14 Historic Lighthouses that Still Watch Over the California Coast
Along the over 800 miles of California coastline, more than 35 lighthouses still stand proudly above the shore. And while the Global Positioning System (GPS) has rendered them all but obsolete, these iconic structures still serve as nostalgic reminders of a time when only a beacon of light and the booming echo of a foghorn guided mariners along their way. We’ve rounded up a list of the California lighthouses worthy of a visit today, each one a captivating memorial to 19th-century maritime history, the shipwrecks they strove to prevent, and the fascinating lives of lighthouse keepers.
Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove
Point Pinos Lighthouse was among the first eight lighthouses built on the West Coast. The stone structure began operating in 1855, later becoming the oldest active lighthouse in California. Its original third-order Fresnel lens is still in use today. Two of the more noted lighthouse keepers at Point Pinos were women: Charlotte Layton—appointed to the post after her husband (the lighthouse’s first keeper) was killed while riding with a posse in pursuit of a bandit—and Emily Fish—known as “the socialite keeper” because she was such a prolific and congenial host. Robert Louis Stevenson visited the lighthouse in the late 1800s and wrote of his admiration for the keeper. The lighthouse and nearly 70 acres of land surrounding it are now owned by the City of Pacific Grove. It has been lovingly restored and furnished with period pieces, creating a homey ambiance that takes visitors back in time.
Where to stay
In downtown Pacific Grove, the newly revamped Gosby House Inn blends vintage elements with a modern vibe. Just steps from downtown, The Charles Pacific Grove offers a stylish, intimate retreat in a beautifully reimagined historic property. Overlooking the Monterey Bay, Green Gables Inn is a meticulously restored storybook Victorian with panoramic ocean views.
The Point Loma Lighthouses (New and Old) in San Diego
In 1855, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse became the fifth lighthouse activated on the West Coast. At 462 feet, it was the tallest in the nation. Its height meant fog often shrouded its light, so after 36 years, the old lighthouse was abandoned in favor of a lower elevation. Fortunately, the old lighthouse was left standing and has been restored with period furnishings, an authentic lantern room, and a visitor’s center. The surrounding Cabrillo National Monument offers views of San Diego and migrating grey whales. Taking the place of the old lighthouse, the new 70-foot pyramidal tower at nearby Pelican Point is the only one of its kind on the West Coast. The keepers’ quarters at the New Point Loma Lighthouse still house Coast Guard officers, but it can be seen from a lookout point near the old lighthouse or (for a closer view) from the tide pools at the base of the point.
Where to stay
Housed in a restored historic residence in San Diego’s Bankers Hill neighborhood, Artifact Inn blends architectural character with contemporary boutique style. Across the bay in Coronado, the historic 1906 Lodge is nestled in a quiet neighborhood just a block from shops and cafés and two blocks from the beach. The chic Hotel Marisol Coronado combines the intimacy of a small European hotel with California beach vibes.
East Brother Light Station in Richmond
East Brother Island is one of two small, rocky islands in the strait that connects San Francisco Bay with San Pablo Bay. Built in 1874, the East Brother Light Station has been guiding mariners through these waters for nearly 150 years. East Brother’s wooden lighthouse was the most common style of the 70 or so lighthouses built along the West Coast in the late 1800s. Today, it’s one of the last of its kind. From the island, visitors can take in spectacular views of the San Francisco skyline, Mount Tamalpais, and the Marin coastline. The light station was slated for demolition in the 1960s, but the Contra Costa Shoreline Parks Committee stepped in and secured recognition for the lighthouse on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1979, a non-profit organization was formed to restore the lighthouse and make it available for public use.
Where to stay
Visitors to East Brother Light Station don’t have to travel far for overnight lodging, since it’s also a bed and breakfast inn. Inside, the lighthouse is a virtual living history museum filled with books and vintage photographs. The inn offers five elegant guest rooms, an amazing four-course dinner, and a full gourmet breakfast. Proceeds from the inn pay for the ongoing restoration and maintenance of the lighthouse.
