Cape Spencer Light

Cape Spencer Light stands on a small rocky islet at the southern end of Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, guarding the difficult entrance to Cross Sound and Icy Strait in southeastern Alaska. Calls for a beacon began in 1906, with an unmanned acetylene light installed in 1912 and a reinforced concrete lighthouse completed after construction began in 1924. Staffed by four Coast Guard men on year-long tours, the isolated station depended on crane access, periodic resupply from Ketchikan, and constant maintenance of the light and radio watch. In 1926 it became Alaska’s first lighthouse with radiobeacon facilities, was automated in 1974, and remains an active aid to navigation.

Elfin Cove, Alaska · United States