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Oregon
Lighthouses
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Oregon
Coast Lighthouses
Oregon
Coast Lighthouses Oregon's surviving coastal lighthouses
serve as visible, accessible links to the past - monuments
to Oregon's maritime heritage.
Aided
by interpretive displays, historical accounts and a little
imagination, you can now gain some insight about what
life was like for the light keepers who lit the way for
mariners off Oregon's perilous coastline.
Climb
to the lantern or tower watch rooms at some of the locations
and experience the panoramic sights once enjoyed by the
light keepers. Hear the sounds of the seabirds and the
wind that accompanied their isolation.
Regularly
scheduled tours are offered at lighthouses at the following
locations:
- Cape
Blanco
- Heceta
Head
- Umpqua
River
- Yaquina
Bay
- Yaquina
Head
The
Cape Meares and Coquille River lighthouses have public
exhibit areas; tours may be arranged upon request. For
updated information on when tours are offered, call the
State Parks Information Center - 1-800-551-6949.
There's
Something to See All Year Long
Most of Oregon's lighthouse locations doubled as excellent
wildlife viewpoints. A few lighthouses tower above sites
listed among the state's premier watchable wildlife areas
in the Oregon Wildlife Viewing Guide.
Several
lighthouse sites are outstanding whale lookouts and storm
watching destinations during late fall, winter and early
sprint.
Oregon
Lighthouses from North to South
Pacific Coast Scenic Byway is U.S. Highway 101.
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Tillamook Rock Lighthouse
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Tillamook
Rock Lighthouse
Location:
Located 1.2 miles seaward off Tillamook Head south of Seaside.
Noteworthy: Tillamook Rock Lighthouse stands 133 feet above
sea level with 62-foot-high tower on basalt rock islet. Exposure
to storm waves earned it the nickname "Terrible Tilly."
Hiking: Oregon coast trail on Tillamook
Head between Ecola State Park and Seaside offers closes views;
also visible from park's Indian Beach parking lot.
Cost: $3 day-use fee per vehicle or annual permit.
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Cape Meares Lighthouse
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Cape
Meares Lighthouse
Location:
10 miles west of Tillamook and the Pacific Coast
Scenic Byway.
Noteworthy: Cape Meares Lighthouse can be
viewed from the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint.
It stands 217 feet above
ocean; and its 38-foot tower makes it the shortest
on the Oregon coast.
Hiking: Trailheads from the main parking are to the lighthouse
and viewpoints overlooking offshore islets inhabited by sea lions
and nesting seabirds.
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Yaquina Head Lighthouse
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Yaquina
Head Lighthouse
Location:
Off the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway just north of downtown Newport.
Noteworthy: This 93-foot-high tower is the tallest on the
Oregon coast. It stands 162 feet above sea
level.
Hiking: Trails to the tide pools are accessible year-round.
Cost: Visitor fee $2 to $5 per person.
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Yaquina Bay Lighthouse
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Yaquina
Bay Lighthouse
Location:
Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site on the north end
of the Yaquina Bay Bridge in Newport.
Noteworthy: Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is the
second oldest standing lighthouse structure on Oregon's
coast. Open as a museum daily, May-September and
on weekends all year-round.
Hiking: Short walking trail from parking
lot to the lighthouse.
Cost: None, but donations are accepted.
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Heceta Head Lighthouse
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Heceta
Head Lighthouse
Location:
12 miles north of Florence, Heceta Head Lighthouse is located
on the west side of a 1,000-foot-high Heceta Head.
Noteworthy: Stands 205 feet above the ocean. Historic assistant
light keeper's house (Heceta House) offers bed and breakfast and
facilities for group events.
Hiking: The trail is part of a 7-mile
network with trails varying in difficulty. Many offer beach and
wildlife viewing areas.
Cost: Day-use fee $3 per vehicle or annual permit.
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Umpqua River
Lighthouse
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Umpqua
River Lighthouse
Location:
6 miles south of Reedsport.
Noteworthy: The Umpqua River Lighthouse
sits just above the entrance to Winchester Bay. It is a 65-foot
tower overlooking sand dunes from a 165-foot elevation on the south
side of the bay. Identical in design to Heceta Head Lighthouse.
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Cape Arago Lighthouse
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Cape
Arago Lighthouse
Location:
12 miles southwest of the cities of North Bend and Coos Bay just
off the Pacific Coast Scenic Byway.
Noteworthy: Listen carefully for its unique fog horn. This
lighthouse is not open to the public, but good
views are available from the trail at Sunset Bay State Park south
of the lighthouse.
Hiking: Trails are available at nearby Cape
Arago State Park.
Cost: Day-use fee at the state park.
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Coquille River Lighthouse
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Coquille
River Lighthouse
Location: 2 miles north of Bandon on
the north bank of the Coquille River.
Noteworthy: Open year-round during daylight hours with tours
to the tower watch room guided by park staff and volunteers upon
request.
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Cape Blanco Lighthouse
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Cape
Blanco Lighthouse
Location:
9 miles north of Port Orford just off the Pacific Coast Scenic
Byway.
Noteworthy: The lighthouse stands above the western-most
point in Oregon.
Hiking: Trails are available at nearby Cape
Blanco State Park.
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You
can receive additional information about visiting the Oregon coast by
contacting the Oregon Coast Visitors Association at 1-888-628-2101
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