Piedras Blancas Light Station in Cambria
Piedras Blancas Light Station is one of only a few tall, classic lighthouse towers on the Pacific Coast. The site was named for the large white rocks just offshore, a recognizable landmark for mariners at the time. A first-order Fresnel lens first illuminated the 100-foot-tall lighthouse in 1875. When the tower was automated and the light station de-staffed in 1975, the Coast Guard began using the site to study sea otters and sensitive marine life. Ownership was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 2001, which manages the site as a historic park and wildlife sanctuary. Much of the station has been restored, with plans currently underway to replicate the original lantern room. Just south of the lighthouse, an elephant seal colony attracts up to 10,000 seals each year. Other seals, gulls, and cormorants can also be spotted from the light station.
Where to Stay
Overlooking Cambria’s scenic Moonstone Beach, Blue Dolphin Inn pairs oceanfront views with individually themed guest rooms inspired by waterways around the world. Nearby, Sand Pebbles Inn offers a relaxed coastal retreat with Pacific views and the sound of crashing waves. Castle Inn is a family-friendly favorite with an ocean-view heated pool, hot tub, and spacious lawn just steps from the beach. For a more intimate, romantic getaway, Moonstone Cottages offers three private cottages overlooking the ocean.
Point Sur Lighthouse in Monterey County
Standing atop a 361-foot rock off the Big Sur Coast, Point Sur Lighthouse is a three-story, sandstone triplex that now offers year-round guided walking tours. Most structures built on the rock still stand, making it one of California’s most complete light stations. First illuminated in 1889, the light station continues to guide ships along the treacherous Central California Coast. The site once housed a military base charged with protecting the surrounding coast during World War II. It also houses the only remaining complete, stand-alone Cold War Naval Facility on the West Coast. Now on the National Register of Historic Places and owned by the State of California, the meticulously restored example of a late-nineteenth-century light station is now part of the Point Sur State Historic Park.
Where to stay
Nestled among towering redwoods along the Big Sur River, Big Sur River Inn is a rustic retreat with Adirondack chairs set in the river’s shallow waters, inviting guests to kick back and soak up the scenery. Farther south, Deetjen’s Big Sur Inn is a historic hideaway with charmingly rustic rooms, lush gardens, and a romantic restaurant tucked into a redwood-filled canyon.
Point Arena Lighthouse in Point Arena
Near Point Arena on the Mendocino Coastline, the coastline changes direction. As ship traffic carrying redwood lumber increased in the mid-1800s, so did the need for a light to mark this critical turning point. For over 150 years, Point Arena Lighthouse has lit the way along this treacherous stretch of coastline. Surrounded by water on three sides, Point Arena is also one of the best whale-watching spots on the Northern California coast. From the site’s bluffs, trails, and gazebo, visitors might spot migrating gray whales, humpbacks, killer whales, and even blue whales. Point Arena spans 23 coastal acres and includes the 115-foot lighthouse tower (open to the public for tours), a light station store, an 1896 fog signal building museum, and a 23-acre outdoor museum.
Where to stay
In Point Arena, Wildflower Boutique Motel has been transformed from a former roadside motel into an eco-friendly getaway with blooming gardens and modern décor. North of Point Arena, the Elk Cove Inn & Spa is perched in peaceful seclusion atop a bluff with spectacular oceanfront views. To the south, Mar Vista Farm + Cottages is a bucolic hideaway with 10 bright, airy vintage cottages scattered across a small farm. Nearby, Rendezvous Mendocino offers a coastal hideaway with private, cabin-style rooms and lush gardens.
Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park in Mendocino
Work on the Point Cabrillo Light Station was completed in 1909. Over a century later, it’s still an active-duty aid to navigation. In a roundabout way, the lighthouse owes its existence to an 1850 shipwreck. Salvagers who came looking for the shipwreck were impressed by the mighty stands of redwoods along the Mendocino Coast, which eventually led to hundreds of sawmills in the area. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, increased maritime lumber traffic from the coast to San Francisco necessitated a new lighthouse at Point Cabrillo. The lighthouse building resembles a small church, complete with a 47-foot octagonal tower that, from a distance, looks like a steeple. The light station is part of a state historic park, on a headland that extends out into the Pacific. At the park, visitors can visit a lighthouse museum, an assistant lightkeeper’s house museum, and a restored blacksmith and carpentry house that houses a marine science exhibit.
