Yaquina Head Light

Yaquina Head Light is a white brick lighthouse in Lincoln County, Oregon, standing 28 meters tall on a rocky headland above the Pacific coast. The tower uses a fixed Fresnel lens originally shipped from France, which still operates to mark the coastline for passing vessels.

The structure was completed in 1873 following plans approved by the federal lighthouse agency, which sought to establish navigation markers along this frequently fogbound coastline. Responsibility shifted to the Coast Guard in 1939, which maintained operations until automation took over in the late 20th century.

The name comes from the local Yaquina tribe that lived along this stretch of coast for centuries. Visitors today can watch the rotating beam sweep across the water at night and see interpretive panels explaining how lighthouse keepers worked in this isolated station.

The visitor center opens in the morning and offers guided climbs for small groups, with participation assigned on site based on availability that day. Climbing to the top requires sturdy footwear and a reasonable level of fitness, as the spiral staircase is narrow and steep.

The lens dates to 1868 and ranks among the oldest working optics on the West Coast, weighing several tons despite its seemingly delicate glass prisms. On clear nights the beam reaches more than 31 kilometers (19 miles) out to sea, appearing to sailors as a steady point on the horizon.