When the California Gold Rush came into full swing in 1850, California and the San Francisco Bay became a Mecca for tall ships delivering goods and men ready for the Hills of Gold. However, the ragged coastline was dangerous for mariners, often killing those struggling through the fog and tremendous storms as they made they way, carrying trading items, provisions and fortune-seekers.
See Them Now: Photo Tour
At the most dangerous points on the coast to preserve life and cargo from destruction, California lighthouses sprung up. A beacons by night and symbol of strength, California lighthouses evolved from single lights in homeowners' windows to fully automated, independent structures on peninsulas and sea cliffs.
Regardless of the method, the light house was kept by people concerned for the safety of seamen, and they acted as visual navigational aids. Daily lighthouse maintenance was extensive for the light keepers who tended the structures through the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Most of the lighthouse keepers were men, but a few hardy women also tended the lights.
Oil lamps had to be maintained throughout the night and day and hand rung bells, used when the skies became heavy with damp fog, kept the keepers busy all day and throughout the night. On treacherous nights, it was not unusual for a lighthouse keeper to avoid sleeping altogether to ensure that their light guided travelers safely along the ragged California coast.
It was a hard life and the lighthouse keeper at Point Reyes once quoted: "Better dwell in the midst of alarms than reign in this horrible place."
Although the almost-300-year era of manned California lighthouses is gone, the structures themselves still stand strong and there are almost 30 lighthouses surviving on the California coast.
Many light towers are automated and still in use today, but the facilities no longer on active duty still remain important and the U.S. Lighthouse Society adopts and preserves them. Some are museums, the East Brother Light Station is now a Bed and Breakfast Inn, and the Pigeon Pointand Point Montara both have youth hostels in the former keeper's quarters. Alive with stories of days gone by, they afford guests a unique opportunity to live as the lighthouse keepers once did, with the roar of waves and howl of the wind lulling them to sleep.
Up and down the jagged coast there are California lighthouses, each with a unique story, many with unique architectural elements and most still in use today. A visit to these magnificent California lighthouses can start anywhere along the coast.
The northern coast offers some of the oldest lighthouses in the state, while the southern California coast offers additional interesting lighthouse finds, each with a unique history. The central Coast also offers a variety of accessible lighthouses, so no matter where you are in the Golden State, you can find lighthouses within easy driving distance.
Visiting the historic California lighthouses can be a day trip, a weekend getaway or even a week-long journey. California Highway One[/link], where the road provides views of dark sea cliffs strewn with sea life, roaring ocean waves taunting surfers and fisherman and beautiful California lighthouses still in working order. You’ll see towers you recognize from famous photographs and towers that don’t resemble anything known to be traditional.
Each structure has purpose. The tall structures signal seamen great distances from the shore, while the low structures avoid fog and low visibility. Some lighthouses are freshly painted in contrasting colors making them a distinct landmark, while others are weathered and blend with the landscape and still reflect their lights brightly.
