Tier 3 · Curiosities

Rubicon Point Light

Tahoma · El Dorado County · Inland (Lake Tahoe)

Rubicon Point Light is an inactive lighthouse in the Lake Tahoe region of California, first lit in 1919, owned by California State Parks (D.L. Bliss State Park).

InactiveruinsPublic accessmoderateCalifornia State Parks (D.L. Bliss State Park)

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Year first lit

1919

Current structure built

1919

Tower height

7 ft

Focal plane

200 ft

Optic

Acetylene gas light (automated from first lighting)

Light characteristic

White flash every 5 seconds (when active)

Owner

California State Parks (D.L. Bliss State Park)

Manager

California State Parks

Coordinates

38.9614, -120.1108 Map

Current hours

D.L. Bliss State Park hours (day use)

Fees

$10 day use fee (California State Parks)

History

Built 1919 by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as a small automated acetylene beacon — one of a short-lived series on Lake Tahoe. Discontinued after just two years, in 1921. The concrete base and remnants sit on a cliff in D.L. Bliss State Park.

Why it matters

Inland lake lighthouse is the rarity. Almost nobody knows Tahoe ever had navigational beacons; this and Sugar Pine Point are the evidence.

The visit

Hike-in via the Rubicon Trail from D.L. Bliss State Park — about 2.5 miles round trip, moderate. Verify trail status with State Parks before going; AllTrails has shown the spur closed in recent years.

Logistics

Recommended base

South Lake Tahoe or Tahoe City

Nearby food / coffee

Meeks Bay Resort, Tahoe City restaurants

Nearby lodging

D.L. Bliss State Park campground, various Tahoe resorts

Inland curiosity; not part of any coastal circuit. Appendix entry for completeness. Suitable for a Lake Tahoe day trip.

Nearby lighthouses

Sugar Pine Point Light

Tahoma, Inland (Lake Tahoe)

Tier 3InactivePublic accesseasy

Companion entry to Rubicon Point — together they document the only inland lake light system in the California atlas.

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Sources

Officiallighthousefriends.com/light.asp
Officialen.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rubicon_Point_Light
Officialparks.ca.gov
Secondarycaliforniathroughmylens.com/rubicon-point-lighthouse
Secondaryalltrails.com/trail/us/california/rubicon-point-light-lighthouse-trail
Imagescommons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rubicon_Point_Light.jpg

Image rights: Wikimedia Commons images available. Historic USCG/Army Corps photos are public domain.

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