How to Go Exploring West Coast Lighthouses

Point Sur Lighthouse, California

Americans have had affection for all the things maritime ever since the first pilgrim stepped on shore. Sailing ships in those days did not have the luxuries of protected harbors or a friendly light to show them the way. Lighthouses, which came into being during the 1800's thanks to an act of Congress, provided a solution. These days you can visit lighthouses up and down both coasts and along the shores of the Great Lakes.

Things You'll Need

• Car Hiking shoes Camera

Instructions

1. 

   Visit Washington State and the Long Beach peninsula where at Cape Disappointment State Park you will not be disappointed. Here you can see the North Head Lighthouse and the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse. The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse built in 1856 sits at the entrance to the Columbia River and while it was a navigation aid for ships coming from the south, ships approaching the river from the north did not benefit from the light. To fix this situation the North Head Lighthouse was built in 1896.
   Thanks to restoration of the lighthouse and the keeper's quarters by the United States Coast Guard you can visit North Head Lighthouse and even book an overnight stay. You will enjoy views of the ocean and can brush up on history at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center. Cape Disappointment State Park is located near the town of Ilwaco.
   Call the North Head Lighthouse at [phone] for hours and tour information. Call Keeper's at [phone] for reservations.

2. 

   Your tour of Oregon would not be complete without a visit to some of their lighthouses. The treacherous and rocky shoreline of this state necessitated the construction of numerous light stations. Heceta Head is one of the most popular. This lighthouse and its associated keeper's residence are on the National Register of Historic Places.
   Plan to stay at the Queen Anne style keeper's house, a bed and breakfast that accommodates guests year round. You will enjoy a gourmet breakfast and can take part in the interpretive program that is offered. The location of the Heceta Head Lighthouse at the top of a bluff overlooking the Pacific makes for a sometimes romantic and sometimes spooky setting.
   Drive south of the lighthouse and visit the Sea Lion Caves near the town of Florence. Hundreds of Stellar sea lions haul out on the rocky shoreline and inside the caves and this is definitely a sight worth seeing. Call the Heceta Head Lighthouse at [phone].
   Visit the town of Bandon and tour the Coquille River Lighthouse just north of town. This lighthouse helped with ships' navigation up the Coquille River. The structure is different from other lighthouses in that the light tower is attached to an eight-sided building that used to house fog signal equipment. The lighthouse is open to the public and is located within Bullards Beach State Park. Coquille River Lighthouse is open daily from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.

3. 

   The beautiful Mendocino Coast received the Point Cabrillo light station in 1909. The wooden light tower is combined with a fog signal building and had contained a third-order Fresnel lens that was decommissioned in 1973. The Coastal Conservancy purchased the station in 1992 and it is now the centerpiece of the 300 acre Point Cabrillo Preserve that is accessible to the public by a half mile walking path. Guided tours are Sunday from May through September at 11 A.M. On the first and third weekends in March the lighthouse is open from 10 A.M. to 4 P.M.
   The 115-foot light at Point Arena north of San Francisco resembles a smokestack. It is not the original lighthouse. That one was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Four houses replaced the original lighthouse keeper's home and the Pt. Arena Lighthouse Keeper's Association rents them out to overnight guests. A museum is located on the grounds. Point Arena Lighthouse is open daily from 11 A.M. to 2:30 P.M. Contact at (707) 882 - 2777 for additional information.
   Point Reyes Light is located on a rugged cliff side in the Point Reyes National Seashore. This is a forlorn, windblown site reminiscent of northern Scotland. This is one of the foggiest and windiest places in North America. The lighthouse is open daily from 10 A.M. to 4:30 P.M.

4. 

   California has several light stations that welcome guests. One of the most charming is the Victorian East Brother Light located on a small island in the middle of San Pablo Bay near San Francisco. East Brother is a Bed and Breakfast with five guestrooms furnished simply in Victorian style. A stay here includes boat transportation from Point San Pablo Yacht Harbor, wine and appetizers, gourmet dinner and breakfast. Oh yes, and earplugs. You may need them from October to March when the foghorn at East Brother may run 24 hours a day. It's worth it if only for the magnificent views of the San Francisco Bay area. Contact the East Brother Lighthouse at [phone].

5. 

   Visit the popular lighthouse hostel, the Pigeon Point Light north of Santa Cruz. This light station was built in 1872 and is open for day tours every Saturday and Sunday. Accommodations are in dormitories in four bungalows along with some rooms for couples or families. Pigeon Point sports a hot tub along with an incredible oceanfront setting. Contact Pigeon Point Lighthouse at [phone].

6. Set on a rugged hump-shaped rock that looks like it could be separated from the land, is the Point Sur Lighthouse. There are conducted tours of this small light station regularly on Saturday and Sunday and on Wednesdays from April through October and Thursdays from July through August. The tour consists of a one mile walk uphill for 300 feet, including two stairways with a total of 58 steps. Contact the Point Sur Lighthouse at [phone].

7. View one of the most beautiful lighthouses in the West at Anacapa Island. This light station was erected years after the wreck of the steamer Winfield Scott went aground on the island's rocks stranding 250 seamen. Traffic in the Santa Barbara Channel became so numerous that the government gave in to the pressure for a light station here.
   Your visit to the island will be by boat out of either Santa Barbara or Ventura. Be prepared to climb 152 steps from the dock to the top of the island. The climb is worth it because here is an environment like no other. Gulls and brown pelicans use the island as a nesting site and Anacapa Light stands out on it east end. Contact the Anacapa Lighthouse -- Channel Island National Park at [phone].

8. Include a stop at Cabrillo National Monument in San Diego where the Point Loma Lighthouses are the prime attraction. The newer Point Loma Lighthouse is not open to the public but visitors should visit the Old Point Loma Lighthouse that stands near the crest of the point above the ocean. This light station is now a museum operated by the National Park Service. Spotting whales from the top of the light tower is a popular pastime. Contact the Old Point Loma Lighthouse -- Cabrillo National Monument at [phone].
   This is just a smattering of the many lighthouses to be seen up and down the West Coast. Searching the website of the Lighthouse Friends is a good place to locate other light stations.

Resources

• Lighthouse Friends Organization