Description: The Charleston Lighthouse is a baby compared to most other lighthouses in the country. Charleston Lighthouse was just built in 1962. It stands 140 feet tall and is made of aluminum siding as opposed to brick like most other lighthouses. It is a triangular tower with the top part black and the bottom white. It is the only lighthouse in the nation to have an elevator. Its modern beacon is made of optics that produce power equivalent to 28 million candles! It sits at the entrance of the Charleston Harbor, and its flashing beacon can be seen for up to 26 miles out at sea.
The lighthouse currently serves as a station for the Coast Guard. Visitors may not go inside the building. You are, however, welcome to walk around the lighthouse and take pictures. The lighthouse sits on a beach that makes for a nice walk, and there are plenty of lighthouse picture opportunities to be found.
This unique light sits just outside the city of Mt. Pleasant (SC) just over the Cooper River Bridge from Charleston. To get here, you can follow Route 703 to Sullivan’s Island. You will go near Ft. Moultrie, and from here you can see the tower. It sits on Middle Street and there is a place to park. You can park, get out, and walk around the beach and the tower of the lighthouse. There are sand burrs here, so be careful, especially if you have a pooch with you. My little Jasmine was covered in them.
While the lighthouse is not what people typically think of when you think "lighthouse," it is a rather unique building to see. For me it is always a thrill to see any lighthouse. The area surrounding it is beautiful and worth taking some time to visit.
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