The Majestic Lighthouses of the Oregon Coast

The stunning and rugged Oregon Coast, with its towering cliffs, hidden rocks, and treacherous sands, has witnessed countless ships meeting their demise, smashed to driftwood by the unforgiving waves. Along this coast, nine lighthouses stand as guardians against the hidden dangers lurking within the waves and river sands, protecting ships from the ferocious winds and offshore rocks.

Cape Blanco: Oregon’s Tallest Lighthouse

From Cape Lenko’s fierce winds to the feared sandbars of the Umpqua River, each lighthouse occupies a unique spot on the Oregon coast. Notably, Oregon’s tallest lighthouse stands near the town of Port Orford on the southern coast, perched atop Cape Blanco. This starkly beautiful location is a battleground for ferocious winter storms, where Pacific tempests pound the towering cliffs with monstrous surf and frequently exceed speeds of 100 miles per hour.From Cape Lenko’s fierce winds to the feared sandbars of the Umpqua River, each lighthouse occupies a unique spot on the Oregon coast. Notably, Oregon’s tallest lighthouse stands near the town of Port Orford on the southern coast, perched atop Cape Blanco. This starkly beautiful location is a battleground for ferocious winter storms, where Pacific tempests pound the towering cliffs with monstrous surf and frequently exceed speeds of 100 miles per hour.

The 59-foot Cape Blanco lighthouse, a solitary sentinel at the westernmost point in Oregon, stands 200 feet above the crashing waves. Constructed in 1870, this lighthouse employed 200,000 locally-produced bricks in its structure. Initially equipped with a first-order Fresnel lens, capable of illuminating the sea up to 22 miles away, it was later replaced in 1936 by a second-order lens, crafted by M. Réal Paris. Today, an automated system powers a 320,000-candlepower incandescent bulb. Cape Blanco is Oregon’s sole operational lighthouse where visitors are permitted access to the lantern room.

Among the early pioneers who ventured to Cape Blanco were Patrick and Jane Hughes, who ran a prosperous dairy farm near the Sixes River north of the lighthouse. Their Queen Anne-style home has been meticulously restored and is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places, making it an intriguing side trip for those visiting Cape Blanco. Although no longer maintained by a lighthouse keeper, Oregon’s southernmost sentinel continues to caution passing ships about the lurking dangers around Cape Blanco, where the Pacific Ocean converges with the Coquille River.

Coquille River Lighthouse: A Favorite of Artists and Photographers

At this juncture, sea stacks and offshore rocks create one of the coast’s most perilous river entrances. The Coquille River lighthouse, with its octagonal signal building and a 40-foot tower, stands guard at the river mouth near the resort community of Bandon. Built in 1896 during the thriving era of lumber mills and shipyards, this stucco-brick lighthouse, with its fourth-order lamps, initially sat on a small rocky island connected to the mainland by a wooden footbridge. The completion of North Kelly Road in the early 20th century solidified the connection between the sentinel and the mainland.

Despite the beacon’s presence, many ships foundered while attempting to navigate the treacherous bar at the river’s entrance, with some nearly colliding with the small lighthouse. For four decades, the Bandon lighthouse maintained its beacon and sounded its foghorn, guiding vessels through the narrow channel. Tragedy struck in 1936 when a devastating forest fire swept through the town of Bandon, reducing nearly everything in its path to ashes. The town’s population fled to the beach and river, with some even seeking shelter in the concrete safety of the lighthouse. When the flames were finally extinguished, only 16 of 500 buildings remained, and the town regressed.

The decrease in ship traffic following the fire led to the lighthouse’s closure in 1939, and it stood abandoned for half a century. In 1991, volunteers rekindled the lighthouse, this time with a solar-powered lens. The abandoned lighthouse is now on its way to full restoration, and during the holiday season, the revitalized town of Bandon celebrates by adorning their cherished sentinel with festive lights.

The diminutive lighthouse at the Coquille River’s entrance remains a favorite subject for artists and photographers, and thanks to the dedication of many Bandon residents, it will continue to be a prominent landmark for generations to come.

