Tier 2
Point Diablo Light
Point Diablo Light Station
Sausalito · Marin County · Bay Area
Point Diablo is the middle link in the trio of lights guarding the Golden Gate’s northern approach. It shows how several compact beacons worked together along this hazardous shoreline, even though the site itself is not publicly accessible.
Labels
- Tier 1–3
- Editorial browse cues for prominence and context—not circuits, checklists, or achievements.
- Active aid
- The light currently serves navigation. It does not mean the tower, grounds, or interior are open to visitors.
- Public / restricted access
- Some approved visitor access versus a legal viewpoint, special arrangement, or no ordinary public entry. Always check the official guidance.
- Flagship 12
- The curated statewide circuit. It is separate from the editorial tier labels.
Your lighthouse passport
Stamp my passport
Check in at Point Diablo Light to collect your digital stamp. Add your name if you like.
Lighthouse Circuit is here to inspire real visits. To collect a location-verified stamp, you’ll need to be at the lighthouse with location access enabled. Need help adding past visits? Email us and we’ll be happy to add them manually.
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From the field
Viewed this light from an approved public vantage point? Share a condition update for the next visitor.
⚠ Verify before you drive
NPS Marin Headlands staff confirmed on August 19, 2026 that Point Diablo Light is not accessible by any hiking trail. Do not attempt to reach the site.
Visit essentials
Access
Current hours
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The light
Year first lit
Current structure built
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The story
Built 1922 on the Marin shore of the Golden Gate strait, between Lime Point and Point Bonita. A small automated light at 85 feet above the water, marking a rocky headland that catches inbound traffic from the north. Light characteristic: Fl W 2.5s.
The visit
Point Diablo Light is not open to the public and cannot be reached by any hiking trail. Do not attempt to access the site.
Make a day of it
Base yourself in
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.
Lime Point Light
Sausalito, Bay Area
One of the most photographed lighthouse positions in California by accident: it sits squarely under the Golden Gate Bridge. An active aid to navigation still doing the original 1900s job, automated. The light characteristic is Fl W 5s — flashing white every five seconds.
Help keep this guide accurate: report changed access, a broken link, or a factual correction.
Sources
- Officialnps.gov/goga
- Secondaryen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_Diablo_Light
- Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Point_Diablo_Light.jpg
Image rights: NPS images generally public domain.
Research confidence: high · Last verified 2026-08-19