Tier 2 · Notable
Cape Mendocino Light
Cape Mendocino Light Station
Ferndale · Humboldt County · North Coast
Cape Mendocino Light is an inactive lighthouse on the North coast of California, first lit in 1868, owned by City of Ferndale (relocated tower).
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History
Built 1868 at the westernmost point of the contiguous United States, perched 422 feet above the Pacific. Decommissioned 1951. In 1998 the 43-foot iron tower was relocated to a small park in Ferndale, where it now stands at street level. Originally housed a first-order Fresnel lens.
Why it matters
A short list of California lighthouses are still on their original sites; this one is not. The Ferndale display is the rare case where you can walk up to and around a relocated tower instead of squinting at a photograph in a museum.
The visit
The original headland is on private ranch land and not accessible. The relocated tower is a drive-up exterior view in downtown Ferndale during daylight hours. The fate of the original first-order Fresnel lens is not currently documented.
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Nearby lighthouses
Point Cabrillo Light Station
★ Flagship 12Mendocino, Mendocino Coast
One of the most complete and best-preserved light station complexes in California. On-site keeper house lodging. Walking distance from the village of Mendocino. The Mendocino coast setting is among the most scenic in the state.
Trinidad Head Lighthouse
★ Flagship 12Trinidad, North Coast
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.
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Sources
- Officialhistory.uscg.mil/Browse-by-Topic/Assets/Land/All/Article/1975557/cape-mendocino-lighthouse
- Secondarylighthousefriends.com/light.asp
- Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Mendocino_Light
- Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Cape_Mendocino_Light.jpg
Image rights: USCG images public domain. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.
Research confidence: medium · Last verified 2026-05-13