Originally built to guide the way for ships and mark the entrances of harbours, today lighthouses have become beloved landmarks in their own right. Found on a variety of shorelines, from the rugged rocks of the Pacific coast to remote Alaskan islands, these light stations are just as pretty as they are practical. Here, we round up the loveliest of the lot.

Opened in 1872, this black-and-white striped wonder on the Cape Hatteras National Seashore stands at 156 feet (47.5m) tall and is one of the few remaining brick-built lighthouse towers in the US in operation today. A restoration project between 2009 and 2013 ensured that the spiralling 214-step stairway to the top can be climbed by visitors and you can find out about opening times and tours here. 

West Quoddy Head Light sits on the most eastern point of the US mainland, meaning visitors to this spot can be the first to see the sunrise. The original lighthouse was built in 1808 but the current 49-foot (15m) tall tower dates back to 1858. It’s the only lighthouse in the country to have this particular red-and-white, candy cane-stripe design.

With its precarious position on the rugged rocks of San Francisco Bay’s north side, Point Bonita Lighthouse is certainly exposed to the elements. Built in 1855, it was the fourth lighthouse on the West Coast at the time. Yet it hasn’t stayed in the same spot. Initially constructed on a cliff 300 feet (91m) above the ocean, people quickly pointed out that San Fran's notoriously high fog obscured the light. So in 1877 the lighthouse was moved to its current, lower and fog-free location on the southeastern tip of the headland, where it remains active, guiding mariners into the Golden Gate straits.

While it might look more like a charming house on the cliff, this is in fact a fully working lighthouse. Built in 1871, soon after the founding of the city of Newport, the quaint Yaquina Bay Lighthouse sits atop a steep bluff at the mouth of the Yaquina River and is alleged to be the oldest structure in the city. Decommissioned in 1874, it was restored as a privately maintained beacon in 1996. 

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A lighthouse has graced the shores of Aquinnah, Massachusetts since 1796 – although neither the structure nor the location has remained quite the same. After the original wooden tower decayed, a new brick version was built in 1854, whose long history has been preserved and celebrated by the Martha's Vineyard community ever since. In 2015, Gay Head Lighthouse had to be moved 135 feet (41m) southeast of its previous spot, to prevent it from toppling off the fast-eroding cliffs. 

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You get two for one at Virginia Beach. The ‘Old’ Cape Henry Lighthouse, pictured right, opened in 1792, and was the first federally funded public construction project by the newly formed US Government. It's near the ‘First Landing’ site where English settlers arrived. The black-and-white ‘New’ Cape Henry Lighthouse was built in 1881 and stands just 350 feet (107m) away from the original.

Built in 1848, Biloxi was one of the first cast-iron lighthouses in the South. It’s also the only lighthouse in the country to be located in the middle of a major highway. Standing at 64 feet (19.5m) tall, the lighthouse was in service until 1939. The tower has been battered by, and survived, many storms including Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has become a symbol of resilience for the residents of Biloxi. 

First lit in 1874, the Block Island Southeast Light replaced a previous building that fell victim to Mother Nature and it’s one of the most sophisticated lighthouses built during the 19th century. Located at the southeastern corner of the six-mile (10km) long Block Island, the red-brick building has a 52-foot (15.8m) tall and 25-feet (7.6m) wide tower, topped by a 16-sided lantern room.

This striking 175-foot (53m) tall red tower, located 10 miles (16km) south of Daytona Beach, is the tallest lighthouse in Florida. Built in the 1880s, it’s also one of the best-preserved light stations in the US and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998. Today, many visitors choose to climb the 203 steps to the top for incredible panoramic views across the Atlantic coast.

First illuminated in 1875, this Gothic-inspired brick tower looks out over the northern Outer Banks in Corolla village. Inside, there’s a 214-step spiral staircase to the top, which offers dazzling views of Currituck Sound, the Atlantic Ocean and the Currituck Outer Banks. 

Opened in 1879 on a tiny off-shore island, or 'nubble', in York, this Victorian charmer – lovingly known as Nubble Light and Cape Neck to locals – is still in use today. It includes an adjoining lighthouse keeper’s house, inhabited by a string of caretakers, several of whom were known to charge tourists ten cents to ferry them over to the island outside official visiting times. Although visitors can’t go onto the island today, it’s close to the shore and the nearby Sohier Park has become a prime spot for gazing out at the postcard-perfect scene. 

