The Lighthouses of California

From I-5 South or I-8 West, take the exit for Rosecrans Street, also known as Highway 209. Stay on Rosecrans into Point Loma, and then turn right onto Canon Street. Take a left onto Catalina Boulevard and follow it to Cabrillo National Monument ^* (G 3676)

Photo courtesy François Le Poutré

Renovated 1998-99. Located in Shoreline Village on the east side of the small boat basin, opposite the Long Beach Lions Light.

Photo courtesy epicr [webshots]

On the edge of the Los Angeles River right next to the Queensway Bay bridge. This looks like an intentional "tourist attraction", not a real lighthouse.

Photo courtesy Jamie Olivares [Flickr]

The point Fermin Lighthouse, was built in 1874, and is on the National Register of Historic Places. Currently it is owned by the City of Los Angeles and administered by the Department of Recreation and Parks

From the southern terminus of Interstate 110, proceed south roughly three miles on Gaffey Street which ends at Point Fermin Park.

From Highway 101 north of Los Angeles, take Highway 1 towards Oxnard and Port Hueneme. Exit onto Saviers Road (Highway 34) and drive south just under three miles to its end. Turn right onto Hueneme Road, go one mile and then turn left onto Ventura Road. When Ventura Road ends, turn right onto Surfside Drive. Park along the street and follow the coast north on foot about 1/2 mile to the lighthouse.

Photo courtesy Taylor [wikipedia]

From Highway 101 in Santa Barbara, take the Carrillo Street exit and go west towards the ocean. Near the summit of the hill, Carrillo Street turns into Meigs Road. Follow Meigs Road towards the ocean until you see Lighthouse Place on your right. Please note this is an active Coast Guard station.

Photo courtesy yblue [Flickr]

The lighthouse can currently be visited by signing up for a docent-led hike along the Pecho Coast Trail. The half-day, 3.5-mile hike to the lighthouse offers a spectacular view of San Luis Obispo Bay. To listen to the current listing of scheduled hikes and to make reservations, call (805) 541-TREK.

Photo courtesy Wolfgangkaml [wikipedia]

If you really want to see this light, come on a Saturday or a Sunday. Otherwise, you get this "long view" (G 3988)

From Highway 1 in Santa Cruz, go south on Bay Street until it ends at West Cliff Drive. Turn right on West Cliff Drive and proceed for almost a mile to the lighthouse.

Photo courtesy AE Fitzhugh [Flickr]

Probably the most photographed lighthouse in California, Pigeon Point clearly is a very nice looking lighthouse. It currently is a hostel, so not always available for walking tours.

(26 miles north of Santa Cruz or 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay. Clearly visible from Highway 1, the lighthouse is reached by a short drive down Pigeon Point Road) (G 4006)

By late afternoon, we had good weather, and got this picture from Point Bonita. ^{CA 26}

A closer view can be had by taking Lincoln Boulevard, the first Highway 101 exit south of the Golden Gate Bridge, and heading west. The road will become El Camino Del Mar, which you can follow to the area around Lincoln Park. You park and hike down to the bluffs above the water to get a better view of the light. Otherwise, this is a boat trip. (G 4054)

The island’s lighthouse connection began in 1873 when the Lighthouse Service moved the district's depot from Mare Island to the southeast side of Yerba Buena Island. In 1875 construction was completed on the 25 foot tower with a fifth order Fresnel lens. The light remains in active service today even though it basically is underneath the Bay Bridge (which illuminates the travel space very well.)

We saw this light from the ferry between San Francisco and Oakland. It's a long shot, but on a clear day, it was good. (G 4140)

The arrival of the Central Pacific railroad terminus at Oakland in 1869 heightened the need for a nearby link to shipping in San Francisco Bay. Consequently, two piers that were spaced 750 feet and extended two miles out into the bay were built, and the area around them was dredged to form a shipping terminal.

This light is now the home of Quinn's restaurant. It's well away from anyplace, so we took a taxi from the ferry dock. ^Quinns

About 20 miles north of San Francisco, this light was intended to assist boats sailing to Sacramento.

Located at Glen Cove Marina in Vallejo

Photo courtesy bobindrums [Flickr]

There is some controversy over whether this really is/was a lighthouse. It looks like an aid to navigation, but it's pretty small. Located on Angel Island.

This photo is taken from the Angel Island ferry.

Located right underneath the north end of the Golden Gate bridge, this light is no longer in service. This picture was taken from a Bay Harbor tour boat (with the long lens.)

Originally built high atop a hill, the light was often shrouded in fog while the lower elevations remained clear. This light was lit in 1877 after major efforts to modify the land were done so you could get to the site.

Point Bonita Lighthouse is reached by a halfmile trail that is steep in parts. Discover Point Bonita’s wild landscape, geology and fascinating history. The tunnel halfway to the lighthouse is open only during visiting hours: Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ^park (G 4052)

Lit in 1870, retired in 1975, this light is part of a gorgeous sea shore and part of the National Park Service.

Once you arrive at the parking lot, you have a 300 foot walk down to the lighthouse. (G 4356)

The Mendocino Coast is home to one of the tallest lighthouse towers in the west. Dramatically perched on a narrow peninsula, the Point Arena Lighthouse Tower is 115 ft. high. Erected in 1870, destroyed by the 1906 earthquake, and rebuilt the following year, it was the first lighthouse to be made of steel and concrete.

The lighthouse is located at 45500 Lighthouse Road, one mile north of the city of Point Arena and 135 miles north of San Francisco. ^* (G 4358)

Punta Gorda Lighthouse was built in 1911 and was first lit in 1912. After World War II, it was decided that given the remoteness of the station it was too costly to maintain. A lighted buoy was placed offshore, the fourth order Fresnel lens was removed, and the station was boarded up and deactivated in 1951. The keeper's house and all other station buildings were demolished.

The station was patterned after the one built in 1890 at San Luis Obispo and consisted of a square tower attached to an ornate Victorian dwelling, a fog signal building, and an assistant keeper’s duplex all lined up along the edge of the bluff.

The lighthouse is located on Woodley Island in Eureka.

In 1949 a club built a concrete Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse, an accurate replica that many visitors believe to be the actual Trinidad Head Lighthouse.

Located at the intersection of Trinity Street and Edwards in Trinidad.

Perched on an exposed rock off the coast of northern California near Crescent City, St. George Reef Lighthouse took 10 years to build.

The SGRLPS is now offering helicopter flights and tours of the lighthouse to the public. The tours will be scheduled, weather permitting, departing from the Crescent City Airport, passengers enjoy a six minute flight to the lighthouse, landing on the caisson roof, near the base of the tower. From there they are greeted by Society Representatives and taken for a one hour tour.