Tier 2 · Notable
Farallon Islands Light
Southeast Farallon Island Light Station
San Francisco · San Francisco County · Bay Area
Farallon Islands Light is an active lighthouse on the Bay Area coast of California, first lit in 1855, owned by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service / U.S. Coast Guard.
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History
Southeast Farallon Island Light, first lit 1855. The original 41-foot stone tower stands on a wind-scoured granite island 27 miles west of the Golden Gate. The Fresnel lens has been removed; an automated LED beacon now does the work.
Why it matters
One of the original eight West Coast lighthouses and the most remote. The Farallons are a National Wildlife Refuge with no landing rights for the general public, which makes the light station as close to inaccessible as any in California.
The visit
No public landing. Oceanic Society runs all-day wildlife boat tours out of San Francisco that pass the islands close enough to see the tower. Whale, shark, and seabird viewing is the actual reason most people go. Schedules vary; book ahead and expect weather cancellations.
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Nearby lighthouses
Point Bonita Lighthouse
★ Flagship 12Sausalito, Bay Area
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.
Point Reyes Lighthouse
★ Flagship 12Point Reyes Station, Bay Area / North Bay
One of the windiest spots in North America — the lighthouse was built to withstand 100+ mph gusts. The preserved first-order Fresnel lens is one of the finest examples in California. The 308-step descent to the lighthouse is itself a memorable experience.
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Sources
- Officialfws.gov/refuge/farallon
- Secondarylighthousefriends.com/light.asp
- Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Light
- Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Farallon_Islands_Light.jpg
Image rights: USFWS images generally public domain. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.
Research confidence: medium · Last verified 2026-05-13