Ten ways to track lighthouse visits get compared here, from a printable checklist to spreadsheets, apps, and the one program that actually stamps a booklet at the lighthouse itself. The Triptyka lighthouse checklist wins for anyone who wants a printable, gamified list ready in 2026 without building anything from scratch.
- Triptyka's lighthouse checklist is the best lighthouse checklist tracker for a ready-made, printable, gamified list at a one-time $9.99 cost.
- The U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport Program wins for official stamp collecting at physical lighthouse stations.
- Free digital options like Google Sheets, Notes apps, and Trello work for DIY trackers but require manual setup.
- Ten tracker types compared in 2026 span printable passports, apps, spreadsheets, and physical journals.
Why this matters
Lighthouse hunting has no single governing checklist the way baseball has 30 MLB ballparks. There are hundreds of lighthouses across U.S. coastlines, the Great Lakes, and rivers, and most trackers on the market are either overbuilt project-management apps or blank notebooks that leave the list-building to you.
The right lighthouse checklist tracker in 2026 saves you the setup work, gives you a visible sense of progress, and survives a road trip without a data plan. That's the bar every option below gets measured against.
What makes the best lighthouse checklist tracker
- Pre-built list — a real starting roster of lighthouses, not a blank page
- Portability — usable on the road without wifi or a login
- Visual progress — a way to see what's done versus what's left
- Low setup cost — minutes, not hours, to start using it
- Durability — survives salt air, car dashboards, and repeated handling
- Price transparency — you know the cost before you commit
At a glance
| Tracker | Best for | Standout feature | Starting price | Key limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Triptyka Lighthouse Checklist | Printable gamified tracking | Ready-made bucket-list format | $9.99 (one-time) | Static PDF, no auto-updates |
| U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport | Official stamp collecting | Physical stamps at lighthouse sites | n/a | Covers only program-affiliated lighthouses |
| Google Sheets tracker | Free customizable list | Cloud sync across devices | Free | You build the list yourself |
| Bullet journal | Journaling enthusiasts | Fully custom, tactile pages | n/a (notebook cost) | Entirely manual |
| Notes app | Quick on-site logging | Always on your phone | Free | No visuals, gets messy fast |
| Trello board | Trip planning plus tracking | Card-based visual board | Free (basic plan) | Not lighthouse-specific |
| Google My Maps | Route mapping | Pins visited/unvisited spots on a map | Free | Not a true checklist format |
| Printable wall map | Home display | Visual family centerpiece | n/a (map/stickers cost) | Not portable |
| Google Photos album | Photo-based tracking | Auto-geotags lighthouse photos | Free | No master checklist to check against |
| Excel spreadsheet | Budget office-software users | Works fully offline | Free (if owned) | No built-in list or visuals |
1. Triptyka Lighthouse Checklist: best lighthouse checklist tracker for printable gamified tracking
The lighthouse checklist is a downloadable, printable passport-style tracker built for people who want a bucket-list format they can mark off as they visit sites, without designing a spreadsheet from zero. It's sold as a one-time digital download rather than a subscription or app.
Triptyka pros:
- Ready-to-use list, no setup time
- One-time $9.99 cost, no recurring fee
- Printable and reusable across multiple trips
- Gamified passport format keeps progress visible
Triptyka cons:
- Static PDF — it doesn't auto-update if new lighthouses open to the public
- Needs a printer or tablet to actually use it
- No GPS check-in or map view built in
Triptyka pricing: $9.99, one-time download.
Best for: anyone who wants a finished checklist in 2026 instead of building one. Verdict: Buy.
2. U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport Program: best for official stamp collecting
The U.S. Lighthouse Society runs a passport program where visitors collect physical stamps at participating lighthouse locations, similar in spirit to the National Park Service passport books. It's the closest thing to an official, verifiable lighthouse-visiting record.
USLHS Passport pros:
- Stamps are collected on-site, giving a tangible proof of visit
- Recognized within the lighthouse enthusiast community
- Doubles as a keepsake booklet
USLHS Passport cons:
- Only covers lighthouses affiliated with the program, not every lighthouse in the country
- Requires physically stopping at a stamp station, which not every site has
- No digital or mobile companion
Best for: collectors who want an official, stamped record. Verdict: Buy if you're already road-tripping the coast in 2026 and want the stamp ritual.
3. Google Sheets tracker: best free customizable option
A blank Google Sheet turns into a lighthouse tracker the moment you list names, dates, and states in columns. It syncs across phone, laptop, and tablet automatically.
Google Sheets pros:
- Free with any Google account
- Fully customizable columns and sorting
- Accessible from any device with the app
Google Sheets cons:
- No pre-built lighthouse list — you're starting from zero
- Feels like spreadsheet work, not a bucket-list game
Best for: people who already live in spreadsheets. Verdict: Hold unless you enjoy building your own database.
4. Bullet journal: best for journaling enthusiasts
A dedicated notebook page or spread works as a manual lighthouse tracker, often combined with sketches, notes, and dates.
Bullet journal pros:
- Completely customizable format
- Doubles as a broader travel journal
- No battery or app required
Bullet journal cons:
- Entirely manual — no starting list
- Bulky compared to a phone or a single printed sheet
Best for: travelers who already keep a paper journal. Verdict: Hold.
