Ohio Lights - Ashtabula

Ashtabula lighthouse. 10/6/2025 dwm photo

The first time we drove along Lake Erie into the harbor district, I wasn't sure where we would get the best look at the city's lighthouse and missed the turn. 

There was a long-distance view when we were east of town, but it was too far for a decent shot. That was on Sunday, and our trip east pushed our look at the Ashtabula light to Monday.

According to the map, the best chance to see it was at Walnut Beach Park. 

Lighthouse Friends notes that you can walk out the breakwater to get close to the lighthouse but warns it's a difficult and potentially dangerous walk. (more blog below photo)

This was the easy section of the walk. The box in the distance is the light. 10/6/2025 dwm

We parked near the breakwater and I headed out with my cell phone and camera to see how close I could get to the lighthouse. As I started, the breakwater, which was built with large squares of rock and were mostly level, was an easy walk.

 

Ashtabula Lighthouse. 10/6/2025 dwm

 As I walked along the breakwater the rock squares were in random positions - nearly vertical in some places and leaning at steep angles in others which required a hand or two and deliberate moves. When the shore side of the rocks became sand, I walked along the beach until it was too wet, and returned to the rock.

 

 It's difficult to estimate how far the light was from where I was but it had to be a half-mile.  At this point, it seemed unlikely I could get to the house, but I wanted to find a place to secure the camera so I could get a crisp, in-focus, picture.

 

It didn't take long to determine I had walked far enough and wasn't equipped with tools or skills to navigate the rock wall. If I tried and succeeded, it would have take more time than I had available.

 

A tough walk. 10/6/2025 dwm

The lighthouse in the pictures was built in 1904. The original 40-foot lighthouse was built in 1836, connected to a pier where the Ashtabula river emptied into Lake Erie.

 

In 1876, a 30-foot lighthouse was built on the west pier head, connected to land with an elevated walk so the keeper could get to the house while staying out of the water.

 

In 1891, a second light was added so captains could accurately get a bead on the range as they steered into harbor. 

 

Part of the Ashtabula Light's legacy is being the the last lighthouse on Lake Erie with keepers. The last Coast Guardsmen left their watch in 1973.

 

Since there were no keepers to come to my rescue, I took a few more pictures of the breakwater and its lighthouse, then walked back to the car.

 

The Ashtabula lighthouse. 10/6/2025 dwm

Lake Erie and the Ashtabula Lighthouse. 10/6/2025 dwm photo