Shore Acres: A Witness to Nature’s Power

Here, at Shore Acres, at the mouth of Coos Bay, spectacular waves crash against sandstone cliffs. The erosion caused by these relentless waves has carved out astonishing land formations, transforming entire sections of land into rapidly vanishing islands.

One of these islands, Cape Arago, was chosen as the site for the Cape Arago Lighthouse in 1866. The 25-foot tower was positioned just offshore of what was then known as Cape Gregory, marking the southern entrance to Coos Bay. This lighthouse is actually the third to be built on the island. The initial beacon, placed on the island’s unstable ground, was in constant danger of being washed away and was soon abandoned. In 1934, a second lighthouse, an elegant octagonal wood structure, was constructed on more stable ground. However, it, too, had a limited lifespan and was abandoned.

In 1934, it was replaced with a new lighthouse built of reinforced concrete. The third lighthouse’s tower measured 44 feet in height, with its fourth-order lens located more than a hundred feet above the tides. The present light source, a 1000-watt quartz iodine lamp, is visible twenty miles out to sea. The task of supplying the lighthouse island, known as Gregory’s Island, with essential provisions proved treacherous. The first footbridge, aptly named the “Bridge of Sighs” by the lightkeepers due to the eerie noises it made during storms, was built. In 1898, the current footbridge was constructed. The Cape Arago Lighthouse was automated in 1966, and now, it is accessible only to Coast Guard personnel responsible for maintaining the solar-powered light and weather instruments.

Despite the removal of all outlying structures, as each year the storms continue to erode parts of the island, the future of the Cape Arago Lighthouse remains uncertain. Nevertheless, it stands as a testament to the ongoing battle between man and the sea.

Umpqua River Lighthouse: Safeguarding the Oregon Dunes

Near Winchester Bay on the south-central coast, the Umpqua River Lighthouse overlooks the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. On foggy nights, its signature red and white beams pierce the darkness, illuminating the sky. In the 1850s, the Umpqua River was a major port, providing abundant timber for the booming city of San Francisco. However, its treacherous entrance led to the destruction of many ships, prompting calls for the installation of a beacon.

The original Umpqua River Lighthouse was built in 1856, making it Oregon’s first lighthouse. Regrettably, it was constructed on the sand and quickly collapsed. Three decades later, in the early 20th century, a new lighthouse was constructed, wisely situated farther from the ocean and river. This lighthouse was built with two layers of brick and a cement overlay, with tower walls five feet thick at the base, tapering to 21 inches at the top. The lighthouse stands at a height of 61 feet, with its focal plane towering 165 feet above the ocean.

The large first-order Fresnel lens, weighing two tons, was crafted by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris in 1890. It consisted of eight lower panels, 24 middle panels, and eight upper panels. A thousand hand-ground clear and red prisms refracted the light inside the 72-inch diameter lens. Originally, the lens was rotated using a clockwork mechanism with a 200-pound weight that descended 34 feet down the center of the tower before requiring rewinding by the lighthouse keepers. Today, it is automated, turning with the aid of an electric motor and illuminated by a 1000-watt quartz iodine lamp.

With its unique lens and signature red and white beams, the Umpqua River Lighthouse remains a stalwart guide above the Oregon Central Coast’s sand dunes. As the only functioning lighthouse in the area that allows visitors into the lantern room, it serves as a testament to the region’s maritime history.

Heceta Head Lighthouse: The Queen of the Oregon Coast

The Heceta Head Lighthouse rises from a picturesque setting on the rugged Central Oregon coast, just north of Sea Lion Caves. Here, treacherous volcanic rocks extend into the ocean, compelling ships to maintain a wide berth. In the early days, this stretch of coast was ominously dubbed the “Dark Coast.”

In 1892, work commenced on a tower at Heceta Head, following the same architectural plans as the second Umpqua River Lighthouse. Alongside the 56-foot high tower, two oil houses, a barn, and two Queen Anne-style keepers’ residences were constructed, quickly transforming Heceta Head Lighthouse into a thriving community. The lighthouse even had its own post office and a school for the keepers’ children, as well as for the area’s settlers.