5. Notes app: best for quick on-site logging
Apple Notes or Google Keep works as a bare-bones tracker — type the lighthouse name and date the moment you arrive.
Notes app pros:
- Free and already installed on most phones
- Fast to update standing at the site
- No printing or setup needed
Notes app cons:
- No visual progress tracking
- Long lists get disorganized without structure
Best for: last-minute trackers with no advance planning. Verdict: Hold.
6. Trello board: best for trip planning plus tracking
Trello's card-and-column layout works for people who want to plan a lighthouse road trip and log visits in the same tool.
Trello pros:
- Free basic plan covers simple boards
- Visual drag-and-drop cards for each lighthouse
- Useful for planning routes, not just logging visits
Trello cons:
- Built for project management, not travel checklists — repurposing takes effort
- No lighthouse-specific templates
Best for: planners who want tracking and itinerary in one board. Verdict: Hold.
7. Google My Maps: best for route mapping
Google My Maps lets you drop pins on every lighthouse you want to visit and mark them visited as you go, which doubles as a route planner.
Google My Maps pros:
- Free and tied to a Google account
- Visual, map-based progress
- Useful for planning driving routes between stops
Google My Maps cons:
- Not a true checklist — no simple checked/unchecked view
- Manual pin-dropping for every location
Best for: road-trip route planning over pure list-checking. Verdict: Hold.
8. Printable wall map with stickers: best for home display
A large printed U.S. or coastal map with stickers marking visited lighthouses turns tracking into a wall decoration.
Wall map pros:
- Visual centerpiece for a home or office
- Family-friendly, especially with kids
Wall map cons:
- Not portable — it stays on the wall, not in the car
- Requires buying a map and stickers separately
Best for: display over portability. Verdict: Wait unless a wall tracker matters more than a travel-ready list.
9. Google Photos album: best for photo-based tracking
Creating a dedicated Google Photos album and letting geotagging sort images by location turns your camera roll into a visited-lighthouse record.
Google Photos pros:
- Free with existing Google Photos storage
- Automatic geotagging with no manual entry
Google Photos cons:
- No master checklist to compare against — you can't see what's left
- Requires curating the album yourself
Best for: photographers who want a visual archive over a checklist. Verdict: Wait.
10. Excel spreadsheet: best budget office-software option
A plain Excel file works the same way as Google Sheets for anyone who prefers offline software they already own.
Excel pros:
- Free if you already own Microsoft Office
- Works fully offline
Excel cons:
- No built-in lighthouse list
- Static formatting with no visual reward for progress
Best for: offline-only trackers. Verdict: Skip unless you specifically need offline software over a cloud sheet.
Start your 2026 lighthouse list
Get a ready-made printable lighthouse checklist instead of building one from scratch.
How this list was ranked
Each tracker got measured against the six criteria above: a pre-built list, portability, visual progress, low setup cost, durability, and price transparency. Items that required the most manual work to become useful ranked lower, even when they're free.
Which lighthouse checklist tracker should you choose?
For most people chasing lighthouses in 2026, the Triptyka lighthouse checklist tracker is the fastest path from zero to a working list, at a flat $9.99 with no setup. If an official, stamped record matters more than speed, the U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport Program is the better fit. Everyone else building a free DIY tracker should start with Google Sheets over a notebook or Notes app — it's the only free option that syncs across every device without extra effort.
“A pre-built list saves more time than any app feature — the setup work is what kills most DIY trackers before the first road trip.”
FAQ
What's the best lighthouse checklist tracker in 2026?
The Triptyka lighthouse checklist is the best lighthouse checklist tracker for most people in 2026 because it's a ready-made, printable, gamified list for a one-time $9.99 cost. The U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport Program is the better pick if an official stamped record matters more than speed.
Is a printable checklist better than a lighthouse app?
A printable checklist works without wifi, a login, or battery life, which matters on remote coastal routes. Apps and spreadsheets add flexibility but require setup time a printable checklist skips entirely.
How much does a lighthouse checklist tracker cost?
The Triptyka lighthouse checklist costs $9.99 as a one-time download. DIY options like Google Sheets, Notes apps, and Trello's basic plan are free but require you to build the lighthouse list yourself.
Does the U.S. Lighthouse Society Passport Program cover every lighthouse?
No. It only covers lighthouses affiliated with the program's stamp-station network, not every lighthouse in the country. A separate checklist is needed to track lighthouses outside that network.
Can I track lighthouse visits for free?
Yes. Google Sheets, a Notes app, Trello's free tier, and Google My Maps all work as free lighthouse trackers, but none come with a pre-built lighthouse list — you have to add every entry yourself.
What's the difference between a lighthouse checklist and a lighthouse passport?
A checklist is a self-tracked list you mark off yourself, digitally or on paper. A passport, like the U.S. Lighthouse Society's program, involves collecting physical stamps at the lighthouse itself as proof of the visit.
Is a spreadsheet or a printable checklist easier to maintain?
A printable checklist is easier to maintain for a fixed bucket list because the entries are already built in. A spreadsheet is easier to maintain if you need custom columns, like dates, notes, or photo links, added over time.
One last thing
The biggest gap between trackers in this list isn't cost, it's whether the list already exists. Every free option — Sheets, Notes, Trello, My Maps — starts blank, and building a lighthouse roster from scratch is the step that stalls most trackers before a single visit gets logged in 2026.
