Built in 1858 on Egmont Key at the mouth of Tampa Bay to help guide ships into the Bay, it originally was the only lighthoust between St. marks and Key West on the gulf coast of Florida. Egmont Key itself is now a state park and wildlife preserve with many nesting sea turtles, and sea birds.

The Cape San Blas lighthouse as it stood when it was last used before being deactivated by the Coast Guard in 1996. This picture was taken on July of 2011.

Florida's Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse is nestled in a grove of trees beside the Atlantic Ocean.

The Ponce Inlet Lighthouse in Volusia County, Florida is the tallest lighthouse in the state.

The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse,built in the 1890's and restored in 1986, sits in Florida's Gasparilla Island State Park at the southern tip of the island.

The Port Boca Grande Lighthouse,built in the 1890's and restored in 1986, sits in Florida's Gasparilla Island State Park at the southern tip of the island.

The Tybee Island lighthouse is the oldest and tallest in Georgia. Located at the mouth of the Savannah River, it is open to the public with an observation platform that is 154' above ground. The bottom 60' were finished in 1773 and the top 94' in 1867. The walls at the base are 12' thick tapering to about 18" at the top.

Still using the original almost 8' tall fresnel lens, this 30,000 candlepower light can be seen 18 miles at sea.