It’s pretty likely that most of us have been to the coast here in sunny SoCal — and chances are high that you’ve seen a beacon or lighthouse flashing to guide sailors and ships to safety through the busy ports and rocky shores.
Lighthouses have been crucial pieces of Southern California's maritime history and modern shipping industry for almost two centuries, and we’re lucky to have so many of them still standing!
Here are a few of the lighthouses closest to Los Angeles that you can see, plus a few you can visit!
9 lighthouses along SoCal’s coast
Point Conception Lighthouse
Built on a stunning bluff at the tip of Point Conception, this lighthouse played a key role in guiding vessels around the sharp, near-ninety-degree turn from the north-south coastline into the east-west Santa Barbara Channel.
The Cape-Cod-style lighthouse was built in 1854 and first lit in 1856, at which point it was the seventh lighthouse to operate on the West Coast! Though visitors can’t access the lighthouse directly, the beach below the bluffs is accessible via a 5-mile hike from Jalama Beach County Park.
Santa Barbara Lighthouse
The Santa Barbara Lighthouse was lit the same year as the Point Conception Lighthouse, though much later in the year. It was a Cape-Cod-style lighthouse with a tower and keeper’s dwelling, and it served as both a harbor light for the port and as a coastal light for vessels further out to sea.
One of the more notable keepers of this light was Julia Williams, the wife of the lighthouse’s first keeper, Albert Williams, who served from 1856–1860. Julia picked up the mantle in 1865 and was keeper until her retirement in 1905 when she was 81 years old!
The original lighthouse collapsed in 1925 following an earthquake, and the light that replaced it was a 24-foot steel tower topped with a beacon. It’s not much to look at now, which isn’t too tragic because it’s now off-limits to the public anyway!
Point Hueneme Lighthouse
The stunning lighthouse that sits at Point Hueneme today is actually the second to have been constructed on the spot.
The first was built in 1874 in a craftsman’s style design, though it was sold and bought by the Hueneme Yacht Club in 1940 and eventually torn down due to neglect. Later that same year, a replacement lighthouse was constructed in the Art Moderne style, and the Fresnel lens were replaced by LED beacons in 2012.
Anacapa Island Lighthouse
The smallest of the Channel Islands, Anacapa Island is really more of a chain of three little islands linked together to form one long, skinny island just over 1.5 miles long. Though small, its location so close to Point Hueneme made having a lighthouse on the island incredibly necessary, and one was built for just that purpose in 1912.
That early lighthouse was little more than a beacon atop a skeletal metal tower. After several mishaps with fog signals and shipwrecks in the narrow passage between the land and island, a larger lighthouse station was constructed and completed in 1932, making it the last major lighthouse to be built on the West Coast.
Point Vicente Lighthouse
Though the area around this beautiful lighthouse are closed to the public most of the time, visitors are allowed to tour the grounds and museum once a month on the second Saturday!
It’s certainly worth the visit, as this white tower and keepers’ dwellings atop the striking cliffs are an amazing piece of maritime history.
The lighthouse was constructed in 1926 after the ports of Long Beach and San Pedro started getting more business. The landmass of Point Vicente blocked sight of the Point Fermin light for incoming ships from the north, and the need for a light and fog horn to safely guide ships was paramount in preparing for a much more heavily-trafficked harbor.
Today, the lighthouse and buildings look much the same as when they were constructed, but automation of the light and the poor condition of the buildings led the Coast Guard to close the grounds to the public in 1971.
Point Fermin Lighthouse
This lighthouse at the tip of San Pedro is one of the few lighthouses close to Los Angeles that people can still go to visit!
Built in 1874 out of redwood and fir, the Cape-Cod-style lighthouse was built in a similar design to the original Point Hueneme Lighthouse and served as a crucial light to guide ships to San Pedro Harbor.
The light was temporarily snuffed during World War II following the attacks on Pearl Harbor and the lantern room replaced by a lookout tower. Once the war ended, a light on top of a tall pole was established next to the lighthouse to serve as the new Point Fermin Light.
Today, the lighthouse sits at the end of Point Fermin Park and is run by the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, and visitors are welcome to check out the grounds and dwelling during the tours!
Los Angeles Harbor (Angel's Gate) Lighthouse
Just 2 miles east of the Point Fermin Lighthouse is the Los Angeles Harbor Lighthouse, also known as the “Angel’s Gate” light. It stands at the official water entrance to Los Angeles (although, it’s really located in San Pedro) at the end of a long breakwater.
The small, skeletal lighthouse was built in 1912 in a design unique from any other lighthouse — a twelve-sided tower constructed atop an octagonal dwelling with an elaborate entrance and a cast iron parapet. The beautiful structure fit fuel tanks, a keeper’s dwelling and the watch room, as well as a fog signal and all its equipment.
The lighthouse has had a busy history full of interesting characters and shipwrecked tales. Among the more unique stories is that of Charlie, an eight-month old harbor seal who climbed into the engine room and befriended the keepers.
The light was replaced by a beacon in 1987 and was the first lighthouse to run on solar power in California! Although the grounds and tower are closed to the public, you can get a good view of the lighthouse from harbor cruises, ferry routes or Cabrillo Beach Park.
Long Beach Harbor Lighthouse
Combined, the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles are the third-busiest ports for container transportation traffic in the world, as well as the busiest in the United States!
The Long Beach Lighthouse was constructed in 1949 as a blocky, monolithic structure atop six pillars. It’s often called the “robot lighthouse” not just for its looks, but also because it was automated from the start and was hailed as a beacon (pardon the pun) in the path toward future lighthouse navigation technology.
Point Loma Lighthouse
There are two lighthouses in Point Loma: the old one built in 1854, and the new one built in 1891.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse is located on the bluffs of a high hill, but the dense fog made it difficult for nearby boats to see the light so far above, requiring another lighthouse at a lower elevation. However, the height also made it the highest lighthouse in the nation, and a ship could see the light from as far away as 39 miles out to sea! Though the old lighthouse was deactivated in 1891, it’s still open to visitors and is a great peek into the life of an old lighthouse keeper!
The New Point Loma Lighthouse, located closer to sea level and at the southernmost tip of Point Loma, featured a much larger complex of buildings. The tower sat right at the point of land closest to sea, while a barn, gardens, two Victorian cottages and catchment basin were all constructed to support the keepers and their families. The lighthouse was automated in 1973, although Coast Guard members still reside in the houses and continue to care for the lighthouse and the beacons around it.
If you live in or near any of our luxury Southern California apartments, then be sure to check out some of these lighthouses next time you’re exploring California’s stunning coastline! They’re great pieces of local history and they’re still invaluable to the safety of seafaring vessels of all shapes and sizes.
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Featured photo by Paulius Dragunas on Unsplash
Colleen Ford is a South African who now lives on Oahu in Hawai'i. She loves to travel, camp, spearfish and hike. She's also part of a super cool canoe club and is pretty decent at it. Colleen enjoys Star Wars and also not being cold ever.
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