Let the picturesque lighthouses of Oregon lead you along the coast.
By Rhonda Ostertag
August 2007
Wrapped in romance, legends, and mystique, American lighthouses occupy breathtakingly beautiful, isolated spots. The simple white profiles and classic architecture have an almost spiritual appeal. The lights’ flashes have guided mariners over dark and troubled waters, and diligent keepers have braved harsh elements and great loneliness to keep the lanterns lit. Add a few ghosts to the mix, and it’s no wonder some people have set a goal to see them all.
According to the United States Lighthouse Society, approximately 1,800 lighthouses were built along the nation’s coasts and lakeshores. In 2007 fewer than one-third remained. Of those still standing in Oregon, five are still operating; the remainder are simply pretty reminders of the past.
When the lights of Oregon were erected, the Pacific Northwest rolled out an untamed coast of rough seas, fierce gales, and dangerous rocks and cliffs. Whaling and fishing enterprises and a growing logging industry compelled safe, reliable shipping and thus the need for lights. Most in the area were built in the late 1800s.
But building the lights was tricky. At many sites, getting the supplies overland was impossible, and attempts by sea often met with failure. Indians stole goods at Oregon’s Umpqua River Light. Elsewhere, high seas claimed the early light structures. Ultimately, though, a constellation of lights guided Northwest mariners.
Today travel by land to these beacons can light the way to a perfect Pacific Northwest vacation. State and local parks and private RV resorts offer convenient bases for lighthouse travel; some campgrounds sit adjacent to the lights. Picturesque port villages; fishing charters; beachcombing; and whale-, wave-, and storm-watching complement lighthouse travel.
Oregon lighthouse seekers can watch gray whales from atop the headlands or aboard charter boats. Seabirds, bald eagles, sea lions, harbor seals, and even the occasional elephant seal favor the Oregon coast. Glass-blowing, chainsaw sculpture, and myrtlewood craft are among the arts in the coast region. Sand dunes, a host of festivals, and unprecedented beach access cap the courtship.
Towed cars, please. The lighthouses featured here are the most accessible, yet they should be visited by towed car. In a motorhome, it may be difficult to back out or turn around at some points. Other lights were excluded because they have even more difficult road access, require long hikes to reach them, or can be seen only by boat. Nonetheless, this list will keep you hopping. Tours are available at many lights; others pair with museums and Coast Guard history. Some are beheld from offshore.
Cape Meares
Travel toward the coast from Portland and the town of Tillamook. Situated on Three Capes Scenic Drive, west of Tillamook, this 1890 light at Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint was fully renovated in 2003. It occupies a cliff that’s ideal for whale-watching, 216 feet above the sea. Neighboring cliffs host nesting peregrine falcons. The park includes Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge and Sitka spruce trees, including an unusual Sitka called the Octopus Tree.
The light is open from April through October from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and includes a visitors’ shop. For more information, call (503) 842-2244 or see www.capemeareslighthouse.org.
Yaquina Head
Pronounced “ya-KWINN-a,” this lighthouse is located west of U.S. 101, at the north end of Newport. Visitors can enter and climb to the top for a fantastic view. There are 114 steps, so get ready for a workout. It’s the tallest lighthouse in the state of Oregon, at 93 feet. You can even get a button that proclaims, “I survived the climb.”
The light is part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and includes an interpretive center as well as Colony Rock, a seabird nesting site. Off Cobble Beach, seals sunbathe at low tide. The light can be admired from its base, from the hilltop, and from the beach.
The visitors center is open daily and an entry fee is charged that includes a three-day pass.
Yaquina Bay
This light is 5 miles south of Yaquina Head and has a 40-foot tower. Its proximity to the other light made it redundant, and so it was retired after only three years of service. But the Yaquina Bay light did not close down without gaining a ghost. An 1899 tale about the mysterious disappearance of a seaman’s daughter there fuels the imagination. Early locals reported sightings of a young woman’s ghost walking the beaches. The light’s two-story clapboard home has been restored and furnished.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is west of U.S. 101, at the north end of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport. Presentations are provided there, and the lighthouse is open as a museum daily between May and September, and on weekends year-round.
Both Yaquina lights are administered by Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses. Information about both is available at www.yaquinalights.org; or, contact each location separately: Yaquina Bay, (541) 265-5679; Yaquina Head, (541) 574-3100.
Heceta Head
This is Oregon’s most photographed lighthouse, and it’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Queen Anne-style keeper’s house now doubles as a bed-and-breakfast inn and interpretive center. Heceta, by the way, is pronounced “ha-SEE-ta.” The keeper’s house is said to be haunted by a ghost named Rue.
This light was first illuminated in 1894. Today it is open to visitors daily from March through October, with tours available from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Tours of the keeper’s house are available from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Thursday through Monday, from noon to 5:00 p.m. The site is located via a trail from the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Viewpoint parking area. A $3 vehicle fee is charged.
The light is west of U.S. 101, about 12 miles north of Florence. For more information, call (800) 547-3696 or visit www.hecetalighthouse.com.
Umpqua River
Crowded in by Coast Guard quarters, this 65-foot lighthouse tops a 100-foot cliff overlooking the coast of Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. Lighthouse tours are offered from May through September, and a museum operates in an old Coast Guard building nearby. This is an operating light, with a lens that emits red and white automated flashes and stays on 24 hours.
The light is at Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, west of U.S. 101, 6 miles south of Reedsport. Call (541) 271-4471 or visit www.umpqualighthouse.org for more information.
Coquille River
In Bullards Beach State Park, this 1896 light sits on the north shore of the Coquille River (pronounced “co-KEEL”), across from the picturesque port town of Bandon. The light was built on an island that has since been joined to the mainland with the building of North Jetty. When a forest fire consumed nearly the entire town of Bandon in 1936, the water-isolated lighthouse gave refuge to the townspeople.
The lighthouse tower is open to visitors daily between May and October and is operated by Bullards Beach State Park. Renovations were scheduled for May and June of this year, causing temporary closings. Even if you tour the area after those months, call the park office ahead at (541) 347-2209 to be certain the tower is open prior to your visit.
Cape Blanco
At Oregon’s most westerly point are chalky, white cliffs. A full 245 feet above the ocean is this 1870 lighthouse, the oldest standing light on the Oregon Coast. The lighthouse and the nearby historic Hughes farmhouse are open for tours between April and October at Cape Blanco State Park, 9 miles north of Port Orford. From U.S. 101, 4 miles north of Port Orford, head west for 5 miles on Cape Blanco Road to the light.
And if you’re headed southward and your lighthouse fever still burns, there is always California. Battery Point Light lies just over the border in Crescent City.
Oregon Travel Info
Travel Oregon
(800) 547-7842
www.traveloregon.com
Oregon State Park Information Center
(800) 551-6949
(503) 986-0707
www.oregonstateparks.org