A Complete List of the 30 Florida Lighthouses
Visiting Florida lighthouses is a fun activity for anyone who is looking for something a little different to do! Some lighthouses are accessible only by boat or ferry while others are accessible by land. Many are open to the public year-round to climb while others may only be open on select dates. This will be the first of 6 posts on lighthouses. I will start with an overview of the entire state and then highlight the lighthouses in each area of Florida, including the gulf or west coast, east coast, the panhandle, and the keys.
How many Lighthouses are in Florida?
There are 30 lighthouses in the state of Florida. See below for the name and tower height.
- Alligator Reef – 135 feet
- Amelia Island – 64 feet
- American Shoal – 124 feet
- Anclote Key – 110 feet
- Cape Canaveral – 151 feet
- Cape Florida – 95 feet
- Cape San Blas – 65 feet
- Cape St. George – 72 feet
- Carysfort Reef – 120 feet
- Cedar Keys – 33 feet
- Crooked River – 103 feet
- Egmont Key – 76 feet
- Fowey Rocks – 125 feet
- Garden Key – 25 feet
- Gasparilla Island – 105 feet
- Hillsboro Inlet – 144 feet
- Jupiter Inlet – 108 feet
- Key West – 86 feet
- Loggerhead Key –157 feet
- Pensacola – 151 feet
- Ponce de Leon Inlet – 175 feet
- Port Boca Grande – 44 feet
- Sand Key – 121 feet
- Sanibel Island – 112 feet
- Sombrero Key – 149 feet
- St. Augustine – 165 feet
- St. Johns – 64 feet
- St. Johns River – 72 feet
- St. Marks – 88 feet
- Tennessee Reef – 49 feet
Which of the lighthouses are open to the public to climb year-round?
There are 8 lighthouses that are open year-round to the public for climbing. These include Cape San Blas, Cape St. George, Crooked River, Jupiter Inlet, Key West, Pensacola, Ponce de Leon Inlet, and St. Augustine.
If you have children, before you head to the lighthouse to climb to the top you may want to double check any height requirements. Many of the lighthouses note that climbers must be at least 40-44 inches tall. Each lighthouse may have a different requirement. Appropriate footwear such as closed toed shoes is also often required.
Which of the lighthouses are open on select dates to climb?
Additionally, 7 lighthouses are open on select dates or times to the public to climb. Anclote Key, Cape Canaveral, Cape Florida, Cedar Keys, Gasparilla Island, Hillsboro Inlet, and Port Boca Grande are open on a limited schedule.
Currently, Port Boca Grande Lighthouse and Museum is closed since Fall 2022 due to damage from Hurricane Ian. I recommend checking on individual lighthouse websites for the most up to date information.
Which lighthouses are only accessible by boat or ferry?
Visiting all the lighthouses can provide a challenge if you do not have access to a boat (like me). Many of the lighthouses are only accessible by private boat and/or ferry.
There are 12 lighthouses that cannot be accessed from land. These include Alligator Reef, American Shoal, Anclote Key, Carysfort Reef, Cedar Keys, Egmont Key, Fowey Rocks, Garden Key, Loggerhead Key, Sand Key, Sombrero Key, and Tennessee Reef Light.
What are the three tallest Florida lighthouses?
Florida is home to two of the ten tallest lighthouses in the United States. Ponce de Leon Inlet is the tallest lighthouse in Florida at 175 feet and is the third tallest in the United States. There are 203 steps to climb to the top.
St. Augustine Lighthouse is not far behind at 165 feet and is the seventh tallest lighthouse in the United States. There are 219 steps to climb to the top.
Loggerhead Key is the third tallest in Florida at 157 feet.
What are the shortest Florida lighthouses?
While still worth seeing, there are 4 Florida lighthouses that are below 50 feet. Garden Key is the shortest at 25 feet, followed by Cedar Keys, Port Boca Grande, and Tennessee Reef at 33, 44, and 49 feet, respectively.
Location of Florida Lighthouses
The lighthouses in Florida can be broken into 4 different sections the panhandle, the gulf or west coast, the keys, and the east coast. See below a list of the lighthouses in each region. I will be including a more detailed blog post on each of these areas over the next few weeks!
Florida Panhandle Lighthouses
- Pensacola
- Cape San Blas
- Cape St. George
- Crooked River
- St. Marks
Learn more about the Florida Panhandle Lighthouses in this blog post.
Florida Gulf Coast Lighthouses
- Cedar Keys
- Anclote Key
- Egmont Key
- Gasparilla Island
- Port Boca Grande
- Sanibel Island
Learn more about the Gulf Coast Florida Lighthouses in this blog post.
Florida East Coast Lighthouses
- Amelia Island
- St. Johns
- St. Johns River
- St. Augustine
- Ponce de Leon Inlet
- Cape Canaveral
- Jupiter Inlet
- Hillsboro Inlet
- Cape Florida
- Fowey Rocks
Learn more about the East Coast Florida Lighthouses in this blog post.
Florida Keys Lighthouses
- Carysfort Reef
- Alligator Reef
- Tennessee Reef
- Sombrero Key
- American Shoal
- Key West
- Sand Key
- Garden Key
- Loggerhead Key
Learn more about the Florida Keys Lighthouses in this blog post.
Florida Faux Lighthouses
Initially when I first started researching Florida lighthouses, I was confused that the list of the 30 lighthouses did not include other lighthouses I knew existed such as Boca Chita. Then I learned about Faux lighthouses which is a term that refers to any non-historic lighthouse. Faux lighthouses may include a structure that is built to resemble a lighthouse, or a lighthouse built with private funding. These faux lighthouses are not eligible for Florida Lighthouse Association support but may still be of interest if you love visiting lighthouses!
There are 15 faux lighthouses in the state of Florida which are listed below. The only faux lighthouse I’ve been to is Boca Chita Lighthouse when I visited Biscayne National Park.
- Boca Chita Lighthouse
- Everglades Isle Resort
- Faro Blanco Resort
- Green’s Light
- Harbor Cove
- Harbor Walk Village
- Katie’s Light
- Lighthouse Landing Restaurant
- Lighthouse Point
- Mount Dora Lighthouse
- New Canal Lighthouse
- St. Johns Pass Village
- St. Joseph Point Lighthouse
- Tierra Verde Lighthouse
- Whale Harbor Inn and Marina
What is the Lighthouse Society’s Passport Program?
If you enjoy visiting lighthouses, you can buy a Lighthouse Passport to start collecting stamps at various participating locations all over the United States. The passport books can hold up to 60 stamps and a portion of the sales goes to lighthouse preservation.
Summary
Regardless of where you are located in Florida, if you head to the coast, you will be on your way towards visiting one of Florida’s 30 lighthouses! This is another unique activity that you can add to your Florida bucket list! Have you visited any of these lighthouses? Comment below and let me know which one is your favorite!
The information above was accurate at the time of publishing to the best of the author’s knowledge. Information will be verified and updated periodically. If you are planning to visit any of the lighthouses, I recommend verifying the most current information with the Florida Lighthouse association or Friends of Florida Lighthouses websites.
