Remove ads
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pilot Island is an island in Lake Michigan in the Town of Washington, in Door County, Wisconsin; it is part of Green Bay National Wildlife Refuge. An abandoned lighthouse, the Pilot Island Light, rests on the island,[1][2] and three shipwrecks rest in the Pilot Island NW Site. Pilot Island lies in the middle of the southern opening of the Porte des Morts passage off the tip of the Door Peninsula.
Geography | |
---|---|
Location | Door County, Wisconsin |
Coordinates | 45°17′06″N 086°55′11″W |
Adjacent to | Lake Michigan |
Highest elevation | 581 ft (177.1 m) |
Administration | |
Pilot Island earned its name due to the use of the island as a "pilot" by sailors going through the dangerous Porte des Morts passage.[3]
The lighthouse started operations in 1858 and continues to this day to be a maritime navigational aid. The island was often foggy and the fog signal would run for long periods of time. The fog signal was discontinued in 1962.[4]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.