Pigeon Point Light Station State Historic Park

This park unit is fully open. State Parks will continue to use a monitor and adapt strategy to meet any new guidance it may receive from local and state public health officials as COVID-19 is still present and still deadly, especially for the elderly, immune-compromised and the unvaccinated.

COVID-19 Guidelines (February 16, 2022)

Recreate Responsibly
Protect yourself, family, friends and your community by following these prevention measures:

Know Before You Go – Prior to leaving home, check the status of the park unit you want to visit to find out what restrictions and guidelines are in place. Have a back-up plan in case your destination is crowded. Stay home if you are sick
Plan Ahead – Some restrooms will be temporarily closed to keep up with cleaning schedules. Bring soap/hand sanitizer.
Play It Safe – Find out what precautions you should take when exploring the outdoors, especially if this is your first time visiting the State Park System. Learn more at parks.ca.gov/SafetyTips.
Be COVID-19 Safe – State Parks continues to meet guidance from local and state public officials as COVID-19 is still present and still deadly. Effective March 1, 2022, state guidance recommends that all individuals, regardless of vaccine status, continue masking in indoor settings, such as museums and visitor centers. Universal masking remains required in specified high-risk settings. Please plan ahead as local county guidelines may differ from state guidance and visitors are urged to follow county guidelines when required. Read the latest COVID-19 guidance at COVID19.ca.gov.
Leave No Trace – Leave areas better than how you found them by staying on designated trails and packing out all trash. Do not disturb wildlife or plants.

Phone Number

(650) 879-2120

Park Hours

Day-Use Area: 8am to Sunset

Visitor Center and Park Store:
Thursdays--Mondays, 10am--4pm

Dogs Allowed?

Driving Directions to Pigeon Point Light Station SHP

On California Highway 1, 20 miles south of Half Moon Bay and 27 miles north of Santa Cruz.

View on Map

Online reservations are not available for this park.

Park Brochure

Upcoming Park Events

No events scheduled at this moment.

OVERNIGHT FACILITIES
Lodging

TRAIL USE
Hiking Trails

DAY-USE ACTIVITIES & FACILITIES
Historical/Cultural Site
Picnic Areas
Env. Learning/Visitor Center
Exhibits and Programs
Fishing
Guided Tours
Interpretive Exhibits
Beach Area
Swimming
Nature & Wildlife Viewing
Windsurfing/Surfing
Geocaching

150th Anniversary Celebration of the Pigeon Point Light Station
Saturday, November 12 from 1 to 7 pm

Come celebrate the lighthouse’s 150th anniversary with tours of the base of the lighthouse tower, music, children’s crafts and activities, a native plant sale, and a local maritime author. The original first order Fresnel lens from the tower will be lit in its current location in the Fog Signal Building from 5 to 7 pm. Special commemorative merchandise will also be available for sale in the gift store to celebrate the light station's big sesquicentennial! Free event. For more information, call (650) 879-2120. Event made possible by Coastside State Parks Association and California State Parks.

Visiting Pigeon Point Light Station

Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872. Its five-wick lard oil lamp, and first-order Fresnel lens, comprised of 1,008 prisms, was first lit at sunset, November 15, 1872. The lens stands 16 feet tall, 6 feet in diameter, and weighs 2,000 pounds. Now on display in the fog signal building, it sat in a lantern room constructed at the Lighthouse Service's general depot in New York before being shipped around the Horn. Although the original Fresnel lens is no longer in use, the lighthouse is still an active U.S. Coast Guard aid to navigation using an automated LED beacon.

The coastal areas surrounding Pigeon Point Light Station are rich with life. Marine mammals, such as seals and whales, can be seen regularly from shore as they pass by beyond the surf. The intertidal zone along this part of the coast, particularly in the rocky reefs that flank the light station, contains a diverse and numerous variety of plant and animal life.

Lighthouse Closed for Repairs
In December 2001, a section of the iron belt course on the exterior of the lighthouse fell off. The lighthouse will remain closed until the structure can be restored. The lighthouse may still be viewed from the grounds. For more information go to Lighthouse Restoration

Activities
Tours: Half hour guided history walks around the lighthouse grounds are available staff permitting, or upon request by calling (650) 879-2120

Basic Park Information

DOGS are not permitted on the lighthouse grounds (except for service animals).

ADMISSION & PARKING is free.

SMOKING is not permitted in the park.

DRONES are not allowed in the park. To protect wildlife and cultural resources, and for the safety and welfare of visitors and staff, the park is closed to the use of Model Aircraft, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and Gliders in flight.

FACILITIES — The park has restrooms near the parking lot and limited picnic tables. A park store is located in the historic carpenter's shop. A small public beach is located 100 yards from the main parking lot.

PIGEON POINT HOSTEL is run by Hostelling International for guests who are interested in staying overnight. For more information and reservations, please click here.

WEDDING & SPECIAL EVENT PERMITS: SMPermits@parks.ca.gov or (650) 726-8819

FILM & PHOTOGRAPHY PERMITS: SMFilmPermits@parks.ca.gov or (650) 726-8815

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