Cape Decision Light, Historic lighthouse and heritage site in Kuiu Island, Alaska
Cape Decision Light stands on the southern end of Kuiu Island beside Sumner Strait in Southeast Alaska, opposite the Coronation and Warren islands. It is the tallest lighthouse in Alaska, built of concrete and fitted with a helipad because the site is hard to reach. The station became active in March 1932 and was automated in 1974.
Cape Decision Light traces its origins to an acetylene lantern placed on the Spanish Islands, which proved ineffective. Congress appropriated $59,400 in 1929 and construction began that September, but weather and funding shortfalls delayed activation until March 1932, at a final cost above $150,000. The station was automated in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
The lighthouse stands as a vital maritime landmark that has guided vessels through these waters for nearly a century. The original Fresnel lens from the tower is now preserved and displayed in a nearby museum for visitors to see.
The location is accessible only by boat or helicopter since no road connects to the island. Visitors should prepare for coastal weather conditions and wear appropriate footwear and waterproof clothing.
The 1989 fire damaged the tram, dock, boathouse, hoist house, paint shed and helipad, not the tower itself. The station's third-order Fresnel lens, replaced by a solar-powered aero beacon in 1996, is now displayed in the Clausen Museum in Petersburg.
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