Gay Head Light

Aquinnah, Massachusetts | Historic lighthouse

Active aid in USCG Light ListNational RegisterAccess: verify before visiting

About this lighthouse

The U.S. Coast Guard lists Gay Head Light in its current Light List as an aid to navigation, describing the structure as “Red brick 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 1799 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 Gay Head Light
Navigation status	Listed as an aid to navigation in the current USCG Light List (LLNR 620) [1]
Light characteristic	Al WR 15s [1]
Focal height	175 ft above water [1]
Nominal range	20 nautical miles [1]
Structure (USCG description)	Red brick tower. [1]
National Register	Listed as “Gay Head Light” (NRIS 87001464), NPGallery record dated 6/15/1987 [2]
NRHP significant years	1856 [2]
NRHP areas of significance	Engineering Transportation Architecture Maritime History [2]
County	Dukes County
Coordinates	41.34844, -70.83494 [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.

Tarpaulin Cove Light — 9.2 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Buzzards Bay Entrance Light — 10.9 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
Nobska Light — 14.8 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
West Chop Light — 15.1 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)
East Chop Light — 16.2 mi straight-line (Massachusetts)

Sources

Light List Vol. I entry LLNR 620 “Gay 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 87001464: “Gay Head Light” — National Park Service, NPGallery (NRHP). https://npgallery.nps.gov/AssetDetail/NRIS/87001464 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikidata item Q5528593 (used as a lead for coordinates and identifiers) — Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5528593 (checked 2026-11-11)
Wikipedia article (background reading, not a primary source) — Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gay_Head_Light (checked 2026-11-11)

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