Yaquina Head Lighthouse stands today, little changed from the way it has appeared since 1873-the same classic tower; the same classic lens. It is Oregon's second oldest lighthouse and its tallest.

Early in Oregon's coastal history, the US Lighthouse Board sought to place a major seacoast light on Yaquina Head, a few miles north of Yaquina Bay. Congress ruled favorably on the request, funding expenditures totaling nearly $91,000 for 19-plus acres of land; a 93-foot tower with attached "oil room"; a 16-sided lantern and fixed, first-order Fresnel lens; and, nearby, a two-story frame keeper's dwelling and barn.

Construction started in August 1871 and continued into the winter of 1872-73. Getting building materials to the site had its difficult moments. Twice, the schooner shuttling supplies from San Francisco grounded on the bar at the mouth of Yaquina Bay, and on a third occasion it "partially wrecked." Some of the metalwork for the lantern, which had been fabricated in Philadelphia, was lost in the ocean while being off-loaded onto the landing below the station, and duplicate pieces had to be ordered. Two small lighters capsized in rough seas near the same spot, spilling their cargoes.

Electricity reached Yaquina Head Light in 1933, when workers installed a flashing bulb which repeated a 20-second "characteristic": two seconds on, two seconds off: two seconds on, then 14 off. The Coast Guard automated the station on 1 May 1966

In 1993. the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) acquired the station as part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area (YHONA).

Viewing spot: On site. Umpqua Head Outstanding Natural Area (YHONA) Newport.

Directions: From US 101, north of Newport, turn west onto Ocean Dr and proceed 0.25 mi to the entrance gate (fee) and 0 75 mi to the lighthouse parking area. A 150-ft paved walkway connects the parking area with the lighthouse.

Notes: The lighthouse grounds are open daily all year, dawn to dusk.

Some have claimed that Yaquina Head Lighthouse, three miles north of Yaquina Bay, was constructed at the "wrong"place and should have been built on Cape Foulweather, several miles up the coast. According to the tale, the supplies ship carrying bricks and other construction materials to the site of the proposed light was mistakenly unloaded at Yaquina Head. The contractor, realizing the error, decided it was too much trouble to transfer everything to Cape Foulweather and went ahead and built the lighthouse at Kquina Head.

The story has no merit. The misunderstanding stems from the fact that for much of the 19th century government charts mistakenly labeled Yaquina Head as "Cape Foulweather. "Historians have examined the engineers' original papers and found that they point out the source of the confusion and clearly indicate the site is what we know today as Yaquina Head.

Ref:Harnett House Map Publishers, Freeport ,Maine

Wave-battered Yaquina Head is a jutting finger of highly resistant basalt, created from molten lava spewed from deep crevices in the earth's surface inland. The liquid rock flowed as many as 300 miles through river valleys and low lying areas before it cooled and hardened. Over time, the unyielding stone has stood firm against the ocean's onslaught, while the surrounding sandstone and similar sediments have eroded away creating a jagged, protruding promontory that stubbornly defies the elements.The interpretive center orients people to what they can expect to see outside at Yaquina Head. It also has quite an extensive lighthouse exhibit including many historic photos plus a 12-minute video tour.

The accessible tide pools built several years ago have been very popular with families and the elderly as well as those in wheelchairs. These man-made tide pools have attracted sea anemones, crabs, snails, sea stars, nudibranchs, fishes, and a variety of seaweed. Below the lighthouse are the natural tide pools.
On the cliffs of Yaquina Head can be seen nesting gulls and other seabirds, and the nearby offshore islet becomes nearly covered with common murres, cormorants, and a few tufted puffins during the nesting season.
Look for sea lions and seals in the area. You might also see orcas and sharks preying on the seals. According to BLM's Steve Gobat, manager of Yaquina Head, "One time we had a group of second or third graders down at the natural tide pools, when all of a sudden there was a commotion in the nearby waves. A great white caught and ate a harbor seal right there in front of us. Another rime a different group in the same area saw three orcas chasing seals. One orca caught a seal and proceeded to eat it."

Located just north of Agate Beach north of Newport, Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area is open dawn to dusk and the interpretive center is open June through October, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the rest of the year 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information contact the BLM (541-574-3100)
or Yaquina Lights, Inc. (541-574-3129).

Note: Since this page was created in 2001, the colors of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse have changed. Basically, from orange trim to black for better contrast with gull droppings. The actual model has been revised however, some of the photos you see above haven't.