Rubicon Point Light, Lighthouse at Rubicon Point, Lake Tahoe, US
Rubicon Point Light is a small lighthouse in D. L. Bliss State Park on Lake Tahoe, California, about 19 miles south of Tahoe City. It stands at 6,300 feet above sea level, roughly 800 feet above the lake, on the edge of a hiking trail. The tower was restored in 2001 after years of vandalism and graffiti.
The US Coast Guard built this lighthouse in 1916 following requests from the local community for better safety on the lake. At the time, Lake Tahoe was an active route for both commercial and private boats.
Locals call the tower by its point, and many mistake the weathered structure for an outhouse after decades of deterioration and graffiti. California funds restored it in 2001, and trailhead signs in D. L. Bliss State Park now point hikers to it.
The lighthouse is reached by a hiking trail that starts near a beach area and climbs up via cut-stone steps. The path requires some physical effort and care on the stairs, so sturdy footwear is a good idea.
The acetylene gas used to power the light was delivered by steamship and then carried overland by pack animals to the site. This supply chain shows just how remote the location was, even in the early 20th century.
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