Cattle Point Light, Concrete lighthouse in San Juan County, US.
Cattle Point Light is an octagonal concrete tower standing at the southeastern tip of San Juan Island where Haro Strait and San Juan Channel meet. This 34-foot structure rises above the surrounding landscape and serves as a clear navigation point for vessels in this busy maritime region.
The first light at Cattle Point was a lens lantern on a post erected in 1888. In 1921 the U.S. Navy installed a radio compass station at the site. The present 34-foot octagonal concrete tower was built in 1935, and the lantern was replaced by a 250-mm drum lens after automation in the late 1950s.
The lighthouse marks the southern boundary of San Juan Islands National Monument and represents maritime navigation heritage in the Pacific Northwest. Visitors can experience how shipping routes shaped the development of this island community.
The lighthouse is accessible via an interpretive trail from Cattle Point Natural Resources Conservation Area, with parking near the former powerhouse building. The path winds through natural landscape and provides views of the strait before reaching the tower.
The tower seen today dates from 1935, when the octagonal concrete structure replaced earlier aids. In 1984 it served as the backdrop for an Exxon television commercial, and the ahistorical additions built for the shoot were removed afterwards. By 2010 erosion had put the structure at risk of collapse, and the Coast Guard announced reinforcement work.
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