The Lighthouse Circuit

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

Tier 3

Yerba Buena Island Light

Yerba Buena Island Light Station

San Francisco · San Francisco County · Bay Area

One of the most-photographed islands in California and one of its least-known lighthouses, because the Bay Bridge has been the main thing here for almost a century.

Active aidRestricted accessdifficult
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

My Passport →

Check in at Yerba Buena Island 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.

Sign your passport

Optional · Your visit can also stay unnamed.

This visit saves privately. Public guestbook check-in is not available at this lighthouse yet. You can still collect a personal stamp.

Your passport is tied to this browser. Open My Passport to back up your personal marks.

From the field

Viewed this light from an approved public vantage point? Share a condition update for the next visitor.

Share a condition update

Visit essentials

Access

no public access (military/USCG island)

Current hours

Not open to public

Accessibility

Located on Yerba Buena Island, accessible via Bay Bridge but no public access to USCG/Navy areas.

The light

Year first lit

1875

Current structure built

1875

Tower height

20 ft

Focal plane

95 ft

Optic

Automated LED beacon

Light characteristic

Fl W 4s (flashing white every 4 seconds)

Stewardship & location

Owner

U.S. Coast Guard / U.S. Navy

Manager

U.S. Coast Guard

Coordinates

37.8057, -122.3583 Map

The story

First lit 1875 on Yerba Buena Island in San Francisco Bay — known historically as Goat Island. The island is now jointly used by the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard and is the mid-span anchorage point for the Bay Bridge.

The visit

No general public access to the lighthouse. Portions of the island are slowly transferring from Navy to City of San Francisco use; confirm current access policy before going.

Make a day of it

Base yourself in

San Francisco or Oakland

Nearby lighthouses

Alcatraz Island Light rising above the former federal prison

Alcatraz Island Light

San Francisco, Bay Area

Tier 1Active aidPublic accessmoderate⚠ Verify

The first lighthouse on the Pacific Coast. The Alcatraz connection makes it one of the most-visited lighthouse sites in the United States. The lighthouse is often overlooked by visitors focused on the prison — a compelling story angle.

Oakland Harbor Light

Oakland, Bay Area

Tier 3Active aidRestricteddifficult

One of only a few spark-plug lighthouses on the Pacific Coast — a structural type more common on the East Coast — and an unusually personable piece of Oakland's working-waterfront history.

Help keep this guide accurate: report changed access, a broken link, or a factual correction.

Sources

Image rights: USCG images public domain.

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