Oregon State Parks

725 Summer St. NE, Suite C Salem, OR 97301 800-551-6949 oregonstateparks.org Oregon’s Sentinels Experience the Past Year-Round Recreation O ided by interpretive displays, historical accounts and a little imagination, you can learn what life was like for the workers who lit the way for mariners navigating Oregon’s perilous coastline. A Many of Oregon’s lighthouses double as excellent wildlife viewing areas. They are great places to spot sea birds, seals and migrating Gray whales. regon’s coastal lighthouses are visible links to the past—towering monuments to Oregon’s maritime heritage and to the hardworking people that kept the lighthouse beacons lit. Although unoccupied since the arrival of modern technology, these classic structures stand as a testament to the history of Oregon’s rugged coast. Most of Oregon’s lighthouses were designed and built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers between 1870 and 1896. They were erected Coquille River Lighthouse on prominent headlands or near major estuaries to support commercial fishing and shipping along the Oregon coast. The lighthouses were originally managed by the former U.S. Lighthouse Board, with the U.S. Coast Guard taking over stewardship duties in 1939. After installing automated beacons in the 1960s, the Coast Guard began transferring its lighthouse holdings to other government agencies. All nine of Oregon’s surviving lighthouse stations have been added to the National Register of Historic Places. They are visited by more than 2.5 million people each year. If you’re touring lighthouses, check out (or stay at!) a nearby state park. See the map on the reverse. Climb to lantern or tower watch rooms and experience the panoramic sights once enjoyed by the light tenders from their perches high on the cliffs. Hear the sounds of seabirds, wind and waves that accompanied their isolation as they worked through the night to prevent ships from running aground on the rocks. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse Lighthouse Helpers I f you’d like to learn more about Oregon’s lighthouses and help with preservation and education efforts, you will be welcomed by any of these nonprofit organizations: U.S. Lighthouse Society, Oregon Chapter Phone: 415-362-7255 oregon.uslhs.org Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses 750 Lighthouse Dr. #7, Newport, OR 97365 Phone: 541-574-3100 yaquinalights.org Friends of Cape Meares Lighthouse and Wildlife Refuge P.O. Box 262, Netarts, OR 97143 Phone: 503-842-2244 capemeareslighthouse.org Most of Oregon’s lighthouses offer scheduled tours. See the reverse side for more information, or call the State Parks Information Center at 800-551-6949. Cape Blanco Heritage Society P.O. Box 1132, Port Orford, OR 97465 Phone: 541-332-0521 capeblancoheritagesociety.com Coquille River Lighthouse Keepers Foundation Inc. P.O. Box 21, Bandon, OR 97411 Cover: Yaquina Head Lighthouse All information or fees subject to change without notice. This brochure is available in alternative formats upon request. Call 1-800-551-6949. Oregon Relay for the hearing impaired: dial 711. 63400-8018 (3/18) Printed on recycled paper. Please do your part for the environment. Cape Arago Lighthouse Oregon State Parks Foundation Oregon Lighthouse Campaign 888 SW Fifth Ave., Suite 1600, Portland, OR 97204 Phone: 503-802-5750 oregonstateparksfoundation.org Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Tillamook Rock has a 62-foot-high tower and stands 133 feet above sea level on a basalt rock islet. Its exposure to fierce storm waves gave rise to its nickname–“Terrible Tilly.” Commissioned in 1881 to guide ships entering the Columbia River, it was replaced by a whistle buoy in 1957. At one time, it was used as a columbarium, a storage place for ashes of the deceased. There is no public access to Tillamook. Astoria Seaside Tillamook Head Tillamook Rock Cape Meares Lighthouse Cannon Beach Cape Falcon This lighthouse stands 217 feet above the ocean, yet its 38-foot tower is the shortest on the Oregon coast. First illuminated in 1890, it was decommissioned in 1963. Visitors to the tower can view the original 1890 Fresnel lens. Nearby trails lead to views of sea bird nesting sites, sea lions and migrating whales. The lighthouse is open daily 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May through September. Hours extend to 6 p.m. on weekends during June, July and August. Admission and tours are free. For more information call Cape Lookout State Park at 503-842-3182. Tillamook Bay Tillamook Netarts Bay THREE CAPES SCENIC LOOP Yaquina Head Lighthouse Yaquina (yah-KWIH-nah) Head stands 162 feet above sea level. At 93 feet, its tower is the tallest on the Oregon coast. Yaquina Head was first illuminated in 1873; today it continues to aid navigation. The lighthouse is part of Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, managed by the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The Yaquina Head interpretive center is open daily 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Lighthouse tours are held daily during July and August only. Tours may be reserved ahead of time via recreation.gov. A daily or annual Yaquina Head pass, an Oregon Pacific Coast Passport, or a National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass is required. Pacific City Cape Kiwanda Nestucca Bay Cascade Head Lincoln City Siletz Bay Yaquina Bay Lighthouse Depoe Bay This is the second-oldest standing lighthouse on the Oregon coast. It was in service for only three years—1871 to 1874— before the brighter Yaquina Head Lighthouse replaced it. Yaquina Bay was re-lit and recognized as a privately maintained aid to navigation by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1996. The lens sits 161 feet above the ocean. Self-guided tours are free; donations accepted. The lighthouse is open seven days a week, except major holidays. Summer hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Hours are reduced during non-summer months. For more info call 541-265-4560 or 541-265-5679. Cape Foulweather Yaquina Head Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Newport Yaquina Bay Heceta Head Lighthouse Waldport This iconic lighthouse sits on the west side of 1,000-foot-high Heceta Head, a nesting site for sea birds. Its 56-foot tower rests 205 feet above the ocean and was first illuminated in 1894. Today its beacon shines 21 miles from land and is the Cape strongest light on the Oregon coast. The historic assistant Perpetua light keeper’s house, built in 1893, is a bed and breakfast. (866-547-3696, hecetalighthouse.com) The lighthouse is open year-round, weather and staffing dependent. Large groups may schedule a tour in advance by emailing heceta.h.lighthouse@oregon.gov. For more info Heceta Head call 541-547-3416. A state parks day-use parking permit or Oregon Pacific Coast Passport is required. Yachats (Privately owned home) Florence Umpqua River Lighthouse Umpqua is the second lighthouse to occupy this site. An earlier structure built in 1857 was the first lighthouse sited on the Oregon coast, but it succumbed to erosion in 1861. This lighthouse is nearly identical to the one at Heceta Head, and both lights were illuminated in 1894, but the Umpqua lens emits distinctive red-and-white automated flashes. The lighthouse structure and museum are open yearround 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A lighthouse tour is included Winchester Bay with museum admission; $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 5 to 17. Children under five are free. For more info, call 541-271-1894. Umpqua River Reedsport Lighthouse Cape Arago Lighthouse Cape Arago stands 100 feet above the ocean on an islet just off Gregory Point. Its light is perched atop a 44-foot-high tower and was first Coos illuminated in 1934. Although it is the newest Bay lighthouse on the coast, earlier structures were built on the site in 1866 and 1908. Cape Arago Unfortunately, both buildings gave way to weather and erosion. The lighthouse is closed to the public, but visitors can enjoy the best view of it from 1/4 mile south of the Sunset Bay campground entrance. Listen for the lighthouse’s unique foghorn. Coquille River Lighthouse North Bend Coos Bay Coquille River Coquille River lighthouse was commissioned in 1896 to guide mariners across a dangerous bar. It was decommissioned in 1939 following improvements to the Cape river channel and navigation Blanco technology. The light shines from atop a 40-foot octagonal tower. The interpretive center is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. May through September. There are no formal tours, but park hosts are available to answer questions. The lighthouse tower is closed to the public due to safety concerns. Information: 541-347-2209. Bandon Lighthouse Campground Open Year-Round Port Orford Day-Use Parking Fee Reservations Available Cape Blanco Lighthouse Cape Blanco’s conical tower is perched 256 feet above sea level on Oregon’s westernmost Gold Beach point. It is the oldest standing lighthouse on the Oregon coast, commissioned in 1870 to Cape Sebastian aid shipping generated by gold mining and the lumber industry. Daily guided tours are offered 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April through October (closed Tuesdays). Cape Information: capeblancoheritagesociety.com Ferrelo or 541-332-6774. Brookings All day-use areas are open year-round. (Privately owned home) All schedules are subject to change without notice. Please call the numbers provided or the Oregon State Parks Information line at 800-551-6949 to get the most up-to-date visitor information. (Map not drawn to scale)