Tier 2 · Notable

Anacapa Island Light Station

Ventura · Ventura County · Southern California

Anacapa Island Light Station is an active lighthouse on the Southern California coast of California, first lit in 1912, owned by National Park Service / U.S. Coast Guard.

Active aidstandingPublic accessdifficultNational Park Service / U.S. Coast Guard

Anacapa Island Light Station in the Channel Islands — Photo: Unknown author· Public domain· Wikimedia Commons

⚠ Verify before you drive

Hours, fees, tours, or access status at this station change often. Confirm with the official source before your trip.

Year first lit

1912

Current structure built

1932

Tower height

39 ft

Focal plane

277 ft

Optic

Automated LED beacon

Light characteristic

Fl W 60s (flashing white every 60 seconds)

Owner

National Park Service / U.S. Coast Guard

Manager

NPS – Channel Islands National Park

Coordinates

34.0143, -119.3592 Map

Current hours

Island Packers ferry year-round (variable schedule). Reservations required.

Fees

Ferry: approximately $50–$60/person (verify current pricing)

History

Built 1912; current structure 1932. The white concrete tower sits on the east end of Anacapa Island in Channel Islands National Park, jointly stewarded by NPS and the U.S. Coast Guard. The foghorn here is one of the more recognizable sounds on the Southern California coast.

Why it matters

The most accessible of the Channel Islands lights and the only one with regular public visitation. The Spanish-revival station buildings on a treeless ocean headland are a distinctive piece of 1930s Coast Guard architecture.

The visit

Reachable only by the Island Packers ferry out of Ventura Harbor — about 1–1.5 hours each way, year-round on a variable schedule, reservations required. The landing is by metal-rung ladder, and 157 steps lead up from the cove. Verify the ferry schedule and your own footing before booking.

Logistics

Recommended base

Ventura or Oxnard

Accessibility

Visitors must step from moving boat to metal landing platform. 157 steps up from landing. Not wheelchair accessible. No pets.

Nearby lighthouses

Santa Barbara Lighthouse

Santa Barbara, Central Coast

Tier 2Active aidRestrictedeasy

The earthquake history is the entry's reason for being. California has few lighthouses whose original structure is gone due to seismic damage, and Santa Barbara is the cleanest example.

Visited this light? Leave a note for the next driver.

Add your note

Spot something wrong on this page? Closure changed, broken link, a detail that no longer matches reality?

Sources

Officialnps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/anacapa.htm
Officialislandpackers.com/anacapa-island
Secondarylighthousefriends.com/light.asp
Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anacapa_Island_Light
Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anacapa_Island_Light.jpg

Image rights: NPS images generally public domain. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.

Research confidence: high · Last verified 2026-05-13