While I am fascinated by a smoky gray, rolling fog, I do not enjoy driving in it. I cannot imagine the terrifying challenge of navigating a ship through a thick fog. That may be why I was so enamored with the Oregon lighthouses during our drive along the state’s scenic coast.
There are many wonders on Highway 101, but please take time to admire some of the lighthouses along the journey. For years, the beacons have safely guided mariners along the treacherous rocky shores.
To give you a brief history, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers built most of Oregon’s lighthouses in the late 1800s. While the U.S. Lighthouse Board initially managed the towers, the U.S. Coast Guard took over these duties in 1939. In the 1960s, the Coast Guard installed automatic beacons and began delegating management to local government agencies.
Oregon has nine surviving lighthouses, all of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. We will outline the fabulous Oregon lighthouses from north to south to guide you safely through the fog.
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Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
Year lit: 1881
Height: 62 feet
Many people find the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse fascinating. It sits about a mile offshore from Tillamook Head, 133 feet above sea level, on a rock battered by the Pacific Ocean waves. Because of the location and conditions, the lighthouse earned the nickname “Terrible Tilly.” It was decommissioned in 1957 and is now privately owned.
You cannot access the Northern Oregon Coast lighthouse but can see it from a distance. The tower sits between and is visible from the towns of Cannon Beach and Seaside. Ecola State Park offers the best views of the lighthouse. For an even closer view, bring your binoculars.
Cape Meares Lighthouse
Year lit: 1890
Height: 38 feet
Oregon’s shortest lighthouse honors Captain John Meares, the first person to sail into Tillamook Bay. Although decommissioned in 1963, the beacon still houses a Fresnel lens made in Paris. The light is a five-wick oil lamp with a reflector turned by a 200-pound lead weight, similar to the system used in a grandfather clock.
Cape Meares Lighthouse is 10 miles west of Tillamook in Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint. While visiting the park, you can also see the Octopus Tree, a large, contorted Sitka spruce. The park is open daily from 7 am to dusk, but the lighthouse is only available from May through September.
Yaquina Head Lighthouse
Year lit: 1873
Height: 93 feet
Continue south to MilePost 137.6 on Highway 101 on the Central Oregon Coast, where you will discover Oregon’s tallest lighthouse. Yaquina Head Lighthouse, dominating the horizon, contains more than 370,000 bricks. Initially solid white, it did not rotate and burned lard oil to illuminate its 4-wick lamp.
While tours are available depending on weather, conditions, and staffing, the grounds and interpretive center are open year-round. The tour is usually 45 minutes long and involves a strenuous 114-step climb to the top. Visit the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area for current information about tours.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
Year lit: 1871
Height: 39.6 feet
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse sits a few miles south on the Oregon Coast Highway at MilePost 141.9. It is the only surviving state lighthouse with the light and living quarters in the same building and the state’s only intact wooden beacon.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was re-lit in 1996 with a modern optic shining a steady white light from sunset to sunrise. Self-guided tours are free. In summer, the lighthouse is open daily from noon to 4 pm. Winter hours are noon to 4 pm, Wednesday through Sunday.
Heceta Head Lighthouse
Year lit: 1894
Height: 56 feet
Continuing south on Highway 101 to the Southern Oregon Coast, you will encounter Heceta Head Lighthouse at MilePost 178.3 in north Florence. A day-use parking permit is required, but Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint offers much more than a tower, including the picturesque Cape Creek Bridge, a sandy beach with tide pools and caves, and hiking trails.
While France makes most Fresnel lenses, historians believe Heceta Head’s lens is the only one on the West Coast made in England. Its signal flashes white every ten seconds.
Heceta Head Lighthouse is open year-round, weather and staff permitting. Regular hours for self-guided tours of the outside and the ground floor are 11 am to 3 pm in summer and 11 am to 2 pm in winter. If you are a lighthouse enthusiast, consider staying in the assistant lightkeeper’s house, now a bed and breakfast.
Umpqua River Lighthouse
Year lit: 1894
Height: 65 feet
You may notice that the Umpqua River Lighthouse looks like the Heceta Head Lighthouse. Architecturally, it is nearly identical. However, the lens is quite different. It is the only Oregon Coast lighthouse emitting red and white light.
The signal is at MilePost 215.6 on the Oregon Coast Highway at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park in Winchester Bay. It is open daily except for major holidays. During the tour, you can learn how lensmakers turned the glass red.
Cape Arago Lighthouse
Year lit: 1934
Height: 44 feet
Although not open to the public, you can view Cape Arago Lighthouse at MilePost 10.4 on Cape Arago Highway. In 1993, the Coast Guard removed the lens, which no longer operates.
Cape Arago is the third lighthouse built on the island. The first was constructed in 1866, and the second in 1909. Harsh weather conditions caused deterioration, necessitating replacement. The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians took over the property and the beacon in 2013.
Coquille River Lighthouse
Year lit: 1896
Height: 40 feet
You will find Coquille River Lighthouse in Bullards Beach State Park near Bandon at MilePost 259.2 on Highway 101. Short and stout, the signal stands sturdily along the shore next to the Coquille River and the ocean.
Although no longer operable, it served as a command center and a refuge for people during the Bandon fire of 1936. The inside is not open, but you can enjoy the outside view anytime.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse
Year lit: 1870
Height: 59 feet
MilePost 296.6, near Port Orford, houses the oldest standing lighthouse on the Oregon Coast. The tower is not open and requires repair. However, you can tour the signal workroom. A separate building, formerly a garage, now houses the ticket office and a gift shop.
Daily guided tours of the workroom are available from April through October from 10 am to 3:30 pm. Note that tours are not offered on Tuesdays.
Bonus Lighthouse
Year lit: 1856
Height: 45 feet
A short drive south from Brookings, Oregon, to Crescent City, California, will yield fantastic gems. Battery Point Lighthouse is a somewhat unknown attraction along the edge of Redwood National and State Parks. Although an island at high tide, you can access the beacon during low tide.
A trip to Redwood National and State Parks is well worth your time. There, you can see the world’s tallest trees and the largest elk in North America.
Oregon Lighthouses
A scenic drive along the stunning Oregon Coast yields many adventures and points of interest. Lighthouses, one of the coast’s main attractions, are unsung heroes that have safely directed mariners ashore for years. Honor the glorious towers as part of your road trip. They just might clear your brain fog.
Featured image credit: Miles with McConkey
