Cape Mendocino Lighthouse

Home/
California/
Northern California/
Cape Mendocino

Home
Regions
Site Index
Links
About The Site

Cape Mendocino sketch

Cape Mendocino has the distinction of being the westernmost point in California, as well as one of the highest lighthouse sites in the US. A 43-foot tower (similar in design to Point Reyes) was constructed on a cliff which placed it 422 feet above sea level. The first-order Fresnel lens was first lit in 1868. The light was the highest in the lighthouse service after the original light at Point Loma was moved.

Life at the isolated station could be difficult. Six dwellings were built at the station - each replacing previous dwellings damaged by storms and earthquakes. Keepers and their families occasionally stayed in the tower or the oil house when the residences were damaged by storms. Sleeping quarters were constructed near the tower to allow keepers to remain in the tower if weather conditions were too hazardous to return to the keeper's residence, as strong winds could easily blow a person off the cliff. An 1873 earthquake created a large crack fifteen feet from the tower. The crack was repaired by filling it with concrete.

Progress eventually caught up to the Cape Mendocino station. In the 1890's, a dirt road was built to the station. By 1951, the station was automated - the light was moved to a nearby pole, and the residences burned down. The Fresnel lens was moved to Ferndale, where it is displayed at the fairgrounds. Only the tower remained - forlorn and abandoned to vandals and the elements. It appeared to be just a matter of time before the old tower would tumble off the cliff and into the sea. In 1998, the Cape Mendocino Lighthouse Preservation Society stepped in and moved the tower to Shelter Cove, 30 miles south of Cape Mendocino. After two years of restoration, the tower was opened to the public in May 2000. All that remains at the original site is the tower's foundation and a nearby plaque commemorating the lighthouse.

References (see links)

Umbrella Guide to California Lighthouses (2nd Ed.), Nelson pp. 154-156
California Lighthouses, Roberts and Jones p. 18
America's Lighthouses, Holland pp. 170-171

Select an image to enlarge

Cape Mendocino - Shelter Cove

Mal Coombs Park

Fresnel Lens at Ferndale

The Lost Coast

Modern Optic at Shelter Cove

At the Fair

Directions: The tower is now on display in the coastal community of Shelter Cove at the south end of the King Range National Conservation Area. Shelter Cove is about 24 miles west of Garberville off Highway 101. (Exit in Garberville from South 101, and Redwood Drive from North 101 - look for signs to Shelter Cove and the King Range National Conservation Area. Follow signs to Redway and Shelter Cove. In Redway, turn west onto Briceland Road to Shelter Cove Road. Follow Shelter Cove road to Upper Pacific. Turn left on Upper Pacific, then right on Machi Road. The tower is in Mal Coombs Park, near Mario's Marina. The lighthouse (as of 2004) is open daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Note: The King Range National Conservation Area is known as "The Lost Coast" for good reason. The country is very rugged and isolated. Set aside about an hour for the drive on Briceland Road and Shelter Cove Road.

The Fresnel lens is on display in a replica tower at the entrance to the Humboldt County Fairgrounds in Ferndale. Take Highway 101 to 211. In Ferndale, turn right (west) onto Van Ness to the fairgrounds. Look for signs to the fairgrounds. (September 2006)