Swallow Tail at Night

Visitors to Swallow Tail primarily arrive in the day time, however, some people do go out after darkness. When it was an active light station, the keepers lived on site and had to negotiate the stairs, bridge and footpath in darkness. The rails and cables along these were helpful, not only in stormy conditions but also at night.

Illuminated foot bridge with reflective tape.  Photo courtesy Larry Small.

At the request of the herring weir operators, no dusk to dawn lights are to be used on the property and although shielded low voltage lights can be positioned to provide light and not affect the herring weirs, we chose to use reflective tape to mark the trails, steps, bridge and buildings for now. Just as reflective tape is useful along roadways, it is very useful at Swallow Tail as long as you have a flashlight.

Illuminated path with reflective tape on the trail stanchions.  Photo courtesy Larry Small.

With only the light from the lighthouse, the property is fairly dark and a great place to watch the stars on cloudless nights.