Tier 1 · Essential

New Point Loma Lighthouse

Point Loma Light Station (1891)

San Diego · San Diego County · Southern California

Active aidstandingPublic accesseasyU.S. Coast Guard

New Point Loma Lighthouse, the active Coast Guard aid at the peninsula's tip — Photo: U.S. Navy / PH2 Dutkiewicz· Public domain· Wikimedia Commons

Year first lit

1891

Current structure built

1891

Tower height

70 ft

Focal plane

88 ft

Optic

Active LED beacon; original Fresnel lens removed

Light characteristic

Fl W 15s (flashing white every 15 seconds)

Owner

U.S. Coast Guard

Manager

USCG (tower); NPS Cabrillo National Monument (grounds)

Coordinates

32.6654, -117.2430 Map

Current hours

Visible during Cabrillo NM hours (daily 9am–5pm). Tower not open to public (active USCG).

Fees

$20/vehicle (Cabrillo NM entrance fee)

History

Built 1891 to replace Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which was too high and frequently obscured by fog. Located at lower elevation on the Point Loma headland. Active USCG aid to navigation.

Why it matters

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.

The visit

Visible from road within Cabrillo NM. Tower not open. Best visited in combination with Old Point Loma Lighthouse.

Logistics

Recommended base

San Diego

Nearby food / coffee

Point Loma Seafoods, Mitch's Seafood

Nearby lodging

Humphreys Half Moon Inn, downtown San Diego hotels

Accessibility

Visible from road within Cabrillo NM. Tower interior not open to public.

Tier 1 companion to Old Point Loma. Easy add-on during Cabrillo NM visit. Not a standalone destination.

Nearby lighthouses

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.

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Sources

Officialnps.gov/cabr/index.htm
Secondarylighthousefriends.com/light.asp
Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Loma_Lighthouse
Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:New_Point_Loma_Lighthouse.jpg

Image rights: NPS images generally public domain. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.

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