The Lighthouse Circuit

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

Tier 1 · Essential · ★ Flagship 12

Point Cabrillo Light Station

Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park

Mendocino · Mendocino County · Mendocino Coast

Point Cabrillo Light Station is an active lighthouse on the Mendocino coast of California, first lit in 1909, owned by California State Parks. It is one of the twelve flagship stations of The Lighthouse Circuit. This lighthouse is part of the Flagship 12 circuit.

Active aidstandingPublic accesseasyCalifornia State Parks
Point Cabrillo Light Station at sunrise
Photo: Frank Schulenburg· CC BY-SA 3.0· Wikimedia Commons

Year first lit

1909

Current structure built

1909

Tower height

47 ft

Focal plane

81 ft

Optic

Historic third-order Fresnel lens (active; lens assembly rotates)

Light characteristic

Fl W 10s (flashing white every 10 seconds)

Owner

California State Parks

Manager

California State Parks / Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association

Coordinates

39.3481, -123.8242 Map

Current hours

Museums and gift shop open daily, year-round, 11am–4pm (including Thanksgiving and Christmas).

Fees

Free (day use). Keeper house lodging rates vary.

NRHP listed

Yes

History

Built 1909 to serve the lumber schooner trade along the Mendocino coast. Octagonal fog signal building is architecturally distinctive. Keeper houses available for overnight rental. Restored and managed by the Point Cabrillo Lightkeepers Association.

Why it matters

One of the most complete and best-preserved light station complexes in California, with keeper-house lodging and the state's last historic rotating Fresnel lens. It is a short drive from Mendocino, but the highway and fast local roads make walking from the village unsafe and inadvisable. The Mendocino coast setting is among the most scenic in the state.

The visit

A short trail leads from the parking area to the light station. Three museums — the First Assistant Lightkeeper's House Museum, Marine Science Exhibit, and Lighthouse Museum — and the gift shop are open every day from 11am to 4pm. Two keeper houses and two cottages are available for overnight rental. Drive from Mendocino rather than walking along the highway and local roads.

Logistics

Recommended base

Mendocino (on-site keeper houses) or Fort Bragg

Nearby food / coffee

Mendocino village restaurants, Fort Bragg restaurants

Nearby lodging

Point Cabrillo keeper houses (on-site), Mendocino B&Bs and hotels, Fort Bragg hotels

Accessibility

Short trail to lighthouse. Keeper houses available for overnight rental. Contact Mendocino Coast Reservations: (707) 937-5033 or mcr@mendocinovacations.com.

Flagship 12 anchor for the Mendocino Coast. High history, high photography, high romance value. On-site lodging. Pairs naturally with Point Arena for a Mendocino overnight circuit.

Nearby lighthouses

Point Arena Lighthouse rising above the Mendocino Coast

Point Arena Lighthouse

★ Flagship 12

Point Arena, Mendocino Coast

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The earthquake story is one of the most compelling in California lighthouse history. The 115-ft tower is climbable. On-site cottages, suites & studios make it a premier lighthouse overnight destination. The tectonic plate boundary runs through the property.

Historic photograph of the original Cape Mendocino Light

Cape Mendocino Light

Ferndale, North Coast

Tier 2InactivePublic accesseasy

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.

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Sources

Image rights: CA State Parks images may require permission. Wikimedia Commons has CC-licensed images.

Research confidence: high · Last verified 2026-08-14