Point Retreat is a headland on the northern tip of Admiralty Island, on the Mansfield Peninsula in Lynn Canal, about 60 miles (97 km) south-southeast of Haines and 20 miles (32 km) northwest of Juneau, Alaska. The point was named in 1794 by Lieutenant Joseph Whidbey of the Royal Navy because he was forced to seek safety here from hostile natives.

Mansfield Peninsula was named in 1893 for Henry Buckingham Mansfield, who was commander of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey steamer Patterson. He made coast and hydrographic surveys of Alaska waters from 1889 to 1891.

Point Retreat was set aside as a 1,505 acre (609 ha) lighthouse reserve in 1901 by President William McKinley. The first Point Retreat Lighthouse was a hexagonal wooden tower, only 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, topped by a hexagonal lantern room that was first lit in 1904. In 1917, the lighthouse was removed and downgraded to a minor light until 1924, when a new combination lighthouse and fog signal was built. The lantern was removed in the 1950s and a solar-powered 300 mm lens was installed on a post attached to the tower. In 1973, the light was again unmanned and downgraded. Read more about Point Retreat here and Admiralty Island here. Explore more of Point Retreat and Admiralty Island here: