Long Point Lighthouse

History

Long Point stretches roughly 40 kilometres east from the Ontario shore, a narrow ribbon of dunes, marsh and forest that ships heading along the north side of the lake must round.^[2] Wikipedia records that the first lighthouse on the point was built in 1830, and that many vessels have been wrecked near its tip.^[2]

The present light dates from 1916. It is a white octagonal concrete tower with a red lantern, joined to a one-storey fog-signal building.^[3] When it was built it stood about 32 metres (102 feet) tall, but drifting sand gradually buried its base; during a renovation in the late 1980s the buried lower part was filled with concrete and a new doorway was cut higher up.^[3] Its original third-order Fresnel lens is now on display at the Port Burwell lighthouse museum, farther west along the shore.^[3]

It remains one of the more powerful lights on the lake. The Canadian Coast Guard's 2026 List of Lights gives a long white flash every eight seconds from 29.6 metres above the water, with a nominal range of 15 nautical miles and a radar beacon.^[1] The U.S. Light List also carries it, at a focal height of 97 feet.^[4] The Lighthouse Directory reports that one flash in four has been missing because of a broken prism.^[3]

Almost the whole point is protected. Long Point National Wildlife Area, established in 1980 and covering 3,284 hectares, is one of the continent's key staging grounds for migrating waterfowl, and outside two day-use beaches it is open to permit holders only.^[5] With no public land access to the station, the tower is seen from boats on the lake.^[3]

How to see it

View from a boat Offshore or on a closed breakwater; seen from the water.

Best public viewpoint

Only from the water. Most of Long Point is a protected wildlife area, and the station cannot be reached over land.^[3]

Tower climbs

No public tower climbs have been offered, as far as our sources show.

Operator

Canadian Coast Guard

Last verified

Last verified 2026-10

Access details last verified 2026-10. Hours, tours and ownership change. Check the operator before you go. Pier and breakwater lights can be dangerous in wind and waves; obey posted closures and never enter private or Coast Guard property.

Questions people ask

Can you visit the Long Point Lighthouse?

Not by land. The tip of Long Point lies inside a National Wildlife Area and the station cannot be reached overland, so it is seen only from the water.

Is the Long Point light still active?

Yes. The 2026 Canadian List of Lights shows LFl W 8s at 29.6 metres, with a nominal range of 15 nautical miles.

Where is the Long Point lens?

The original third-order Fresnel lens is on display at the Port Burwell Marine Museum and Historic Lighthouse.