Heceta Head soon became a prominent landmark, drawing visitors from nearby towns. Today, only the assistant keeper’s residence remains, having been converted into a popular bed and breakfast with a colorful history. Some guests have claimed to have seen the apparition of a lady in Victorian dress moving about upstairs, her image reflected in a mirror in the attic. Experiments with a Ouija board revealed the ghost’s name as “Rue,” believed to be trapped within the house in an endless search for her lost daughter. Others claim Rue is the spirit of a child, with her headstone hidden in the undergrowth at Devil’s Elbow.

Inside the tall tower of Heceta Head is a spiral iron staircase with 114 steps leading up to the lantern room. The lantern room houses a fixed first-order Fresnel lens, manufactured in 1893 by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris, with six prismatic lenses and two and a half panels acting as reflectors. The present light source is a 1000-watt quartz iodine lamp, equipped with a backup bulb. The flashing beam is visible 19 miles out to sea.

Heceta Head Lighthouse’s unique lens and signature red and white beams make it one of the most recognized lighthouses in North America. Its beauty continues to inspire artists and photographers who strive to capture the essence of the “Queen of the Oregon Lighthouses.”

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse: A Keeper’s Residence with a View

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse stands sentinel at the entrance to Yaquina Bay in Newport. Constructed in 1871, this lighthouse served as both the keeper’s quarters and the light tower, albeit for only three years. A 51-foot high tower was equipped with a modest fifth-order lens, illuminated by whale oil and visible 11 miles out to sea.

Captain Charles Pierce, along with his wife Sarah and their nine children, oversaw this new facility. They moved to Newport from the isolated Cape Blanco Lighthouse, hoping to make the bustling community of Newport their permanent home. The advantage of a lighthouse combining the keeper’s quarters with a signal tower was that even during the stormiest nights, the keeper could stay dry, needing only to climb a short ladder from the small upstairs bedroom to check on the light.

The Pierce family resided at the lighthouse for three years, welcoming guests for tours and, often, for meals in their home. However, due to a bureaucratic mix-up, another more powerful lighthouse was built on Yaquina Head, just north of Newport. This forced the lighthouse service to abandon the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, and the Pierce family left their solitary watchtower behind.

For fifteen years, the small lighthouse sat abandoned, although it was used by the Corps of Engineers and the Life-Saving Service from 1888 to 1933. Gradually, it fell into disrepair. When the Oregon State Highway Commission announced plans to demolish the lighthouse, Newport’s residents united to save this historic structure. The fully restored lighthouse is now a part of Yaquina Bay State Park.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse: Oregon’s Tallest Beacon

Interestingly, when the decision was made in Washington to build a new lighthouse at a location called Cape Foul-Weather, it was perhaps unknown that the cape’s actual name was Yaquina Head. Moreover, it was only four miles north of the newly constructed Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. Yaquina Head Lighthouse stands as the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, with a mighty 93-foot tower that rises 162 feet above the ocean. The lighthouse, nestled within the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, serves as a protected nesting site for thousands of marine birds and a refuge for marine mammals.

When the tower was completed in 1873, it attracted numerous curious visitors, mainly due to it being the tallest structure on the coast at the time. The lightkeepers, always welcoming, provided tours and shared tales about the lighthouse. Inside the tower is a spiral iron staircase with 114 steps leading up to the lantern room. The lantern room houses a large first-order Fresnel lens, manufactured in 1873 by Barbier and Fenestre of Paris, consisting of six prismatic lenses and two and a half panels that act as reflectors. The present light source is a 1000-watt quartz iodine lamp, complemented by a backup bulb. The flashing beam is visible 19 miles out to sea.

Yaquina Head Lighthouse is not without its ghost stories. One tale suggests that during the construction of the masonry tower, a worker fell into the gap between the two walls and was sealed inside because removing his body was too challenging. Many people claim to have heard ghostly footsteps ascending and descending the tower’s iron staircase, possibly the unfortunate worker seeking a way out.

