Point Arguello Light

Point Arguello Light is a lighthouse in Santa Barbara County that guides ships through a hazardous coastal section where the shoreline curves eastward toward Santa Barbara Channel. The structure features a rotating beacon and a two-tone fog signal for poor visibility conditions.

Construction began in 1899 after Congress approved funding, with keeper William A. Beeman lighting the beacon for the first time on February 22, 1901. This activation marked the start of more than a century of maritime safety service at this treacherous stretch of coast.

The Chumash people originally called this location Nocto and worked the local flint deposits for their tools. Today visitors can sense this heritage along the rocky shore where the area's past remains woven into the landscape.

The lighthouse sits within Vandenberg Space Force Base, so public access is restricted for security reasons. Visitors interested in seeing it should check ahead about viewing opportunities or viewing areas that may be available from nearby vantage points.

The lighthouse stands near rocket launch facilities that send spacecraft into polar orbits from the California coast. This unusual pairing of historic maritime technology with modern spaceflight creates a distinctive intersection of two eras at the same location.

Location: Santa Barbara County

Inception: 1901

GPS coordinates: 34.57694,-120.64722

Latest update: December 11, 2025 18:08