Coquille River Lighthouse, Historic lighthouse in Bandon, Oregon, US.
The Coquille River Lighthouse is a historic tower at the mouth of the Coquille River, just outside Bandon on the Oregon coast. The tower has an elongated octagonal shape and sits on a small spit of land between the river and the Pacific Ocean.
The lighthouse opened in 1896 to help ships navigate the dangerous river mouth, where shifting sands made the passage unpredictable. It was decommissioned in 1939 after a jetty was built to stabilize the channel.
The lighthouse represents maritime traditions along the Oregon coast and shows how important such structures were for local identity. Visitors today come to feel this connection to the region's seafaring past.
The site is generally open to visitors from late spring through early fall, and clear days give the best views of the river mouth and coast. Parking is available north of the tower, with a short flat walk to reach the building.
When a fire destroyed much of Bandon in 1936, residents fled to the lighthouse grounds to escape the flames. The keeper ferried many of them across the river by boat to reach safety on the other side.
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