Cleft of the Rock Light, Wooden lighthouse in Lincoln County, Oregon, United States
Cleft of the Rock Light is a wooden lighthouse rising 11 meters high on a rocky cliff. The structure features two fourth-order Fresnel lenses that emit alternating white and red flashes every ten seconds.
James Gibbs, a former Coast Guard member and maritime historian, built this lighthouse in 1976 using the Fiddle Reef Light in British Columbia as his model. The project was a personal endeavor drawing on his knowledge of lighthouse design.
The name references a biblical passage from Exodus 33:22 that also inspired the hymn 'He Hideth My Soul in the Cleft of the Rock'. You can sense this spiritual meaning in the building's title.
The lighthouse is closed to visitors but can be viewed and photographed from a designated pullout area along Highway 101 near mile marker 166. The spot provides clear viewing and photo opportunities from the roadside.
The structure incorporates authentic maritime elements, including a stair railing salvaged from Yaquina Head Light and Fresnel lenses from Semiahmoo and Patos Island lighthouses. These reclaimed components come from different stations along the coast.
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