It is a skeletal square pyramidal tower, painted brown, with a black lantern.

After the lighthouse was automated in 1952 the tower and other buildings at the site were often vandalized, interfering with the operation of the light.

The Coast Guard determined that the light was no longer needed and deactivated it in 1984.

The site was eventually turned over to the State of Florida and added to Anclote Key Preserve State Park.

As of 2003 the lighthouse has been restored and relighted using a reproduction fourth-order Fresnel lens.