Sitting atop a steep bluff along California's beautiful Highway 1, around 50 miles (80km) south of San Francisco, the 115-foot (35m) Pigeon Point Lighthouse is one of America’s tallest. It was first lit in 1872 and remains in operation today, although the original lens has been replaced by an automated LED and it’s only used for training purposes by the US Coast Guard. 

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This quirky three-story, 11-room brick light station sits in the Thames River at the mouth of New London's harbour on its own man-made island. It owes its unique appearance to the fact that two wealthy local homeowners created the structure in the image of their own grand houses. Completed in 1909, it was one of the last lighthouses to be built in New England and it's still in use today. 

The only lighthouse in the US with this distinctive barber-pole design, White Shoal Light was first lit in 1910 and stands at 121 feet (37m) tall. Located 20 miles (32km) west of the Mackinac Bridge in Lake Michigan, the beacon is currently poised for restoration. The plans include creating six private rooms to host up to 12 guests for overnight stays, as well as a museum, bar and a lounge in the former lantern. 

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This cute little tower at Cape Meares, just south of Tillamook Bay, is inactive but still popular with visitors who can typically see inside on an organised tour during the summer months. Opened in 1890, it’s the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast at a dinky 38 feet (12m) tall. Poking out among the trees of a National Wildlife Refuge, the setting only adds to its quaint good looks. 

Sitting on a small rocky outcrop just off the coast of Crescent City, Battery Point Lighthouse is only accessible at low tide. First lit in 1856, the light is still in operation today, while many of the original furnishings inside remain, giving a glimpse into the lives of former keepers and their families. 

One of America’s prettiest lighthouses, the red-brick Split Rock is located southwest of Silver Bay on the North Shore of Lake Superior. The 54-foot (16.5m) tower was first lit in 1910 and was built after many maritime tragedies on the lake, culminating in the perilous gale of November 1905, when 18 ships were sunk or badly damaged in two days. Situated on towering cliffs and surrounded by its own state park with trails, waterways and campgrounds, the lighthouse is nothing short of majestic. 

Built in 1917 to guide shipping on Lake Erie, one of the US’s five Great Lakes, the picture-perfect Lorain lighthouse is no longer in operation – but it’s still much loved. The light's trustees and volunteers have ensured its legacy has not been forgotten by transforming it into a wonderful attraction, earning it the nickname “Jewel of the Port”. Sunset dinners and tours are still running during the summer season with COVID restrictions in place. 

The super-cute Point Reyes Lighthouse feels very Californian. Located on the weather-worn headlands of Point Reyes in Marin County, the 16-sided lantern and 375-foot (114m) tower can only be accessed by climbing down the 313 stairs along the cliff. First lit in 1870, its parts were built in France and South America before being constructed on this spot, which had to be blown up with dynamite to level the surface.

It may be charming to look at but the 198-foot (60m) tall Cape Hatteras Lighthouse protects one of the most dangerous parts of the coastline known as “the Graveyard of the Atlantic”. The first tower that stood here was built in 1803, but it was too short and did not provide an effective signal, so it was replaced by the structure that stands today. First lit in 1870, the beacon gained its striking black-and-white striped pattern three years later.

Boston Light on Little Brewster island has probably the most eventful history of any in the country. The first structure, made of rubblestone and wood, was built in 1716 and was lit by candles. It was burned down twice during the Revolutionary War, before being blown up by the retreating British in 1776. The Boston Light that stands today was rebuilt in 1783 and measures 75 feet (22.8m) tall. 

Sitting in the middle of the stormy waters of Lynn Canal, Eldred Rock Lighthouse was created after a series of shipwrecks in the late 1800s. The oldest Alaskan lighthouse that still stands, the octagonal-framed, pyramid-roofed building was designed to withstand stormy weather. Backdropped by snow-capped mountains, it’s a remarkable sight.

Georgia’s historic Tybee Lighthouse, located at the entrance of the Savannah River, is both the oldest and tallest in the state. The first wooden lighthouse was built in 1736, but the current tower's lower portion dates from 1773, while an upper section was added in 1867. The charming site also encompasses other historic buildings including a museum and several cottages. 

