The Lighthouse Circuit

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

Tier 1 · Essential · ★ Flagship 12

Battery Point Lighthouse

Battery Point Light Station

Crescent City · Del Norte County · North Coast

Active aidstandingPublic accesseasyDel Norte County Historical Society
Battery Point Lighthouse on its tidal island at Crescent City
Photo: Dianoguy· CC BY-SA 4.0· Wikimedia Commons

⚠ Verify before you drive

Access confirmed via Del Norte County Historical Society and Facebook (April 2026). Tide-dependent access requires checking tide chart before visit.

Year first lit

1856

Current structure built

1856

Tower height

45 ft

Focal plane

57 ft

Optic

Fourth-order Fresnel lens (original; reported still in active use)

Light characteristic

Fl W 4s (flashing white every 4 seconds)

Owner

Del Norte County Historical Society

Manager

Del Norte County Historical Society

Coordinates

41.7462, -124.2021 Map

Current hours

April–September: open daily (tide permitting), 10am–4pm. October–March: open weekends only (tide permitting), 10am–4pm.

Fees

$5 adults; $1 children (donation)

NRHP listed

Yes

History

Built 1856. One of the original California lighthouses. Survived the 1964 Good Friday tsunami — the keeper and family sheltered inside as waves swept over the island. Tidal island setting is unique in California. Museum inside the lighthouse.

Why it matters

The tsunami survival story is one of the most dramatic in California lighthouse history. The tidal island setting — walk across at low tide, stranded at high tide — is unlike any other California lighthouse experience. The museum inside the original keeper's dwelling is excellent.

The visit

Check tide chart before visiting. Walk across to island at low tide. Museum inside lighthouse. Brief guided tour included with entry. April–September open daily; October–March weekends only. Monthly schedule posted at parking area.

Logistics

Recommended base

Crescent City

Nearby food / coffee

Good Harvest Cafe (Crescent City), Chart Room Restaurant (Crescent City)

Nearby lodging

Crescent City hotels and motels, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park campground

Accessibility

Tidal island — accessible only at low tide. Check tide chart before visiting. Monthly tour schedule posted at parking area. Museum inside lighthouse.

Flagship 12 anchor for the North Coast. Unique tidal island access. High history, high photography, high romance value. Pairs with Trinidad Head for a North Coast overnight.

Nearby lighthouses

The Trinidad Head Memorial Lighthouse replica in town

Trinidad Head Lighthouse

★ Flagship 12

Trinidad, North Coast

Tier 1Active aidPublic accesseasy

Dramatic headland setting with views of Trinidad Bay and the Pacific. The compact white tower against the rocky headland is one of the most photogenic lighthouse scenes in Northern California. The town of Trinidad is a charming base.

St. George Reef Lighthouse, the offshore granite tower north of Crescent City

St. George Reef Lighthouse

Crescent City, North Coast

Tier 1InactivePublic accessextreme⚠ Verify

The most expensive and most remote lighthouse in California history. The Brother Jonathan wreck story is one of the most dramatic in Pacific Coast maritime history. The helicopter tour is a bucket-list experience.

Recent log entries

Jul 8, 2025·K.R., Eureka

Tide tables said the window opened at 10:42am. We were there at 10:15 and the causeway was still ankle-deep. Watched a sea lion haul out on the rocks while we waited. Lighthouse keeper Donna gave us the tour at 11:15 sharp. She didn't rush a single question. Bring a windbreaker even in July — Crescent City wind doesn't care what month it is. The lens itself is fourth-order Fresnel and gorgeous in person.

Tip · Cash for the donation. Card not accepted at the door as of July 2025.

tidewindTide window was about 30 minutes shorter than the published table. Always verify the day of with the Del Norte historical society.

Drove from Eureka

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Sources

Image rights: Del Norte County Historical Society images may require permission. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.

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