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THE LIGHT has been on for more than a century. The U.S. Lighthouse Service lit the wick of the original coal oil (kerosene) lamp on March 30, 1894. That light produced by five concentric wicks and magnified by a 392-prism British-made Fresnel lens, equaled 80,000 candle power. Its visibility, 21 miles from shore, is limited only by the curvature of the earth.
THE LIGHTKEEPERS had a difficult task trying to keep the light flashing once every minute from sunset to sunrise. They had to manually wind the clock; and in order to keep the wicks burning, they had to haul coal oil from the fuel houses up the tower. Then there was always soot on the lens of the lamp to clean off.
THE TRAIL winds along both sides of Heceta Head. From the south side, the lighthouse is only a 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot (elevation gain 150 feet). The trail passes the {Heceta House Bed and Breakfast Inn,} circa 1893, on a gentle slope up to the lighthouse and its spectacular cliffside viewing area.
THE BEACH shows off natural caves, tide pools, plenty of sand for sandcastles and even good surfing. It´s all there on the beach stretching south from the foot of the head. A summertime naturalist helps beachcombers explore life on the beach and on the side of the head and its rocks offshore. Common murres, which lay their eggs on the bare rocks, can be easily seen by looking down, just over the railing near the lighthouse. Brown Pelicans commonly fly by, as do Bald Eagles. Migrating gray whales can be seen as they travel to and from Alaska and Baja California. May is a great time to look right down on the migrating mothers and calves as they travel close to shore.
TOURS
- May - September: Daily: 11 am to 5 pm
- March, April, and October: Daily: 11 am to 3 pm
- November - February: Call for tour schedule.
- Special tours and group visits can be arranged all year.
Call 541-547-3416.
- Christmas Tours: Two weekends before Christmas.
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