Split Rock Lighthouse
A lighthouse on a cliff over Lake Superior, built after a single 1905 storm wrecked or stranded some thirty ships.
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In November 1905 a storm on Lake Superior wrecked or stranded around thirty vessels in a single night, several of them near this stretch of shore, and the shipping companies pushed hard for a light. It was built between 1909 and 1910 on top of a cliff about forty metres high, with all the material hauled up by derrick because there was no road - supply came by water for years. The light was decommissioned in 1969 and is now run as a historic site with the keeper's houses and the fog signal building restored to the 1920s. Each 10 November the beacon is lit in memory of the Edmund Fitzgerald crew.
What you actually see
- A light on a forty-metre cliff - built 1909-1910 after the 1905 storm.
- Restored keeper's houses - shown as the 1920s.
- The fog signal building - part of the site.
- The 10 November lighting - for the Edmund Fitzgerald.
When to go
May to October for full opening; autumn colour in late September. Two to three hours.
Honest expectations
Winter access is limited and the buildings close. The famous view of the light is from the shore below, which means a walk down and back up. Summer weekends fill the park. The lake wind is cold in any season.
Nearby
Gooseberry Falls is south; Tettegouche is north.
What to pack for Split Rock Lighthouse
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
