Tier 2 · Notable
Año Nuevo Light Station
Pescadero · San Mateo County · Bay Area / Peninsula
Año Nuevo Light Station is an inactive lighthouse on the Peninsula coast of California, first lit in 1872, owned by California State Parks.
⚠ Verify before you drive
Hours, fees, tours, or access status at this station change often. Confirm with the official source before your trip.
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History
Built 1872 on Año Nuevo Island, four miles south of Pigeon Point. Decommissioned 1948. The lighthouse and the keeper's quarters now stand as ruins, slowly going to weather and seabird colonies.
Why it matters
More famous today for the largest mainland elephant seal rookery in California than for the light station itself — but the ruins read as a clean lesson in what a coastal site looks like when navigation tech moves on and the buildings stay.
The visit
Año Nuevo State Park. December through March requires a guided elephant-seal walk with advance reservations; the rest of the year the area is self-guided. The lighthouse itself sits on the offshore island and is viewable from the mainland trail, not approachable. Check current reservation rules with State Parks.
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Nearby lighthouses
Pigeon Point Lighthouse
★ Flagship 12Pescadero, Bay Area / Peninsula
Iconic silhouette on the San Mateo coast. One of the most photographed lighthouses in California. The on-site hostel makes it a unique overnight destination. Tower restoration is a major ongoing story.
Point Montara Light Station
Montara, Bay Area / Peninsula
On-site hostel makes it a popular overnight destination on the San Mateo coast. Pairs naturally with Pigeon Point for a Peninsula lighthouse overnight.
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Sources
- Officialparks.ca.gov
- Secondarylighthousefriends.com/light.asp
- Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%C3%B1o_Nuevo_Light_Station
- Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:A%C3%B1o_Nuevo_Lighthouse.jpg
Image rights: CA State Parks images may require permission. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.
Research confidence: medium · Last verified 2026-05-13