Point Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita Lighthouse is part of the Golden Gate recreation area, so it’s just outside of San Francisco. Visiting this was one of the highlights of our trip down Highway 101 and Highway 1.

The Tunnel

I know you’re thinking that a trip like that features a lot of lighthouses, and it does. However, this one is special! For one thing, it’s located pretty much at the last tip of land you can possibly get to outside of San Francisco Bay! In fact, it is so remote, they had to dig a tunnel by hand through rocky outcroppings to get to it!

In 1877, when the lighthouse was moved to the current location, carving a tunnel through solid rock like that was a ton of work!

 

The Bridge

Once you’ve walked through the tunnels, you still have some interesting walking to get to the lighthouse. When the lighthouse was originally built, there was a land bridge that you could walk across to get to the point where the lighthouse is perched on the rocks. Unfortunately, that land bridge has been battered down over the years, and a bridge (the 3rd since 1940) has been placed from solid ground over the land bridge to the lighthouse. This is the only lighthouse in America reached by crossing a suspension bridge!

The Lighthouse Views

Once you’ve walked across the bridge that sways and moves with the winds from the Pacific Ocean, you can poke around the tiny area of the lighthouse. Some areas are off limits, but you can get into the lighthouse proper and walk around the edges. There are great views of the Pacific Ocean from the Point Bonita Lighthouse, of Point Lobos on the other side of the bay, and of the Golden Gate Bridge itself!

I was really blown away by the views of the city and how interesting the lighthouse and its history are. Make sure to check the times when the lighthouse tours are available as they are limited to three days per week from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm. You can see when access is available on the National Park Service site here. Check out more photos below and follow our travels on Instagram and Facebook!

 

 

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