Colorado is Home to the Highest Lighthouse in the Country

Colorado is as land-locked as it gets – surrounded by seven other states, and certainly no ocean anywhere in sight. Ironically, however, the Centennial State is home to the highest lighthouse in the country.

Sitting at 9,017 feet above sea level, the Frisco Bay lighthouse is located in the middle of a parking lot by the marina, on the southwestern end of Dillon Reservoir in the town of Frisco.

This large lake in Summit County provides water for the Denver metropolitan area through a tunnel under the Continental Divide. The site is considered to be the world's highest deep-water marina.

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The 26-foot tall octagonal wood tower painted white with black trim was constructed during the early 1960s, along with the reservoir and dam. It's still fully functional with the upper lantern remaining lit during boating season. Like other lighthouses, its purpose is to serve as a navigational aid to boaters out on the water - in this case Dillon Reservoir.

In 2019, the Frisco Bay lighthouse was removed for a brief period while the area underwent construction. The structure was returned to its original site once the construction project was complete. Nowadays, anyone can stop by and visit the highest lighthouse in the country.

The charming Frisco Bay lighthouse is the only recognized lighthouse in Colorado. There is another lighthouse in Red Feather Lakes, Colorado, but since it's not located on a navigable lake or river and does not light up or act as a navigational beacon for boaters, it's not technically classified as one.