Pigeon Point Lighthouse
Pigeon Point Light Station or Pigeon Point Lighthouse is a lighthouse built in 1871 to guide ships on the Pacific coast of California. It is the tallest lighthouse (tied with Point Arena Light) on the West Coast of the United States. It is still an active Coast Guard aid to navigation. Pigeon Point Light Station is located on the coastal highway (State Route 1), 5 miles (8 km) south of Pescadero, California, between Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The 115-foot (35 m), white masonry tower, resembles the typical New England structure.
Pigeon Point Lighthouse in 2016 | |
| Location | Pigeon Point southern to San Francisco Bay California United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 37°10′54.3″N 122°23′38.1″W |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1871 |
| Foundation | stone |
| Construction | brick tower |
| Automated | 1974 |
| Height | 115 ft (35 m) |
| Shape | tapered cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern attached to workroom |
| Markings | white tower, black trim |
| Operator | Pigeon Point Lighthouse State Historic Park |
| Heritage | National Register of Historic Places listed place, California Historical Landmark |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1872 |
| Focal height | 148 ft (45 m) |
| Lens | First order Fresnel lens (1872), DCB-24 aerobeacon (current) |
| Range | 24 nmi (44 km; 28 mi) |
| Characteristic | Flashing white 10s, Emergency light of reduced intensity when main light is extinguished. |
| Designated | 1977 |
| Reference no. | 77000337 |
| Designated | 1980 |
| Reference no. | 930 |
The lighthouse and the land around have been preserved as Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park, a California state park. The lighthouse is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and designated as a California Historical Landmark. The lighthouse is currently undergoing major renovations funded by the California state legislature in 2021. Research published 2022 by the San Mateo County Office of Sustainability found that the lighthouse was vulnerable to erosion caused by sea level rise.