Constructed in 1825, Cape Florida Light is located at Key Biscayne near Miami. It was decommissioned in 1878 and put back into use in 1978 by the US Coast Guard, but damaged in 1992 by Hurricane Andrew. Now restored, today it forms part of the lovely Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park.

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Finished in 1970, this 90-foot (27.4m) candy-striped, hexagonal lighthouse with a red observation deck is a mere baby compared to others on the list but no less charming for it. Privately built to watch over Hilton Head Island and Sea Pines Resort, it has become a much-loved landmark that features a museum, and gift shops at the bottom and top of the light. 

Perched at the end of a rocky peninsula near the fishing village of Port Clyde, the 31-foot (9.4m) tall Marshall Point Lighthouse is connected to its keeper’s house by a long wooden walkway. Built in 1858 to replace a previous lighthouse, the white tower has been lovingly restored since. It’s also known for making a brief cameo in the movie Forrest Gump in 1994.

Looking ultra-atmospheric in this wintry shot, the 108-foot (32m) tall Wind Point Lighthouse on Lake Michigan is one of the tallest and oldest in the Great Lakes region. It was first lit in 1880 and originally contained huge fog horns, whose signals could be heard up to 10 miles (16km) away, as well as a huge Fresnel lens which is now kept in the Coast Guard Keepers Quarters. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980, the light is still in operation today.

The quaint Heceta Head Light is situated about halfway along Oregan's coastline and stands on an impressive 1,000-foot (305m) tall bluff above the crashing Pacific Ocean. The lighthouse was first lit in 1894 and it’s still guiding mariners to this day, using an automated light which is the most powerful rated on Oregon's coast. The keeper's cottage has been transformed into a B&B which offers unbeatable views of the cliffs and beach below too. 

The oldest lighthouse in the state, Portland Head Light sits on the headland in Cape Elizabeth, keeping a watchful eye over the shipping lanes to Portland harbour. It was first illuminated in 1791, while the keeper’s house was constructed a century later and was home to the lighthouse's caretakers and their families until 1989. Today, the light station is managed by the town of Cape Elizabeth and there’s an award-winning museum in the keepers' quarters.

At more than 250 years old, Sandy Hook Lighthouse is the oldest operating lighthouse in the country. Located on a low-lying spit at the entrance of New York Harbor, it was completed in 1764. The light is part of the National Recreation Area and while tours are currently suspended it's still possible to enjoy the six miles (9.6km) of golden sands as well as bird-watching and fishing.

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Recognise this quaint little lighthouse? Diamond Head Lighthouse in Oahu, Hawaii was memorialised on a US postage stamp in 2007. Sitting on the southwestern edge of Diamond Head, a 3,520-foot (1,073m) wide crater formed by a volcanic eruption 300,000 years ago, the lighthouse has stood guard over the coast since 1899, when it was built following two shipwrecks.

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Loggerhead Lighthouse is about as remote as they come. Which makes it all the more surprising that the 150-foot (46m) tall tower, located on Loggerhead Key in the Dry Tortugas islands – even further west than Key West – was the second lighthouse to be built in this archipelago. The first, Tortugas Harbor Light was erected in 1826 but by the mid-19th century, an increase in shipwrecks in the area led to the construction of Loggerhead Lighthouse in 1858. 

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Standing out against a vivid pink sunset, it’s easy to see why photographers love Round Island Light. Built in 1892 to shine a light across the channels between Round Island and Mackinac Island, it features a 57-foot (17m) brick tower topped with a hexagonal lantern room, plus adjoining keepers’ quarters. The light station was badly damaged by a storm in 1972, which chipped a section off the bottom, but thanks to extensive restoration its former charm has been revived.

The dinky, 46-foot (14m) tall Cockspur Island Lighthouse stands on an islet just southeast of Cockspur Island. The original brick tower was erected in the late 1830s but was obliterated by a hurricane, so in 1855 the present light station was built. It’s certainly survived harsh conditions, including multiple hurricanes and a siege during the Civil War. Restored between 1995 and 2000, today its light beam is solar-powered.

This 112-foot (34m) tower was built in 1867 on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. It was the first lighthouse in the area but the site was largely abandoned after the last full-time keeper left in the late 1940s. The light features a distinctive black-and-white exterior, with 130 steps inside to reach the top, where visitors can gaze at the impressive views across both Ludington State Park and the lake. 

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