Point Sur State Historic Park, Maritime lighthouse compound in Monterey County, US.
Point Sur State Historic Park encompasses a working lighthouse and several support buildings perched on a volcanic rock formation along California's Highway 1. The compound contains the granite tower, keeper's residences, storage structures, and other facilities that served those stationed at this remote coastal location.
The need for a lighthouse emerged after several shipwrecks along this dangerous coastline, particularly the USS Ventura in 1875. Operations began in 1889 and the structure has continued guiding vessels ever since.
The lighthouse keepers who lived here in the early 1900s created a small community on the isolated rocky headland, complete with homes, a schoolhouse, and vegetable gardens that supplied their daily needs.
Visitors can only access the site through scheduled guided tours that depart from the parking area at regular intervals. The walk across the rocky headland involves uneven terrain and exposed areas where coastal winds can be strong, so sturdy footwear and layers for changing weather are helpful.
The lighthouse sits on a rock formation connected to the mainland by a sand bar that shifts with tidal movements, creating an almost island-like setting. This natural isolation once forced residents to be entirely self-sufficient, growing their own food and sharing all duties within their close-knit group.
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