Oregon & Washington
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Cape Arego Lighthouse-Charleston, Oregon-This lighthouse is located near Coos Bay, Oregon, which is where I intend to live someday... The tower is forty-four feet tall and one hundred feet above the sea. The U. S. Coast Guard has "No-Trespassing" signs posted so getting a close-up of this lighthouse was not easy, but I managed ;) I have been to this lighthouse four times.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse-Port Orford, Oregon-This lighthouse is located at Oregon's highest and most westerly point. The original lens is still in service. It is almost always very windy here and because of that the trees are bent in some very interesting shapes. The view is spectacular from the cape with all shapes and sizes of rocks in the water and on the shore...I have been to this lighthouse two times.
Cape Meares Lighthouse-Cape Meares State Park,Tillamook, Oregon-This 38 foot octagonal brick tower stands on a bold headland 232 feet above the pounding breakers and has a light that is visible for up to 25 miles. In spite of rumors that the lighthouse was mistakenly built on Cape Meares instead of CapeLookout, 10 miles to the south, records show that both capes were examined and this was determined to be the better place. I have been to this lighthouse three times so far and it is now open to the public for tours.
Coquille River Lighthouse-Bandon, Oregon-This lighthouse was entered into service in 1896 at a cost of $17,600 and was abandoned by the U. S. Coast Guard in 1939. In recent years it has been restored and is a Oregon State historic attraction. I have visited this lighthouse twice....
Heceta Head Lighthouse-Near Florence, Oregon-This is another one of my favorite lighthouses, and the view from the top is breathtaking. Heceta Head is located in Devil's Elbow State Park, in the Siuslaw National Forest. I have been there three times so far... The tower is 56 feet high and it is 205 feet above sea level. The light can be seen out to sea for 21 miles.
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse-Tillamook, Oregon-This light was first lit on February 1st, 1881 and served until 1957. Landings here were, and still are, very hard and dangerous. It took 18 months to prepare the foundation and build the one-story dwelling and square tower. This site is famous for it's storms and through the years the keepers there had their nerves severly tested by the turbulent seas. During a storm in 1934 the lens was smashed. The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1957 and has been through a series of private owners since then. It is currently being used as a columbarium with tiers of urns bearing the ashes of the dead. I have seen this lighthouse several times from a distance.
Umpqua River Lighthouse-Winchester Bay, Oregon-This lighthouse is 65 feet tall and has been active since 1894. The tower's light, whose focal point is 165 feet above the sea, has been automated and is still active. The light is beautiful in the dark as it flashes a red and white pattern. I have been to this lighthouse four times.
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse-Newport, Oregon-This lighthouse was in service for only three years because when the new Yaquina Head lighthouse was built just a few miles away, instead of at Cape Foulweather, this one was considered obsolete and no longer needed. The lighthouse and dwelling were idle for a number of years and fell into disrepair. In 1934 the site was transferred to the State of Oregon. In 1946 plans were made to demolish the lighthouse, but local citizens opposed the decision and saved it. Today it is part of an Oregon State park and open to the public.
The Lincoln County Historical Society maintains a museum and gift shop there. I have been there a few times...
Yaquina Head Lighthouse-Newport, Oregon-This lighthouse, first lighted August 20, 1873 is 93 feet tall and flashes it's light from a height of 162 feet above the Pacific Ocean. In it's early days this light station was known as the Cape Foulweather light because, Cape Foulweather, which is 4 miles to the north, is where the lighthouse was to have been built. However the materials were inadvertantly landed at this point and this is where construction took place. The light, with it's original lens in place, is still active. I have been here four times.
Cape Disappointment Lighthouse-Ilwaco, Washington-Ironically, the ship carrying the supplies to build this lighthouse was wrecked just below on the Columbia River bar. It was finally illuminated in October, 1856, and still shines to this day. It is 220 feet above the water. The tower is fifty-three feet tall and overlooks what is probably the largest maritime graveyard on the coast. I have been to this lighthouse three times so far.
Grays Harbor Lighthouse-Westport, Washington-This lighthouse was built not only to guide ships into the harbor, but also to light the dark coast between Cape Disappointment to the south and the Destruction Island Light to the north. It is 107 feet tall and the light can be seen for 23 miles. The grounds are open to the public, but the lighthouse itself is not.
North Head Lighthouse-Ilwaco, Washington-This lighthouse is a companion to Cape Disappointment Lighthouse and was automated in 1961. It was erected because the number of shipwrecks along the North Beach Peninsula had dramatically increased. It is 65 feet tall and stands at the western extreme of the point where winds in excess of 100 miles an hour have been recorded. I have been to this lighthouse three times and last time we got to go to the top.
