coast.
Beyond the Featured Lights
Documented Lighthouses
Alaska’s established coastal stations
Explore lighthouse stations recorded in public histories, from Southeast Alaska’s island passages to exposed Gulf of Alaska approaches.
Harbor & Channel Lights
Guidance through working waterways
Find smaller lights and beacons that help identify harbor entrances, narrow channels, and turns along Alaska’s navigable coast.
Historic & Current Structures
A wider view of the coast
Compare structures named in public lighthouse lists with information from Coast Guard and other government records, with a dedicated page for each featured light.
Milestones Along Alaska’s Coast
Key dates from public records place Alaska’s lights within a longer story of coastal travel, federal navigation work, and preservation.
1867
Alaska Changes Hands
The United States purchases Alaska from Russia, beginning a new era of federal responsibility for navigation along its vast coastline.
1900
Lighthouse Expansion Begins
Congress authorizes new lighthouse construction in Alaska as maritime traffic grows during the gold-rush era.
1903
Mary Island Light Begins Service
A light station is established on Mary Island to help vessels navigate the approaches near Ketchikan and Revillagigedo Channel.
1904
Point Retreat Station Established
A navigation light begins operating at Point Retreat, marking the northern end of Admiralty Island for vessels traveling Southeast Alaska’s waterways.
1924
A New Tower at Point Retreat
The present Point Retreat lighthouse replaces the station’s earlier structure, continuing its role on a well-traveled coastal route.
1939
Coast Guard Takes Over
The U.S. Lighthouse Service becomes part of the U.S. Coast Guard, placing Alaska’s lighthouse operations within the agency that maintains federal aids to navigation today.
Preserving the Stories Behind Alaska’s Lights
Alaska Lighthouses documents the beacons that helped mariners navigate the state’s rugged coastline. With a special focus on Mary Island Light and Point Retreat, the site places each landmark in its geographic and historical setting, tracing how lights served vessels traveling through Southeast Alaska and beyond.
Our mission is to make Alaska’s maritime history accessible through individual pages for its lighthouses and other light structures. Drawing on public historical sources, including U.S. government and Coast Guard records, we bring together documented dates, locations, and changes in service while distinguishing established facts from gaps in the record. Photographs and historical context help show how these navigational aids connect to the people and waterways they served.
Follow the Lights Along Alaska’s Coast
Start with Mary Island Light or Point Retreat, then browse the other Alaska light structures documented on their own pages. Each stop offers another view of the landmarks and maritime history that shaped navigation along the coast.