11 Oregon Lighthouses & The Adventures Nearby

The Oregon coast is famous for its sea stacks, but the lighthouses might be our favorite part. There are 11 of them, scattered from the north coast all the way down to the California border.

Some sit on lonely rocks out at sea, some you can climb to the top of, and one is even a bed and breakfast. Better yet, every single one comes with hikes, beaches, and tide pools right next door.

Here are all 11 Oregon lighthouses, listed north to south, plus the best adventures near each one.

Map of Oregon Lighthouses

We’ve marked all the lighthouses and the nearby adventures on this map. Everything below is ordered from north to south, so you can follow along on a road trip.

1. Tillamook Rock Lighthouse

More than a mile off the north Oregon coast sits “Terrible Tilly,” the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse. It’s perched on a lonely basalt sea stack off Tillamook Head, and it’s one of the most famous lighthouses in the state.

Building it was brutal. Waves and storms battered the rock constantly, and at one point a storm swept away the workers’ supplies and left them stranded for two weeks. It took more than 500 days to finish, and the light finally turned on in 1881.

Keepers only worked 42-day shifts because conditions were so rough. The light was retired in 1957, and the rock is privately owned and closed to the public. You can’t visit, but it’s an amazing sight from the shore.

Adventures near Tillamook Rock Lighthouse

• Ecola State Park: Ecola State Park wraps around Tillamook Head and has about 9 miles of coastline to explore. Ecola Point and the trails around Indian Beach have some of the best views of the lighthouse. Parts of the Clatsop Loop have been closed after landslides, so check trail status before you go.
• Surfing at Indian Beach: Indian Beach is a favorite with local surfers, and summer is the friendliest time to paddle out. Here’s our guide to surfing in Oregon if you want to give it a try.

2. Cape Meares Lighthouse

Tucked into Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint near Tillamook is the shortest lighthouse on the Oregon coast, standing only 38 feet tall. Don’t let that fool you, though. It sits on a tall cliff, and its light could be seen about 21 miles out to sea.

It was first lit in 1890 and named after Captain John Meares, an early explorer of this stretch of coast. The tower is made of sheet iron lined with brick, which makes it one of a kind in Oregon. It was retired in 1963 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

A short, paved path leads down to the lighthouse, and the views along the way are wonderful. The park is one of the state parks that charges a day-use fee.

Adventures near Cape Meares Lighthouse

• Wildlife watching: Look for migrating gray whales from the cliffs, plus seabirds like common murres and even nesting peregrine falcons. The viewing deck is a great place to scan the water.
• Octopus Tree: Don’t miss this giant Sitka spruce with huge branches that spread out like arms. It’s a short walk from the parking lot.
• Three Capes Scenic Route: Cape Meares is the first stop on the Three Capes drive, which continues south to Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda. Read more in our Oregon coast road trip guide.

3. Yaquina Head Lighthouse

At 93 feet, Yaquina Head is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon. It sits on a headland just north of Newport with the ocean on three sides, and it’s been guiding ships since 1873.

The lighthouse is part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, run by the Bureau of Land Management, so there’s an entrance fee (federal passes like America the Beautiful work here). Tours of the ground floor are offered first come, first served, so stop by the interpretive center when you arrive.

Adventures near Yaquina Head Lighthouse

• Seabird watching: In spring and summer, tens of thousands of common murres crowd onto the rocks just offshore. Bring binoculars!
• Cobble Beach: Take the stairs down from the lighthouse to a beach covered in round black basalt stones. At low tide, the tide pools are full of sea stars, anemones, and urchins, and harbor seals often lounge on the rocks.
• Salal Hill: This short climb from the main parking area gives you a great view of the lighthouse and the beaches on both sides.
• Quarry Cove: On your way out, stop at this quiet cove that most people skip. It has its own parking lot and some of the best tide pools at Yaquina Head.

4. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

Just a few miles south, in Newport, is the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. It was built in 1871 but only shone for three years, because the taller Yaquina Head Lighthouse took over just up the coast.

It’s the only Oregon lighthouse where the keeper’s living quarters are in the same building as the light, and it’s believed to be the oldest building in Newport. Today, you can wander through the restored rooms on a self-guided, donation-based visit. Hours change by season, so check before you go.

