The Lighthouse Circuit

Access, tours, hours, fees, and closures change often. Always verify with the official source before driving.

Tier 3 · Curiosities

Ballast Point Light (demolished)

Ballast Point Light Station

San Diego · San Diego County · Southern California

DemolisheddemolishedRestricted accessdifficultU.S. Navy

Year first lit

1890

Current structure built

1890

Tower height

N/A (demolished) ft

Focal plane

N/A (demolished) ft

Optic

Demolished

Light characteristic

Demolished

Owner

U.S. Navy

Manager

U.S. Navy – Naval Base Point Loma

Coordinates

32.6819, -117.2372 Map

Current hours

Not open to public

History

Built 1890 at Ballast Point within what is now Naval Base Point Loma. Demolished. Appendix entry — demolished structure on military land.

Logistics

Recommended base

San Diego

Accessibility

Located within Naval Base Point Loma. Lighthouse demolished. No public access.

Nearby lighthouses

Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego

Old Point Loma Lighthouse

★ Flagship 12

San Diego, Southern California

Tier 1InactivePublic accesseasy⚠ Verify

The oldest lighthouse structure on the West Coast and one of the most historically significant in the United States. Its deactivation story — too high, too foggy — is a foundational lesson in lighthouse engineering.

New Point Loma Lighthouse, the active Coast Guard aid at the peninsula's tip

New Point Loma Lighthouse

San Diego, Southern California

Tier 1Active aidPublic accesseasy

The 'replacement' story — why the old lighthouse failed and how the new one solved the problem — is a compelling engineering narrative. Visible from Cabrillo NM.

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Sources

Image rights: USCG images public domain.

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