Highway 1 Roadtrip: Point Arena Lighthouse

We’re back this week with another stop as part of the Highway 1 Chronicles. Missed last week’s post? Check out our stop to the B Bryan Preserve (down the street) here. This week we’re talking about the Point Arena Lighthouse. The Lighthouse is one of those spots that you could spend all afternoon at, or just a quick stop.

GETTING TO THE LIGHTHOUSE

The Point Arena Lighthouse is located in Point Arena *duh* at 45500 Lighthouse Rd, Point Arena, CA 95468. While it is off of Highway 1, you’ll need to drive a bit further in towards the coast down a windy road to get there.

Getting to the lighthouse from: 

• San Francisco: ~3 hours North
• San Jose: ~3.5 hours North
• Sacramento: ~3 hours 45 min West
• Mendocino: ~1 hour South

VISITING THE LIGHTHOUSE

Surprisingly, there are quite a few activities you can do while visiting the lighthouse.

1. Whale Watching – You may get lucky and see the whales doing their migration. Some types you might see are the Blue Whales, Killer Whales and Gray Whales
2. Check out the Museum – The museum is filled with historical info and artifacts related to the lighthouse.  It is located in the Fog Signal building (built in 1890)
3. Tour the Tower – Feeling ambitious and ready to climb up 145 steps? You can tour the lighthouse and check out the 360 degree view from the top along with a guided tour.
4. Stay at the Lighthouse – You can stay at the lighthouse lodge, which to be honest sounds really relaxing and cool for a little getaway.
5. Visit the Gazebo – Walk a bit to the gazebo to get a different view of the Lighthouse in the distance.

• 

• 

LOGISTICAL INFORMATION

• Hours – The hours change throughout the year (Get more info here), but they are usually open 10 AM – 3:30 in the fall/winter, and 10AM – 4:30 in the spring/summer
• Admission – There are different types of tickets and prices change depending on age, but the main adult ones are broken down to:
  • Museum admission, no Tower Tour: $5 per person
  • Museum & Tower Tour: $8 per person

G’s REVIEW & TIPS

We were on a schedule and only had time to hop out of the car, take a few photos, and venture off to the gazebo on a little walk. While I still think a stop is worth it (even if you don’t have much time), I would aim to spend 2 hours at the Lighthouse to get the most out of your visit! Also, it can get SUPER windy and cold, so come prepared. We almost blew away!

In next week’s Highway 1 post, I’ll be sharing my birthday getaway to the Inn at Newport Ranch in Fort Bragg. Stay tuned!

More on Highway 1: 

• B Bryan Preserve in Point Arena
• Day trip to Capitola, CA
• Day trip to Davenport, CA