Adventures near Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

• Yaquina Bay State Recreation Site: The lighthouse sits in this park, with short paths, picnic spots, and stairs down to the beach and the north jetty.
• Historic Bayfront: Head down to the working waterfront for clam chowder, sea lions barking on the docks, and shops.
• South Beach State Park: Across the bridge, South Beach has a mostly paved trail, beach access, fishing off the south jetty, and a big campground.

5. Cleft of the Rock Lighthouse

At the north base of Cape Perpetua, just south of Yachats, is the Cleft of the Rock Lighthouse. It’s one of two privately owned lighthouses in Oregon, so it isn’t open to visitors, but you can spot it from Highway 101.

It was built in 1976 by Jim Gibbs, a former lighthouse keeper, and modeled after the Fiddle Reef Lighthouse in British Columbia. The name comes from an old hymn.

Adventures near Cleft of the Rock Lighthouse

• Thor’s Well: Thor’s Well is a hole in the rocky shelf that seems to drain the ocean. It’s most dramatic around high tide, when waves fill it from below and spray shoots up. Stay well back, because sneaker waves here are no joke.
• Spouting Horn: Right next to Thor’s Well in Cook’s Chasm, waves blast water up through a hole in the rock like a geyser.
• Saint Perpetua Trail: Cape Perpetua is where the rainforest meets the sea, and this steep 2.8-mile round-trip trail climbs through spruce forest and wildflowers to a stone shelter with one of the best views on the coast.
• Cook’s Ridge and Gwynn Creek Loop: For a longer hike, this loop of about 6.5 miles takes you deep into the old-growth forest and back down to the coast.
• Captain Cook Trail: This short, easy walk from the visitor center leads to the tide pools, Spouting Horn, and Thor’s Well.

6. Heceta Head Lighthouse

Perched on Heceta Head north of Florence, this might be the most photographed lighthouse in Oregon. The 56-foot tower has the strongest light on the Oregon coast, visible about 21 miles out to sea.

It was first lit in 1894, and the old keeper’s house is a bed and breakfast today. For the classic view, pull over at the viewpoint on Highway 101 south of the headland, where you can often hear sea lions barking below.

Tours of the ground floor are offered seasonally. It’s a short uphill walk from the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint parking lot, which charges a day-use fee.

Adventures near Heceta Head Lighthouse

• Heceta Head to Hobbit Beach: This beautiful 3.8-mile round-trip hike climbs through the forest past the lighthouse, then winds down to Hobbit Beach. Leave extra time, because you’ll be stopping for photos constantly.
• Sea Lion Caves: Just south of the lighthouse, this huge sea cave is home to Steller sea lions for much of the year. There’s an elevator down, and it’s a fun stop with kids.

7. Umpqua River Lighthouse

The first lighthouse on the Oregon coast was built at the mouth of the Umpqua River in 1857, but floods undermined it and it collapsed a few years later. The lighthouse you see today, on the bluff above Winchester Bay, was lit in 1894.

It’s 65 feet tall and still working, with its original first-order Fresnel lens flashing red and white. Seasonal tours start at the museum next door and climb the spiral staircase, with stories about the lighthouse’s past along the way. Umpqua Lighthouse State Park charges a day-use fee.

Adventures near Umpqua River Lighthouse

• The Oregon Dunes: The lighthouse sits right in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area, with miles of giant sand dunes to hike or ride. There are dune trails for hikers and big riding areas for OHVs near Winchester Bay.
• Lake Marie: This little lake in the state park is great for swimming on a hot day, plus paddling and fishing. An easy trail of about a mile loops around it.

8. Cape Arago Lighthouse

West of Coos Bay, the Cape Arago Lighthouse sits on a small island just off Gregory Point. The tower you see was lit in 1934, replacing earlier lights on the same spot.

You can’t visit the lighthouse itself. The land is owned by the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians, but there are great views from the shore, especially from the trail between Sunset Bay and Shore Acres State Park.

Adventures near Cape Arago Lighthouse

• Sunset Bay State Park: Sunset Bay is a sheltered, sandy cove surrounded by cliffs, which makes it one of the calmer spots on the coast for wading and paddling. There’s a campground too.
• Shore Acres State Park: Once the estate of timber baron Louis Simpson, Shore Acres has formal gardens with plants from around the world, plus dramatic sandstone cliffs. It’s one of the best storm-watching spots in Oregon.
• Cape Arago State Park: At the end of the road, look for seals and sea lions on Simpson Reef, and listen for them barking. A trail links all three state parks, so you could easily spend a whole day here.

