Browns Head Light

Vinalhaven, Maine | Historic lighthouse

Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterAccess: verify before visiting

Browns Head Light, Vinalhaven, Maine — Photo: US Coast Guard · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons. Not a current-conditions photo.

About this lighthouse

The U.S. Coast Guard lists Browns Head Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “White cylindrical tower”. Light List entries describe the light for mariners; they do not say whether the site is open to visitors.

The structure is recorded in the National Register of Historic Places. A National Register listing documents historic significance. It does not mean the public can visit.

Awaiting verification: Wikidata gives 1832 as the year this station or structure was established. We have not yet confirmed this against a primary source, so it is not shown as a fact. See the Wikidata lead.

Facts panel

Sourced facts about Browns Head Light
Navigation status	Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 3965) [1]
Light characteristic	F W [1]
Focal height	39 ft above water [1]
Nominal range	14 nautical miles [1]
Structure (USCG description)	White cylindrical tower. [1]
National Register	Listed as “Browns Head Light Station” (NRIS 83000460), NPGallery record dated 1/27/1983 [2]
NRHP significant years	1832 1857 [2]
NRHP areas of significance	Commerce Architecture Maritime History [2]
County	Knox County
Coordinates	44.11176, -68.90950 [3]

Getting there

Directions should target a legal public viewing location. We have not verified a public viewpoint or parking area for this light yet, so check the official source before you go.

Map © OpenStreetMap contributors. Open larger map. The pin marks the lighthouse position, not a parking area or a permitted viewpoint.

Accessibility

We have no verified accessibility information for this site yet. Contact the site manager before your visit if you need step-free access.

Nearby lights

Straight-line distance between lighthouse positions, not a driving time or route.

Goose Rocks Light — 4.2 mi straight-line (Maine)
Heron Neck Light — 6.4 mi straight-line (Maine)
Owls Head Light — 6.8 mi straight-line (Maine)
Rockland Harbor Breakwater Light — 8.4 mi straight-line (Maine)
Indian Island Light — 8.4 mi straight-line (Maine)

Sources

Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 3965 “Browns Head Light” — U.S. Coast Guard Navigation Center (weekly edition 11/11/2026). https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/weekly-light-lists (checked 2026-11-11)
National Register of Historic Places record 83000460: “Browns Head Light Station” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/83000460 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikidata item Q4976654 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4976654 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Browns_Head_Light (checked 2026-11-11)

Last checked November 11, 2026. Found an error or a closure? Send a correction.