Recently we paid a visit to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse. The lighthouse is located about 50 South of San Francisco. The lighthouse is park of the California State Park System. Whaler’s cove, located nearby belongs to the Peninsula Open Space Trust and is finally open to the public again. The area is great for whale watching, bird watching, and tidepools.
The lighthouse and point are named after the ship Carrier Pigeon that wrecked there in 1853 on her maiden voyage. At 115 ft. (35m) it is one of the tallest lighthouses on the West Coast. It was built in 1871 and began operation the following year. In 1972, the Coast Guard mounted an aerobeacon on the front of the lighthouse and the Fresnel lens was officially retired. In a serious state of disrepair, the lighthouse is currently closed to visitors. They are hoping to fully restore the tower in the next several years. The old restored light keeper’s buildings are now home to the Pigeon Point Lighthouse Hostel.
Whaler’s Cove is located just East of the lighthouse. According to the hostel:
Whaler’s Cove boasts a rich and colorful past. Portuguese whalers once hauled their catch onto the beach, which in the mid-1800s was also a loading ground for sending timber to market. Rum-runners secretly used the shores to deliver their stashes of liquor, and in the mid-1940s, a commercial oyster farming operation occupied the cove. Historical remains are partially visible on the property today.
