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Lake Erie lighthouses in Circle Tour order

Here are all 45[1] lighthouses in the order you'd meet them driving around the lake, starting at Toledo and heading east along the Ohio shore, through Erie and western New York to Buffalo, then back west along the Ontario shore to the Detroit River. Flip the order to drive the other way. There are no drive times or directions here: use your own map, and check each light's page for how to see it.

Schematic route map linking the Lake Erie lighthouses in Circle Tour orderMICHIGANONTARIOOHIOPENNSYLVANIANEW YORK83°W82°W81°W80°W79°W

The route line is schematic. The Lake Erie Circle Tour is signed by the states and Ontario; this site is not connected with it. NOT FOR NAVIGATION.

Clockwise from Toledo

Showing: Counter-clockwise from Detroit

Ontario's north shore and the Detroit River mouth

  1. Detroit River Lighthouse Off the mouth of the Detroit River, Berlin Charter Township (Monroe County, Michigan) View from a boat
  2. Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse Southern tip of Bois Blanc (Boblo) Island, Amherstburg, Ontario View from shore
  3. Colchester Reef Lighthouse Colchester Reef, about 6 km south of Colchester (Town of Essex, Ontario) View from a boat
  4. Middle Island Lighthouse (ruin) Middle Island, Point Pelee National Park (Township of Pelee, Ontario) Ruin or relocated
  5. Pelee Island Lighthouse Lighthouse Point, northern tip of Pelee Island (Township of Pelee, Ontario) Grounds open
  6. Pelee Passage Lighthouse Offshore northeast of Pelee Island (Township of Pelee, Ontario); original tower now in Windsor View from a boat
  7. Southeast Shoal Lighthouse Offshore, about six miles south of Point Pelee (Ontario) View from a boat
  8. Rondeau Harbour Lights (Erieau) Erieau, Rondeau Harbour entrance (Municipality of Chatham-Kent, Ontario) Grounds open
  9. Port Stanley Breakwater Lighthouse Port Stanley (Municipality of Central Elgin, Ontario) View from shore
  10. Port Burwell Lighthouse Port Burwell (Municipality of Bayham, Elgin County, Ontario) Grounds open
  11. Old Cut Lighthouse Base of Long Point, near Port Rowan (Norfolk County, Ontario) View from shore
  12. Port Dover West Pier Lighthouse Port Dover (Norfolk County, Ontario) Grounds open
  13. Long Point Lighthouse Eastern tip of Long Point (Long Point National Wildlife Area, Norfolk County, Ontario) View from a boat
  14. Port Maitland Lighthouse Mouth of the Grand River, Port Maitland (Haldimand County, Ontario) Grounds open
  15. Mohawk Island Lighthouse (ruin) Mohawk Island, off Rock Point Provincial Park near Dunnville (Haldimand County, Ontario) Ruin or relocated
  16. Port Colborne Lighthouses (Inner and Outer) Welland Canal entrance, Port Colborne, Ontario View from shore
  17. Point Abino Lighthouse Point Abino, near Crystal Beach (Town of Fort Erie, Ontario) No public access

New York

  1. Buffalo Harbor South Entrance Lighthouse Stony Point breakwater, Lackawanna/Buffalo (Erie County, New York) View from a boat
  2. Buffalo Main Lighthouse Mouth of the Buffalo River, Buffalo (Erie County, New York) Tower climbs
  3. Buffalo North Breakwater South End Light (the "bottle" light) Buffalo Lighthouse grounds, mouth of the Buffalo River (Buffalo, New York) Grounds open
  4. Buffalo Harbor Light (Outer Breakwater) Outer (detached) breakwater off the Buffalo River mouth, Buffalo, New York View from a boat
  5. Horseshoe Reef Lighthouse (ruin) Head of the Niagara River, off Buffalo, New York Ruin or relocated
  6. South Buffalo North Side Light (relocated to Dunkirk) Dunkirk Lighthouse grounds, Point Gratiot (Dunkirk, New York) Grounds open
  7. Dunkirk Lighthouse (Point Gratiot) Point Gratiot, Dunkirk (Chautauqua County, New York) Tower climbs
  8. Barcelona Lighthouse Barcelona Harbor, Town of Westfield (Chautauqua County, New York) Tower climbs

Erie, Pennsylvania

  1. Erie Land Lighthouse Lighthouse Park, Erie, Pennsylvania Tower climbs
  2. Erie Harbor North Pier Lighthouse Presque Isle State Park (channel entrance), Erie, Pennsylvania Grounds open
  3. Presque Isle Lighthouse Presque Isle State Park, Erie, Pennsylvania Tower climbs

Ohio's central shore

  1. Conneaut Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse Conneaut, Ashtabula County, Ohio View from shore
  2. Ashtabula Harbor Lighthouse Ashtabula, Ashtabula County, Ohio View from shore
  3. Fairport Harbor Lighthouse Fairport Harbor, Lake County, Ohio Tower climbs
  4. Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Lighthouse Fairport Harbor, Lake County, Ohio View from shore
  5. Cleveland Harbor East Pierhead Lighthouse Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio View from shore
  6. Cleveland Harbor West Pierhead Lighthouse Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio View from shore
  7. Lorain Lighthouse Lorain, Lorain County, Ohio Tower climbs
  8. Vermilion Lighthouse Vermilion (Main Street Beach), Erie County, Ohio Grounds open
  9. Huron Harbor Lighthouse Huron, Erie County, Ohio View from shore

Western Basin and the islands

  1. Cedar Point Lighthouse Cedar Point peninsula, Sandusky (Erie County, Ohio) View from shore
  2. Marblehead Lighthouse Marblehead, Ottawa County, Ohio Tower climbs
  3. South Bass Island Lighthouse South Bass Island, Put-in-Bay (Ottawa County, Ohio) Tower climbs
  4. Green Island Lighthouse Green Island, near Put-in-Bay (Ottawa County, Ohio) Ruin or relocated
  5. Port Clinton Lighthouse Port Clinton (Water Works Park), Ottawa County, Ohio Tower climbs
  6. West Sister Island Lighthouse West Sister Island (Jerusalem Township, Lucas County, Ohio) No public access
  7. Toledo Harbor Lighthouse Maumee Bay, offshore of Toledo (Lucas County, Ohio) View from shore
  8. Turtle Island Lighthouse Turtle Island, Maumee Bay (Lucas County, Ohio) Ruin or relocated

Crossing between New York and Ontario means crossing an international border. Check the U.S. and Canadian border agencies' requirements before you travel.

Take the whole route offline: the Lake Erie Lighthouse Trip Book & Checklist ($9).

Sources

  1. Lake Erie Gazetteer data: this site's own compiled records (lighthouses, shipwrecks, storms), Lake Erie Gazetteer (WeldonPC). Accessed . Values computed by us from this data.