The historic Porphyry Island Lighthouse is located on the eastern side of the Black Bay Peninsula, 40 km east of Thunder Bay. It was built in 1873 and was the second lighthouse constructed on Lake Superior. During the 1960’s, an additional dwelling was built and a 25m steel tower added to the structure. In 1989 the lighthouse ceased to be operated by a keeper and became fully automatic. The lighthouse is a white wooden tower that stands 12.5 metres tall and has a red lantern. It has a fourth-order Fresnel lens that flashes a white light every 15 seconds. It is open to the public and offers various initiatives such as artist-in-residence and volunteer host keeper programs. Amenities include camp sites, a sauna, wi-fi, a fire pit, and picnic tables. Sail Superior offers a half day zodiac adventure to the island out of Thunder Bay marina, and Archie’s Charters offers regular shuttles out of Silver Islet.