Point Bonita Lighthouse - California, United States
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Point Bonita Lighthouse


Location
State California
Country United States




Navigation
Latitude 37° 48" 58'
Longitude -122° 31" 44'
Format DD DMS
Body of water San Francisco Bay
Height Above Water 124 feet
Light Characteristics Occulting White Every Four Seconds.
Address Marin Headlands
, CA
United States
Current Conditions
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Temperature: 56F
Dewpoint: 56F

Scattered Clouds
High: 56F
Low: 49F

Partly Cloudy
High: 58F
Low: 49F

Clear
High: 59F
Low: 49F

Clear

Introduction:
Point Bonita Lighthouse is perched atop a 50-foot-high cliff on the north side of Golden Gate (also know as the Marin side). The light serves to warn mariners, both commercial and recreational, of the jagged and dangerous rocks surrounding the point and as a “landmark” for the point itself.

History:
The original lighthouse was constructed some 260 feet above the water’s surface, but was moved farther down Point Bonita in the 1870s to make it more visible in fog. The house that stands watch in the current location was completed in 1877. One of the few lighthouses in the San Francisco region to escape significant damage from the 1906 earthquake, the light was automated by the Coast Guard in 1979, but still uses its original Fresnel lens.

Navigating in and Around the Lighthouse:
Use NOAA Chart 18649.

Characteristics: Occulting white light (four seconds on, four seconds extinguished), 124-foot-high focal plane.

Point Bonita Lighthouse marks the northern limit of the San Francisco Bay traffic scheme and entrance to Golden Gate. San Francisco Bay, and Golden Gate in particular, are notorious for their tricky currents, wind-opposed waves and infamous fog. Particular care and attention is necessary when transiting these waters.

Local Notices to Mariners:
Local Notices to Mariners are now available exclusively online from the U.S. Coast Guard.

Tour Schedule:
The lighthouse grounds are available to tour as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation are, but a decent hike is require to reach the lighthouse area. Tours of the lighthouse station itself are available on weekends.