Where to stay
The Inns of Mendocino is a collection of three stylish inns, each with its own modern coastal vibe. Built in 1883, the Seagull Inn Bed & Breakfast is steeped in Mendocino history and has been welcoming travelers since the 1960s. Alegria Oceanfront Inn & Cottages offers secluded ocean views and a private path to the beach. Headlands Inn Bed & Breakfast is a charming retreat just a stone’s throw from the village shops, galleries, and restaurants. One of Mendocino’s finest Victorian landmarks, the MacCallum House Inn exudes the charm and romance of a bygone era.
Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse in Santa Cruz
In 1965, an 18-year-old surfer drowned near Pleasure Point in Santa Cruz. To honor his memory and his fascination with lighthouses, his parents donated the proceeds from his life insurance policy to the city of Santa Cruz to construct the Mark Abbott Memorial Lighthouse. The lighthouse was built near the site of Santa Cruz’s original lighthouse, which was first lit in 1870. For the first 70 years, only three lighthouse keepers worked there. During World War II, coastguardsmen lived in the lighthouse and used its tower as a lookout. The area surrounding the lighthouse was also home to the 54th Coast Artillery Regiment, an all-Black unit assigned to protect the nearby coastline. The original lighthouse stood until it was dismantled in 1948. After the new brick lighthouse was built in 1967, it became home to the Santa Cruz Surfing Museum, featuring photographs, surfboards, and other artifacts tracing the history of surfing in Santa Cruz. The lighthouse overlooks Steamer Lane, now an internationally renowned surf break.
Where to stay
Within walking distance of Lighthouse Point, every room at the Sea & Sand Inn offers an ocean view. Housed in a beautifully renovated 1877 Italianate Victorian, West Cliff Inn features a wraparound porch with sweeping views of Monterey Bay. Directly across from Main Beach and the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, Beach Street Inn & Suites is a family-friendly retreat with colorful coastal style and a heated pool. Also overlooking Main Beach, Marea Sol pairs contemporary design with a rooftop deck, while the new La Bahia Hotel & Spa brings a luxurious resort experience to Santa Cruz’s beachfront.
Point Reyes Lighthouse in Marin County
In 1595, Point Reyes was the site of the first recorded shipwreck on the West Coast. Before Point Reyes Lighthouse was built in 1870, many more ships wrecked off the coast of these 10-mile headlands. Deemed one of the foggiest and windiest stations in the United States, the sixteen-sided, 37-foot-tall iron tower served for 105 years. The lighthouse was retired in 1975, after which the National Park Service took ownership. As the agency considered the site a unique specimen of the nation’s maritime heritage, it undertook a major renovation in 2003. The restored lighthouse reopened to visitors in 2019. A visitor center offers exhibits on the lighthouse’s history and houses the Fresnel lens from another light station. The lighthouse itself is another 900 feet beyond the visitor center at the base of 313 steps.
Where to Stay
In a sheltered cove of Tomales Bay, Nick’s Cove & Cottages is known as much for its acclaimed waterfront dining as it is for its elegantly restored 1930s cottages nestled along the water’s edge.
Point San Luis Lighthouse in Avila Beach
The only Prairie Victorian lighthouse left on the West Coast, Point San Luis Lighthouse is on the National Register of Historic Places. Despite calls for a lighthouse as early as 1867, construction didn’t begin until 1889, prompted in large part by the sinking of the Queen of the Pacific a year before. Work was completed in 1890, and the lighthouse operated until it was decommissioned in 1974. Nearly 20 years later, the Federal Government transferred ownership of the 30-acre site to the Port San Luis Harbor District with the requirement that the station be restored and opened to the public. The non-profit Point San Luis Lighthouse Keepers continue to maintain the lighthouse, offering weekly historical tours of the fully restored lighthouse tower. The site can be reached by a docent-led hike along the Pecho Coast Trail, by kayak, or by a van provided by the Lighthouse Keepers.
Where to stay
A beloved San Luis Obispo landmark, Madonna Inn is known for its whimsical, individually themed rooms and iconic pink décor. In downtown SLO, the historic Garden Street Inn combines old-world charm with warm hospitality and chef-prepared breakfasts. Hotel San Luis Obispo is a modern urban resort with bright and airy guest rooms, a rooftop bar, restaurants, and an on-site spa. Lovingly restored, the historic Granada Hotel & Bistro exudes a romantic atmosphere with timeless, industrial-chic design. Also in downtown, Hotel Cerro blends contemporary sophistication with a rooftop pool, spa, and farm-to-table dining.
Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park in Pescadero
Perched on a cliff on the Central California coast, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse has been guiding mariners since 1872. The lighthouse site was named for the 175-foot clipper ship that wrecked there in 1853. Pigeon Point’s 115-foot lighthouse tower shares the title of tallest West Coast lighthouse with California’s Point Arena Lighthouse, and although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation. Although the lighthouse tower is closed to the public due to structural damage, visitors can still view it from the grounds. (Restoration work is expected to be completed in 2027.) The surrounding coastal areas are teeming with marine life, with regular whale sightings from the shore and a wintering colony of elephant seals just down the road at Año Nuevo State Park.
Where to stay
The newly revamped Half Moon Bay Lodge features 80 refreshed guest rooms and suites near the coast. Nantucket Whale Inn offers relaxed luxury and chic décor steps from downtown Half Moon Bay. In the heart of downtown, San Benito House Historic Inn offers vintage character and a lively gathering place for locals and visitors alike. Nearby, the Mill Rose Inn transports guests to a bygone era with romantic, Old-World elegance.
Point Bonita Lighthouse in Marin County
Point Bonita Lighthouse offers one of the most dramatic settings along the California coast. The lighthouse sits atop a rocky promontory at the entrance to San Francisco Bay. A suspension bridge connects the mainland to the lighthouse while the surf swirls and crashes below. First established in 1855 and relocated to its present location in 1877, the lighthouse has guided ships through the treacherous waters of the Golden Gate for more than 170 years. While the suspension bridge to the lighthouse is closed, the lighthouse viewing platform offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean, Marin Headlands, and San Francisco. The scenic, half-mile trail to the viewing platform is open on the third Saturday of every month from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m.
Where to stay
In the charming town of Mill Valley, Mill Valley Inn offers a peaceful retreat surrounded by towering redwoods, with downtown shops and restaurants just steps away. Along the picturesque waterfront town of Tiburon, Waters Edge Hotel offers an intimate bayside escape with spectacular views of San Francisco Bay, breakfast delivered to your room, and a waterfront deck perfect for watching the boats sail by.
Table Bluff in Eureka
A decade after the first lighthouse to mark Humboldt Bay was built in 1856 (one of the first of eight on the West Coast), flooding and dense fog led to its abandonment in favor of 165-foot-high Table Bluff. It wasn’t until 1892 that the new lighthouse was completed, later becoming one of the first in the United States to be automated. The lofty bluff property has gathered a rich history since then, from supplying produce and chickens to local grocery stores to becoming host to a coastal lookout and radio station during World War II. The lighthouse was deactivated in the early 1970s, and while none of the light station’s historic structures remain on the property, visitors can still experience the site’s panoramic views. They can also visit the original two-story lighthouse at Eureka’s Woodley Island Marina or an old Fresnel lens at the nearby Humboldt Bay Maritime Museum.
Where to stay
The Carter House Inns are an enclave of four magnificent Victorians perched alongside Humboldt Bay, at the gateway to Eureka’s Victorian historic district.
Walton Lighthouse in Santa Cruz
Although Walton Lighthouse wasn’t dedicated and activated until 2002, a harbor light has marked the entrance to Santa Cruz Harbor since 1964. In 1998, the Santa Cruz community proposed replacing the simple pipe structure that held its harbor light with a lighthouse of classic design. The resulting lighthouse, one of two in Santa Cruz, stands over 41 feet above the west jetty and nearly 60 feet above the mean low water mark. The lighthouse was named in honor of Derek Walton, the late brother of a major donor to the construction effort (Charles Walton). Derek served in the merchant marines and was lost at sea during World War II. While the lighthouse tower is not open to the public, visitors can walk out to the lighthouse via the harbor breakwater. In addition, Seabright State Beach and Twin Lakes State Beach both offer great views of the lighthouse.
Where to Stay
Just steps from Sunny Cove Beach in Santa Cruz’s Live Oak neighborhood, Ocean Echo Inn & Beach Cottages is a serene coastal retreat with easy access to Santa Cruz Harbor and nearby neighborhood cafés. Also nearby, beachfront boutique stays across from the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk include the contemporary Marea Sol, the luxurious new La Bahia Hotel & Spa, and the family-friendly Beach Street Inn & Suites