I got a notice this week from Coastal Expeditions, announcing their 2024 schedule for the Cape Romain Lighthouse tours, and I went back to look at the photos from the trip I took last year…and realized I never published the post. It was sitting there in draft. Well, I dusted it off and here it is, it provides a good preview for 2024. This is a one of kind experience, and I am so glad I went! Enjoy this post from a trip to explore the Cape Romain Lighthouses, from March 2023…
Our tour started at the Seewee Visitor Center auditorium, with a presentation of photos and stories from McClellanville native and longtime supporter of the lighthouses, Mr. Tommy Graham.
Cape Romain is a Class I Wilderness Area, since 1975. This distinction recognizes this wild area as having some of the cleanest air on the east coast. The Wilderness Act of 1964 defines it as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain.”
Landing on the island requires coordination of tides, a skilled Captain, and a shore landing on a marsh. Pluff mud is plentiful, as are the bugs. Bug spray is a must.
The Lighthouses
The 1857 Light
The tall white and black painted lighthouse was constructed in 1857, made of brick. The light was automated in 1937. It is octagonal in shape, 151 ft in height. The light was first lit in 1858, deactivated in 1947. The light was a 1st order Fresnel, with a range of approximately 22 miles.
The 1827 Light
The red brick light was erected in 1827. It is just over half the size of it’s companion light, at 65 ft. It is smooth conical in shape. It was deactivated in 1858, with the activation of the bigger light. The light used a Winslow Lewis lamps and reflectors set up.
The Grounds – Lightkeeper’s Homes
Resources
Coastal Expeditions Cape Romain Tours