Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

I’m not exactly sure how it’s happened, but I’ve been blessed to see quite a few lighthouses in the last few years. From the Portland Light in Portland, Maine to the Point Arena Lighthouse in Mendocino County, CA, I’ve seen lighthouses on several US coastlines.

I think I gravitate towards them because they are usually historic in nature and they generally provide some beautiful sights of coastlines. Regardless of how I ended up here, I’m so glad I did.

One big reason I decided to check out the Point Cabrillo Light was that it’s free! I love a good bargain, and you can’t get much better than free! This Lighthouse is part of the California State Park system and was a great stop on our trip to Mendocino County, California.

Currently, the Lighthouse Museum is open to visitors from 11am-4pm every day, as well as the Assistant Lightkeeper’s House Museum and Marine Science Exhibit.

We pulled in the parking lot and we weren’t quite sure what we had gotten ourselves into. The parking lot is a half-mile walk down to the Light Station buildings. If you need handicap access or are staying at one of the rentals on property, there are a few parking spaces closer to the Assistant Lightkeeper’s house at the bottom of the hill.

If you’re interested, they do offer lens tours on select days, so if you want to go to the top of the lighthouse, that’s your chance!

There are also several short trails around the Lighthouse and your dogs are welcome to join you as long as they’re on a leash.

Frolic Cove is the site of the 1850 wreck of the clipper brig Frolic. The cove is just north of the Lighthouse. The attempt to salvage goods from the wreck led to the discovery of the redwood forest, which powered the coastal lumber industry and the development of Northern California coastal towns.

If you’re in the area, I highly recommend that you check out Point Cabrillo!