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August 7 is National Lighthouse Day
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Postcard pretty Haceta Head Lighthouse on the Oregon coast
August 7 is National Lighthouse Day and the Oregon coast is just the place to celebrate! Scattered along 360 miles of rugged coastline are nine lighthouses that have safely guided ships at sea for nearly 140 years. Not all are open for tours, but most have public areas you can visit.
From north to south, a few of the most accessible and notable lighthouses are:
Cape Meares Lighthouse: Although it stands 217 feet above sea level, the structure itself is only 38 feet high, making Cape Meares Oregon’s shortest lighthouse. Built in 1890 and still operational, it’s located about 10 miles west of Tillamook off Highway 101 on the north end of Three Capes Scenic Loop Drive.
Yaquina Head and Yaquina Bay Lighthouses: Newport’s Yaquina Head, the most visited lighthouse in the state, showcases a 12-foot high fresnel lens atop its 93-foot tower and is the tallest lighthouse on the Oregon Coast (162 feet above sea level). This light was automated in 1966 and now flashes every 20 seconds. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, located on the north end of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport, dates to 1871 and was actually the first light used in this area. It was replaced by Yaquina Head and now serves as a museum.
Heceta Head Lighthouse: Built in 1894 about 12 miles north of Florence, postcard pretty Haceta Head light is the most powerful light along the coast, signaling ships up to 21 miles out to sea. The Queen Anne style lightkeeper’s residence is now a bed and breakfast (some say it’s haunted!) and also serves as a facility for group events. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this light is about 205 feet above sea level and stands 65 feet high.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse: Nine miles north of Port Orford and six miles west off Highway 101, this isolated lighthouse holds at least four Oregon records: it is the oldest continuously operating light (built 1870), the most westerly, shines 256 feet above sea level (the structure is 59 feet high), and Oregon’s first woman keeper, Mabel Bretherton signed on in March 1903. Cape Blanco is still operational today.
Oregon Coast lighthouses are monuments to our maritime heritage. In honor of the 220th anniversary of National Lighthouse Day, take a drive along the coast and get to know their unique history.
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