Standing guard over the Mendocino Coast since 1909, Point Cabrillo Light Station was built to protect lumber schooners navigating the treacherous waters near Caspar, California. The lighthouse remains an active aid to navigation, its light still guiding vessels along this rugged stretch of the Pacific.

The station is not open to public climbing, but the surrounding 300-acre preserve offers stunning coastal trails with wildlife viewing opportunities, including gray whale migration from December through April. For photographers, golden hour and fog-draped mornings produce the most dramatic shots of the lighthouse against the headlands.

Nearby, visitors can explore the charming village of Mendocino, the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens, and Glass Beach in Fort Bragg — all within a short drive.

Explore Nearby

• Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park — State Park in California
• Caspar Headlands State Natural Reserve — State Park in California
• Point Arena-Stornetta Unit to the California Coastal National Monument — Public Land in California
• Little Darby Nature Trail — Public Land in California
• Mendocino National Forest — National Forest in California