List of Lighthouses in Washington : (Wikipedia)List of Lighthouses in Oregon : (Wikipedia)

On our Northwest trip, Darla and I searched out quite a few of Washington’s and Oregon’s lighthouses. This page shows the lighthouses we visited.

Many of the historic lighthouses rest atop a rocky ledge overlooking the ocean or bay.  This picturesque lighthouse is the Yaquina Head Lighthouse located only a short drive from Newport, OR. If we lived in the area, I would go to each of these lighthouses during the early mornings and late evenings for the “romantic” light. Likewise, I’d love to be at one of these locations as a big storm approached to make the scene even more dramatic!

Admiralty Head Lighthousen

The Admiralty Head Lighthouse is located next to historic Ft. Casey near Coupeville, WA. You can find this lighhouse on Whidbey Island, west of Seattle. 

The Admiralty Head Lighthouse also serves as a museum. It is one of the prettiest and well kept lighthouses we visited.

Visitors can climb the spiral staircase to get a unique view of the ocean below.

Mukelteo Lighthouse

The Mukelteo Lighthouse is easy to find in Mukelteo. The lighthouse is still active and also serves as a museum. A short ferry ride connects Mukelteo, WA to Clinton, WA on Whidbey Island. Ferries run roughly every 30 minutes.

This lighthouse is also very well maintained. It was first lit in 1906.

Darla and I caught one of the early ferries from Whidbey Island to catch the morning light at the lighthouse. We rode the ferry as pedestrians, but it was also full with vehicles and trucks commuting to their jobs in either direction.

Wilson Point Lighthouse

This lighthouse is located on the outskirts of Port Townsend, accessible via a 45 minute ferry ride. We were able to visit Port Townsend twice: once riding on our friend’s boat, and the second time by riding on the ferry as we were beginning the second leg of our northwest trip.

I took this photo from the boat on our first ride to the port. The lighthouse complex sits on the point where the Strait of Saj de Fica turns into Admiralty Inlet.

The Port Wilson Lighthouse is still active. It was originally built in 1879 and rebuilt in 1914.

We were able to drive our vehicle to a parking area near the lighthouse. Darla and I were able to walk around the buildings to take photos from a variety of angles.

Another photo of the Port Wilson Lighthouse taken from our friend’s boat.

Port Thompson Lighthouse (?)

I couldn’t find this lighthouse in the list. It is located on the bluff above Port Townsend, WA and is not accessible from the street. I took these to photos from the sidewalk below the bluff. Apparently, a creative homeowner built his own lighthouse structure next to his house?

Historic Port Townsend is located on the northeast corner of the Olympic Penninsula. We took a ferry ride, with our vehicle, from Whidbey Island, then continued our trip around the Washington coastline. The Olympic Mountain Range is visible from some areas of Port Townsend.

Gray’s Harbor Lighthouse

The Gray’s Harbor Lighthouse was built in 1898. It is an active lighthouse located near Westport, WA.

Many of the lighthouses we found have attractive architectural detailing as seen here. This lighthouse was first lit in 1898.

According to Wikipedia, all active lighthouses have been automated. The Gray’s Harbor Lighthouse has a range of 19 miles.

 North Head Lighthouse

The North Head Lighthouse is located near Ilwaco, WA. It has a stunning view of the Pacific Ocean, with waves crashing into the rocky cliffs below.

The North Head Lighthouse is well maintained and beautifully designed. It was first lit in 1898 and has a range of 26 miles.

You might think there were no other tourists at these historic structures. Wrong! Most of the time, I had to work around a steady flow of tourists.

This is a classic, beautiful lighthouse sitting atop a picturesque cliff facing the Pacific Ocean.

Cape Disappointment Lighthouse

The Cape Disappointment Lighthouse was first lighthouse in the Pacific Northwest.  After a few initial delays, it was finally lit on October 15, 1856. Even though it looks abandoned, the Coast Guard still runs the active lighthouse.

This lighthouse could definitely use a little “tender, loving care”. Maybe after 168 years of standing against the harsh coastal environment, it’s really not that bad!

Oregon Lighthouses

Cape Meares Lighthouse

The Cape Meares Lighthouse is located a few miles from Tillimook, OR. At only 38 feet, it is not as tall as many of the other lighthouses we visited. This lighthouse was unusually difficult to photograph. The area around the structure was tight, and a large tree blocked the view from some of the other prime photographic spots.

Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, rocks, and safe entries to harbors. (Source: Wikipedia) This lighthouse has a range of 21 miles.

This photo is a tight shot of the Fresel lens at The Cape Meares Lighthouse.

“The Fresnel lens is used particularly in lighthouses and searchlights to concentrate the light into a relatively narrow beam. It would be almost impossible to make a large lighthouse lens of the usual solid glass-disk type because the thickness and weight would be prohibitive; the lighter Fresnel lens is constructed of elements that are separately ground and polished from suitable glass blanks and assembled to make up the complete lens.” (Source: Britanica)

Science Quiz: How Far Away Is the Horizon when standing at sea level? Calculate in Miles or Kilometers? Click Here

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse is operated by the US Department of the Interior. We drove through a park entrance but I didn’t have to pay. My National Park Pass worked again! The beautiful lighthouse and 95 acre park is located just outside of Newport, OR.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse has a range of 18.5 nautical miles. At 93 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse in Oregon.

First lit in 1873, The Yaquina Head Lighthouse is still active and has become a busy tourist attraction.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse also serves as a museum. This photo was taken from inside the lighthouse, shooting straight up.

This friendly ranger let us go inside for “one last shot”, even though we were there a few minutes past closing time. Afterwards, he posed at the door for me.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is also close to Newport, OR. It is an active lighthouse with a range of only 6 miles.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is fenced, so the only photos I could get had to be taken from the nearby parking lot. This was the last lighthouse we saw on our Northwest trip!

At Newport, OR, Darla and I made the call to begin heading inland towards Colorado. It might have been rewarding to keep heading south along Oregon’s western shoreline, but after studying the maps, it was apparent we needed to take a fairly direct route.  Between Newport and Boise, I switched gears and changed from searching out and photographing lighthouses and ocean coastlines to covered bridges and barns.