Heceta Head Lighthouse
From Oregon Hikers Field Guide
- Hikes to this destination:
- Heceta Head Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Hobbit Beach to Heceta Head Hike (TH | <— —> | LOG)
- Weather forecast: NWS/NOAA
- Maps: Oregon Hikers Maps Google Maps
- Latitude, Longitude: 44.13742, -124.12814
- Elevation: 140 feet
Description
The 1894 Heceta Head Lighthouse has recently been restored to look more like its original self, and there are tours given all year. The lighthouse is the last constructed of all the federal lighthouses on the Oregon Coast. Two oil houses greet you first (Oil stores were separated in case of an explosion), the second one now a small museum. From the lighthouse, you can look south to the Devils Elbow headland, Devils Elbow Beach, and the Cape Creek Bridge, one of several magnificent coastal bridges designed by engineer Conde McCullough. In the month of May, migrating gray whales swim close to shore here, and this is a good vantage point to spot sea birds, such as brown pelicans, common murres, and gulls.
Down the lighthouse road, there's a garage (now a giftshop) and the assistant lightkeeper’s house, built in 1893. This was originally a duplex for the two assistant lightkeepers and their families. The original chief lightkeeper’s house also once stood in this picket-fenced yard, but when the light was electrified, three keepers became unnecessary, and the house was sold as surplus and demolished in 1940. The existing house is now a bed and breakfast inn operated by National Forest concessionaires. The views from the front yard take in the Cape Creek Bridge and picturesque Devils Elbow Beach as well as Conical Rock, part of the Oregon Islands National Wildlife Refuge.
More Links
- Heceta Head, OR (Lighthouse Friends)
- Heceta Head Light (Wikipedia)
- Heceta Head Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast (Heceta Head Lighthouse)
Contributors
- bobcat (creator)