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American Shoal
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Photo: Eric S Martin |
Active: Yes Coordinates:
Operated by: Untied States Coast Guard Contact: |
|
Photo: Eric S Martin |
Active: Yes Coordinates:
Operated by: Untied States Coast Guard Contact: |
American Shoal Lighthouse is a 124-foot iron skeletal tower anchored to the reef southwest of the Lower Keys. A keeper’s dwelling once occupied the platform within its framework. The tower’s red daymark makes it distinctive among Florida’s surviving offshore reef lights.
For years, the Lighthouse Board sought a light between Sand Key and Sombrero Key, where strong currents pushed vessels toward the reefs. Congress eventually approved the project, and a prefabricated iron tower was assembled on screwpiles driven into the shoal. The light was first shown on July 15, 1880. Keepers lived above the sea and maintained the lens through hurricanes and difficult supply runs. The station was electrified in 1938 and automated in 1963. Its navigational light was discontinued in 2015, leaving the historic tower without an optic.
A very distant land view may be possible from the Sugarloaf Key area on a clear day. A boat or plane is needed for a useful close view. The tower is closed, and visitors should not attempt to climb or enter the structure.
The lighthouse is privately owned and no longer operates as an official aid to navigation. It remains standing in open water, with no public tower access. Any trip near the reef should be made with an experienced local operator and suitable marine conditions.