We have plenty of areas where you can lend a hand. We look forward to meeting you! Mother Seals Abandon Their Pups. Looking for a unique place to stay? The original lighthouse keepers cottage, that once stood at Piedras Blancas Light Station, is available as a vacation rental in Cambria. Located in the Moonstone Beach area, the keepers cottage has been lovingly restored. For more information or to reserve the cottage, click here: Victorian Lightkeepers Cottage.
All Rights Reserved. During the summer season, additional tours occur Monday and Friday mornings. June 15 through August Tours are cancelled during inclement weather, and the light station is closed on all federal holidays. To sign up for a tour, purchase tickets in advance online, or on the day of your preferred tour.
Groups of 10 or more must purchase tickets in advance and notify the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association to ensure adequate guides. Your ticket purchase help preserve and conserve the Piedras Blancas Light Station. Know that your dollars are put to good use with this Stewardship Travel for Good attraction. Visitors meet at the Piedras Blancas Motel , just north of the lighthouse not at the gate to the lighthouse itself and follow guides to the lighthouse.
Note that while guides tour the inside of the lighthouse, walking up the tower is strictly forbidden for safety. Some binoculars are available for viewing the abundant wildlife on the preserve, but visitors would do well to bring their own. Strollers and wheelchairs are also available upon request. Also, take note that smoking on light station grounds and pets are both prohibited.
All tour guides are extremely knowledgeable, including academics, history buffs, naturalists and maritime enthusiasts. These experts lead visitors across the property, discussing the cultural and natural history of Piedras Blancas, telling stories, taking questions, and identifying wildlife. The warmest, driest, and clearest months for touring the lighthouse are September and October.
But generally, conditions are cool and windy; layered clothing is a must. Wear comfortable walking shoes, as well as a hat for sun protection. Neither food nor drink is offered on the tour, but water bottles are allowed. At Piedras Blancas, observe migrating whales, seabirds, California sea lions, sea otters , dolphins, and tide pool marine life — all from the lighthouse grounds.
In addition, Piedras Blancas Point boasts one of the most robust Northern Elephant Seal Rookeries in the world , with 25, seals migrating there annually. Later, the land came under a Mexican land grant and was managed as a rancho. Finally, in , the land became a light station managed by the U. Lighthouse Service to serve as a navigational aid for sailors traveling along the coast.
Earthquakes over the years had caused damage to the lighthouse. An earthquake on the last day of resulted in the upper part of the Lighthouse being declared structurally unsound. In , the upper three levels fourth landing, watch room, and lantern were removed. Coast Guard. As technology in maritime navigation improved, the light station became automated in Management was transitioned to the Bureau of Land Management in Congressional Designation Created: May 8, Size: acres of public land.
Skip to main navigation Skip to main content. Virtual Tour Click on the titles and corresponding numbers below the map for interesting facts about the light station and degree photos.
The Lighthouse. The original first order fresnel lens that sat atop the lighthouse. Click here to explore a degree image of the West Overlook. West Overlook Standing at the windswept westernmost point of the light station, look out at the off shore rocks. Offshore rocks provide resting and nesting space for marine birds and mammals.
Without these rocks and the cold currents that provide nutrients to the water, we would not see such rich and diverse sea life along our coast. The titular Piedras Blancas "White Rocks". Photo courtesy of Gary O'Neil.
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