Point Arena Lighthouse - California, United States
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MainDescription
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Point Arena Lighthouse


Location
State California
Country United States




Navigation
Latitude 38° 57" 18'
Longitude -123° 44" 28'
Format DD DMS
Body of water Pacific Ocean
Height Above Water 155 feet
Light Characteristics Flashing White Every 15 Seconds
Current Conditions
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Temperature: 52F
Dewpoint: 52F

Clear
High: 56F
Low: 41F

Chance of Rain
High: 58F
Low: 47F

Partly Cloudy
High: 58F
Low: 47F

Clear

Introduction:
Situated at the mouth of the Garcia River near Flumeville, CA, Point Arena Lighthouse marks a very important bend in the Northern California Coast about 50 miles north of Bodega Bay and 90 miles north of San Francisco. From this point, the coastline makes a marked turn to the east-northeast, and then gradually returns to its northwest “course.”

Point Arena is an important landmark and navigational waypoint for mariners making the north or south passage along the California Coast. If the lighthouse looks familiar, you may have seen it in the Mel Gibson – Jamie Lee Curtis film “Forever Young.”

History:
Construction on the original lighthouse began in 1869, and the light was lit atop the 100-foot-high tower in 1870. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake so severely damaged the light that it had to be rebuilt. The new 115-foot-high tower was completed in 1908, and the lighthouse was automated in 1977.

Navigating in and Around the Lighthouse:
Use NOAA Chart 18640.

Characteristics: Flashes white every 15 seconds, 155-foot-high focal plane.

Arena Rock lurks just below the surface about a half-mile north of the lighthouse (and the chart has the marked wrecks to provide enough reason to steer clear of this obstruction. Farther south, Sea Lion Rocks and a shoal at Arena Cove bear watching.

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

Tour Schedule:
The lighthouse is open for tours daily and is currently managed by the Point Arena Lighthouse Keeper’s, Inc.