 |
| Cape Arago Light near Sunset Bay State Park. (Julianne G. Crane) |
Each year thousands of RVers travel the Oregon Coastal Highway to view and photograph iconic coastal lighthouses and camp in nearby Oregon State Parks.
“All nine of Oregon’s surviving lighthouse stations have been added to the National Register of Historic Places, and seven are open for public viewing and regularly scheduled summer tours,” according to Oregon State Parks.
From the south, these lighthouses begin with the Cape Blanco Lighthouse just north of Port Orford, and end with Tillamook Rock Lighthouse two miles north of Cannon Beach. Lighthouses we have enjoyed include:
Cape Arago Light near Coos Bay
The Cape Arago Light is perched on a small three-acre island a few hundred feet off Oregon’s mainland, roughly 10 miles southwest of Coos Bay on the Cape Arago Highway.
The lighthouse and the land it sits on are not currently open to the public. And, there are only a few places it can be seen from land, including from a trail that starts in Sunset Bay State Park.
Read more about staying at the Sunset Bay State Park campground by clicking here.
Umpqua Lighthouse south of Winchester Bay
 |
| Umpqua Lighthouse |
The 65-foot Umpqua Lighthouse towers above the entrance to Winchester Bay on a hill 100 feet above sea level surrounded by US Coast Guard buildings and a museum.
Umpqua is the sister lighthouse to the one at Heceta Head (below). Both structures were built from the same plans.
Maintained by the Douglas County Parks and Recreation Department, the lighthouse and museum are open in season from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the museum is free, however there is a charge for guided tours, which are offered May through October.
Read more about the Umpqua Lighthouse State Park campground, click here.
Heceta Head Lighthouse near Florence
 |
| Heceta Head Lighthouse, north of Florence, Ore. (Julianne G. Crane) |
The Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most, if not the most, photographed lighthouses in the world.
A perfect outing for the entire family, the Lighthouse and Light Keeper’s House were built around 1894 and both are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The working 56-foot lighthouse sits midway up a 205-foot-tall headland.
Click here for more information on camping near Heceta Head Lighthouse in an article on RVWheelLife.com.
— Julianne G. Crane
To read more about the RV lifestyle, go to RVWheelLife.com
