The Lighthouse Circuit

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

Tier 1 · Essential

East Brother Island Light Station

East Brother Light Station

Richmond · Contra Costa County · Bay Area

Active aidstandingPublic accessmoderateEast Brother Light Station, Inc. (nonprofit)
East Brother Island Light Station, operated as a working B&B
Photo: Frank Schulenburg· CC BY-SA 3.0· Wikimedia Commons

⚠ Verify before you drive

New innkeepers as of 2025. Verify current rates and availability. Confirm boat schedule.

Year first lit

1874

Current structure built

1874

Tower height

59 ft

Focal plane

61 ft

Optic

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

Light characteristic

Fl W 5s (flashing white every 5 seconds)

Owner

East Brother Light Station, Inc. (nonprofit)

Manager

East Brother Light Station, Inc.

Coordinates

37.9632, -122.4298 Map

Current hours

Overnight stays and day use by reservation only. New innkeepers as of 2025.

Fees

Day use: $45/person (includes boat). Overnight: varies (see ebls.org).

NRHP listed

Yes

History

Built 1874 on a small island in San Pablo Bay. Operated as a dinner, bed and breakfast since 1980. One of only a handful of lighthouse B&Bs in the United States. New innkeepers took over in 2025.

Why it matters

The only lighthouse B&B in the San Francisco Bay Area. Boat-only access. Victorian architecture intact. A unique overnight experience in the Bay.

The visit

Boat from Point San Pablo Harbor. Day use ($45/person) or overnight stay. Dinner, bed and breakfast. 4 guest rooms. Full breakfast at 9am. Open year-round.

Logistics

Recommended base

On-site (B&B) or Richmond/San Francisco

Nearby food / coffee

On-site dinner included with overnight stay

Nearby lodging

On-site B&B (4 rooms), Richmond hotels, San Francisco hotels

Accessibility

Boat-only access from Point San Pablo Harbor. Parking at harbor included. Open year-round (occasional closures for weather).

Tier 1 Bay Area site. The premier lighthouse overnight experience in the Bay Area. Pairs with Point Bonita and Alcatraz for a Bay circuit.

Nearby lighthouses

Point Bonita Lighthouse at the end of its suspension bridge in the Marin Headlands

Point Bonita Lighthouse

★ Flagship 12

Sausalito, Bay Area

Tier 1Active aidPublic accessmoderate⚠ Verify

The guardian of the Golden Gate. One of the most dramatic lighthouse settings in the United States — perched on a rocky point, accessed by a suspension bridge over crashing surf. The very limited access (one Saturday per month) makes planning essential.

Alcatraz Island Light rising above the former federal prison

Alcatraz Island Light

San Francisco, Bay Area

Tier 1Active aidPublic accessmoderate⚠ Verify

The first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast. The Alcatraz connection makes it one of the most-visited lighthouse sites in the United States. The lighthouse is often overlooked by visitors focused on the prison — a compelling story angle.

Visited this light? Leave a note in the Keeper's Log.

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Sources

Image rights: EBLS images may require permission. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.

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