The first Umpqua River lighthouse was flooded after seven years, and its replacement flashes red and white
Some lighthouses get one shot. The Umpqua River Lighthouse in Winchester Bay got two, because a flood ended the first attempt after about seven years. The tower you can visit today, lit in 1894, has been flashing red and white ever since.
Better yet, it pairs with an easy lake loop right next door. Here’s how to do both in one stop.
Psst, we made you a West Coast Adventure Map. Nearly 1,900 of our favorite spots, already pinned, ready to load into Google Maps in two clicks: grab it here.
The lighthouse that got a second chance
The first Umpqua River Lighthouse went up in 1857. About seven years later it was flooded, and the coast was left without a light here until the replacement was finished in 1894.
The new tower is white and stands around 65 feet tall, on a bluff above the river mouth. The star of the show is the lens inside: a roughly 2-ton Fresnel lens built from 616 glass prisms, which throws out a red and white flash. Picture a giant glass beehive turning slowly in the dark. That’s the idea.
📍 GET THE ULTIMATE PNW MAP 🗺️
Get our curated list of the best adventures, things to do, and places to grab a brew loaded onto your maps with just two clicks!
✅ Waterfalls ✅ Hikes ✅ Viewpoints
✅ Craft breweries ✅ National Parks ✅ 1400+ Pins
Going up inside
The lighthouse sits right beside a small museum on Lighthouse Road, packed with maritime and early local history. Guided visits climb a spiral staircase of more than 100 steps to the lens room, where the Fresnel lens is the real payoff.
Tour and museum schedules change with the season, so check the Umpqua Valley Museums site before you plan around a climb. Across the road, a whale-watching station gives you a spot to scan the water for gray whales.
The Lake Marie loop next door
Here’s my confident take: don’t make the drive for the tower alone. Pair it with the Lake Marie loop in Umpqua Lighthouse State Park, which is 1.7 miles, rated easy, and gains only about 50 feet. You’ll wander along the water through the trees, so it’s a gentle way to stretch your legs.
The day-use area at Lake Marie requires a parking permit, and you can buy a one-day permit on site. The trail ends at an overlook above the Oregon Dunes, so you get a slice of dune country without any sand in your shoes. Want more of it? Our guide to the Oregon Dunes covers the rest of the coastline’s sandy side.
Make a night of it
The state park also has campsites, yurts and log cabins, so you can sleep a short walk from the lake. The park entrance is open 24 hours, which helps if you roll in late after a long coastal drive.
So, lighthouse climb first, or lake loop first? Tell us which you’d pick.
Trip tips: grab a rental car to get out here, lock in your hotel before the good rooms are gone, or skip both and book a camper van instead.
Rules and fees change, so always confirm current requirements before you go.
