Can you go inside Pigeon Point Lighthouse?

No — the 115-foot tower at Pigeon Point Lighthouse is closed for restoration with no announced reopening date. The grounds, the Fog Signal Building visitor center, and the on-site hostel are open year-round.

Pigeon Point Lighthouse, on the San Mateo coast south of Pescadero, has been closed at the tower level since structural deterioration was identified in the early 2000s. California State Parks has not announced a reopening date. What is open: the day-use area from 8 a.m. to sunset; the Fog Signal Building visitor center and Park Store Thursday through Tuesday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. (staffing permitting); and the on-site hostel operated by Hostelling International, which books rooms next to the tower with reservations.

For comparable open-tower experiences within an hour, try Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove (oldest continuously operating lighthouse on the West Coast) or Point Montara Light Station to the north — also a hostel.

Verify before you drive. Tower restoration status and visitor-center staffing both change. Check the official California State Parks page for Pigeon Point before leaving.