9. Coquille River Lighthouse

First lit in 1896, the Coquille River Lighthouse sits at the mouth of the Coquille River in Bullards Beach State Park, just across from Bandon. It helped ships cross the dangerous river bar.

It was retired in 1939, but you can still walk right up to it, and it’s open for tours in the summer. It’s especially pretty at sunset, with Bandon’s sea stacks across the water.

Adventures near Coquille River Lighthouse

• Bullards Beach: Walk the long, wide beach, go horseback riding, or fish in the river. A mostly paved path winds through grassy fields, forest, and dunes.
• Camping: Bullards Beach has a big, popular campground with RV sites and yurts, just a few minutes from downtown Bandon.
• Bandon: Cross the bridge for Face Rock, the sea stacks of Bandon Beach, and the shops in Old Town.

10. Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco sits on a windswept bluff north of Port Orford, and this lighthouse holds a few records. It’s the oldest continuously operating lighthouse in Oregon (since 1870), it has the highest focal plane in the state at 256 feet above the sea, and it’s the westernmost lighthouse in Oregon. It also had Oregon’s first female lighthouse keeper.

The lighthouse interior has been closed for restoration, but you can still walk the grounds and take in the views. Cape Blanco State Park charges a day-use fee.

Adventures near Cape Blanco Lighthouse

• Whale watching: The bluff is a fantastic spot to watch for gray whales during their migrations.
• Hughes House: This restored Victorian farmhouse in the park offers a peek at pioneer life on the south coast.
• Beach trails: A few short trails lead down to the beaches on either side of the cape. The campground is a great base if you want to wake up close to the trails.

11. Pelican Bay Lighthouse

The youngest lighthouse on the Oregon coast, Pelican Bay was first lit in 1999. It sits 141 feet above sea level near the Brookings harbor, and its light reaches about 12 miles out to sea.

It’s privately owned and not open to visitors, but you can see it from around the Brookings harbor.

Adventures near Pelican Bay Lighthouse

• Sporthaven Beach: This long, sandy beach by the harbor is great for an easy walk, and it’s a good spot to look for gray whales.
• Harris Beach State Park: One of the prettiest parks in Oregon is just north of town, with trails weaving between giant boulders and sea stacks, plus a campground right by the beach.

Parking Passes for Oregon Lighthouses

Most lighthouses on this list sit inside parks, so plan on a pass or two:

• Oregon State Parks day-use permit: Needed at many lighthouse parks, including Cape Meares, Heceta Head, Umpqua Lighthouse, and Cape Blanco. If you’re visiting several, a 12-month permit pays for itself fast.
• Yaquina Head: Run by the BLM, with its own entrance fee. Federal passes like America the Beautiful are accepted.
• Cape Perpetua: A Northwest Forest Pass or other federal recreation pass covers parking.

Tips for Visiting Oregon Lighthouses

• Check tour hours before you go: Most tours are seasonal and run by volunteers, so hours change through the year.
• Go on a clear day: Fog can hide a lighthouse completely. Mornings are often foggier, so keep your plans flexible.
• Bring binoculars: They’re perfect for spotting Tillamook Rock, whales, and nesting seabirds.
• Watch the tides: Plan Cobble Beach, Quarry Cove, and Thor’s Well around the tides, and never turn your back on the ocean.
• Pack layers: The headlands are windy and cold, even in summer.

Where to Stay Near Oregon Lighthouses

With lighthouses spread along the whole coast, it’s easiest to pick a few bases. Newport is the best single stop, with two lighthouses in town. Florence works well for Heceta Head and Umpqua River, and Bandon is perfect for the south coast. Want to sleep next to a lighthouse? The Heceta Head keeper’s house is a B&B. Prefer to camp? Here are our favorite Oregon coast campgrounds.

FAQs About Oregon Lighthouses

Final Thoughts

Whether you visit one or all 11, Oregon’s lighthouses are a great excuse to slow down and explore the coast. Climb a spiral staircase, peek into a working Fresnel lens, then go find the tide pools and trails next door.

Want to see them all in one trip? They line up perfectly with our Oregon coast road trip.

We hope this helps you plan your Oregon lighthouse adventure!

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