Pigeon Point Light Station, also known as Pigeon Point Lighthouse, was built in 1871 to help ships travel safely along the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse on the West Coast of the United States, sharing the title with Point Arena Light. The lighthouse is still used today by the Coast Guard to assist ships with navigation. It is located on a coastal highway (State Route 1), 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of Pescadero, California, between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The lighthouse has an 115-foot (35-meter) white stone tower that looks similar to traditional New England-style lighthouses.

The lighthouse and surrounding area are protected as Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, a California state park. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places and recognized as a California Historical Landmark. Major renovations to the lighthouse began in 2021, funded by the California state legislature. A study published in 2022 by the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability found that rising sea levels could cause erosion that threatens the lighthouse.

History

Pigeon Point Lighthouse is one of the most beautiful lighthouses on the Pacific coast. The tower is located on a rocky cliff and has long been a landmark for ships traveling to San Francisco Bay from the south. This area and the lighthouse were named after the ship Carrier Pigeon, which crashed here in 1853.

The lantern room of the tower no longer uses the original first-order, 1000-watt Fresnel lens. This lens is no longer used for demonstrations. It has 24 flash panels, 1008 hand-polished lenses and prisms, and can produce over 500,000 candlepower of light. It was made by the Henry-LePaute company in Paris, France, and was first used at Pigeon Point on November 15, 1872, at sunset.

The tower originally used a lamp that burned refined lard oil (pig fat). In 1888, this was replaced with a lamp that used mineral oil (kerosene). To create the lighthouse’s assigned light pattern of one white flash every ten seconds, the one-ton lens rotated once every four minutes. This rotation was powered by clockwork and a 45-pound (20 kg) weight. In 1926, the lighthouse was connected to electricity. A 1000-watt bulb replaced the kerosene lamp, an electric motor replaced the clockwork, and an electric fog signal was later added.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse is designated as California Historical Landmark number 930. In 1972, the U.S. Coast Guard added a 24-inch (610 mm) aerobeacon to the tower (now replaced by a smaller beacon) and retired the Fresnel lens from regular use. The lens is no longer lit for special events, such as the annual lighting ceremony, which usually happens in mid-November near November 15, the date of its first use in 1872. The lens was removed from the tower in November 2011 and is now displayed in the fog signal building near the lighthouse. The light on the tower, which rotates with six beams, is still used to help ships navigate.

The first-order Fresnel lens originally came from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, which has the same light pattern. After the original Cape Hatteras tower was closed in 1870, the lens was stored and later sent to the West Coast to be used at Pigeon Point in 1871.

The tower has been closed to tours since December 2001 because of damaged brickwork supporting metal walkways on the top. Cast iron, not steel, was used in the tower’s construction. Cast iron absorbs water, causing rust and damage to the walkways and the tower’s base. California State Parks has promised repairs, but it may take seven to ten years to complete them. In July 2010, Rep. Anna G. Eshoo requested $250,000 from the 2011 Interior and Environment Appropriations Act to restore the lighthouse’s upper part.

In 2021, $18 million was added to the California state budget for full restoration of the lighthouse. In December 2023, California State Parks announced a $16 million rehabilitation project starting in early 2024, expected to be completed in two years.

The restored lighthouse keepers’ housing has been used as a youth hostel since the mid-1960s. The hostel is operated by HI USA, a nonprofit organization that helps young people learn about the world.

The Pigeon Point Lighthouse is also a logo of the E. W. Scripps Company.

Astrophotography

Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a popular place for people who take pictures of the night sky because of its special location and the area around it.

The best feature for taking night sky photos is the open view of the ocean and sky. The area has good weather and not much light pollution, which makes stars and other space objects easier to see. The lighthouse itself is part of the picture, combining old buildings with the night sky to make beautiful images.

Each year, many people who love the stars visit to see events like meteor showers and eclipses. They take photos and share them online.

Because of this, Pigeon Point Lighthouse is both a well-known landmark and a key place for night sky photography.

Image gallery

• Pigeon Point, around the 1870s, before it was built
• Photo from the U.S. Coast Guard archive
• Taken around 1950 when the lighthouse was fully working, including the Fresnel lens and fog signal
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse with its light turned on
• Inside view of the Fresnel lens at Pigeon Point Light Station
• Stairs inside the tower at Pigeon Point Light Station
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse during the blue hour
• Located on the Pacific Coast during the summer
• View of the lighthouse and nearby rocks
• Pigeon Point Lighthouse with wildflowers (view from the south)