No matter the season, Yaquina Head Lighthouse remains one of the most accessible lighthouses on the coast. Its beauty, surrounded by the outstanding natural area, will continue to make Yaquina Head Lighthouse a favored stop along the Oregon Coast Highway.

Cape Meares Lighthouse: The Little Iron Giant

Ten miles west of the town of Tillamook, along the Three Capes Loop Scenic Drive, stands the smallest lighthouse in Oregon, the Little Iron Giant of Cape Meares. Though the tower is less than 40 feet in height, it is perched on a headland 200 feet above the crashing waves.

Cape Meares Lighthouse is distinct as the only Oregon lighthouse constructed from large sheets of iron, transported by wagon train from a dock on Tillamook Bay. The tower was completed and dedicated in 1890, and its first-order lens was added in 1895.

A thousand-foot-long boardwalk provided access to the lighthouse, crossing large spring-fed gardens and pasture land that sustained the isolated keepers and their families. Visitors were always welcome, offered tours of the lighthouse, and perhaps even a meal in the keeper’s residence.

Cape Meares used a powerful 8-sided first-order lens, crafted by Henry-Lepaute of Paris. This lens was composed of eight panels, with a total of 640 prisms, each two inches thick. It could be seen over 21 miles out to sea, thanks to a five-way clamp. Today, Cape Meares Lighthouse is automated, with a 1000-watt quartz iodine lamp providing 2.5 million candlepower flashes every 10 seconds.

Despite its modest height, Cape Meares Lighthouse has been one of the most photographed lighthouses in the world. This little iron giant has weathered the years and remains a cherished landmark.

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse: The Beacon of the Pacific

Sitting on a small rock formation, a mile and a quarter from the coast, is the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse, often referred to as Terrible Tilly. From the outset, this small and beleaguered sentinel, along with its isolated keepers, endured a multitude of hardships. Storms would toss boulders through the tower windows, and isolation was compounded by the fact that no supply ship could approach the perilous rock.

The construction of the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse was controversial from the beginning. The first brick mason attempting to land on the rock tragically fell into the waves and was never seen again. Nevertheless, the lighthouse service persevered, and after a year of blasting and building, a new 62-foot-high lighthouse stood on the rock.

Days before the first-order lens could be lit, tragedy struck on the night of January 2nd, 1881. The British ship the Lupatia, in stormy seas, nearly collided with the rock. The ship narrowly escaped with the help of the bonfires lit by the workers on the island. However, the Lupatia struck nearby Tillamook Head and was broken asunder. All sixteen crew members perished in the disaster, with the lone survivor being a dog, a young Australian Shepherd found on the rocks. The dog was later named Rags and lived a long and celebrated life.

Tillamook Rock Lighthouse was in operation from 1881 to 1957, a period when it was infamously known as Terrible Tilly. Over those years, it served as both a vital beacon and a place of isolation for its keepers.

In 1980, the lighthouse was restored and opened to the public. Today, this once-foreboding sentinel has found a new purpose. It serves as a columbarium, housing the ashes of those who have chosen to make the sea-bound rock their final resting place.

Conclusion: Guardians of the Oregon Coast

These nine lighthouses continue to stand, enduring the test of time along the rugged Oregon coast. They are lasting reminders of a bygone era when sailing vessels and steamships navigated the challenging waters, guided by the dedicated lighthouse keepers who tended their oil lamps through stormy nights. Thanks to the hard work and determination of many individuals, these beacons continue to send their light across the waters, providing both guidance and a glimpse into the history of maritime Oregon.

Oregon’s coast is not only a place of breathtaking natural beauty, but it’s also a living museum of maritime history, where these guardians of the coast continue to illuminate the past.

Thank you for joining us on this coastal edition of Reel Oregon, and may your Oregon adventures be endless!

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Written by: Tony Marino, MBA – FAA Certified Part 107 Commercial Drone Pilot and Chief Business Strategist at Aerial Northwest