Summer Is The Perfect Time To Visit These 5 Iconic American Lighthouses

Point Reyes Lighthouse was first built in 1870 to help sailors find their way around the perilous Point Reyes Headlands. Today, the lighthouse is a popular attraction and open to the public. One of the most popular spots to visit is the Lens Room, where you can marvel at the huge lighthouse lens and clockwork system once used to shine a beam out onto the waves. (Point Reyes, Inverness, Calif.)

Bodie Island Light Station is one of the most striking lighthouses on this list due to its iconic black and white coloring. It was built on the Outer Banks in North Carolina in 1872 and has stood strong ever since, despite earlier versions having been abandoned or destroyed by war. The lighthouse is open to the general public and is one of the most unmissable attractions on the Outer Banks. (8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse, Nags Head, NC)

Formally known as Nantucket Light, island locals know this station as Great Point Light. It was first constructed in 1784 before burning down in the early 1800s. After being rebuilt and once more torn down by a hurricane, the current lighthouse has been guarding the northernmost point of Nantucket since the 1980s. This station is known for its scenic beauty and striking white stone tower. (Nantucket Wildlife Refuge, Nantucket, Mass.)

Cape Henry Lighthouse is a stunning spot on the southern entrance to Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. Built around 1792, the lighthouse is situated near the historic site of Jamestown and is itself a national historic landmark. Unlike many colonial-era lighthouses, this station is still in use today. (583 Atlantic Ave., Fort Story, Va.)

Cape Flattery Lighthouse is located at the end of a lonely trail at the most northwestern point of Washington. The station has been standing strong since 1857 and is actually situated just off the coast on Tatoosh Island. This region has been the home of the Makah native people for countless generations, and their traditions are still maintained on Tatoosh Island. (Tatoosh Island, Neah Bay, Wash.)