03 Nov, 2009
Lighthouses and Light Stations in California
Posted by: Beach Reporter In: beaches| california| travel
There are close to 35 lighthouses and light stations in California in various states of restoration–or disrepair. Most were established in the late 1800’s or early 1900’s to warn ships of dangers such as rocks and land not seen in the black of the night or during heavy fogs. Today when you stand on the Seal Beach Pier on a foggy afternoon, you can hear the foghorns blowing. Not far from Seal Beach are several lighthouses in the Los Angeles Harbor at San Pedro, on the hill above the harbor at Point Fermin, and Point Vincente slightly to the north on the cliff above the Los Angeles Harbor. There’s also a new lighthouse in the Long Beach harbor, but that particular structure was constructed as a centerpiece for the harbor. It looks good but isn’t used as a working lighthouse.
The lighthouses are no longer used in most cases, thanks to GPS and satellite communications allowing for precise navigation. One would think that with the new, complex systems of guidance, you would not read a headline such as this week’s alarm that Oasis, the world’s largest cruise ship, nearly hit a structure. What the headline referred to on further reading was that the 20 story liner is so tall it only had 2 foot clearance under a bridge leaving Denmark for its new port and home base in Fort Lauderdale.
Accidents do continue to happen from time to time, though not often. The lighthouses that used expensive glass lenses to project a beam of light (usually a fresnel lens), have gotten old, and have survived as historic structures thanks to state parks and nonprofit groups seeking to repair and rebuild them. There are no fast and hard rules on visiting them. The hours fluctuate from one lighthouse to another, though your best bet for a visit is on weekends.
The Point Fermin Lighthouse has some of the most generous hours for tours, usually providing them from Tuesday through Sunday around 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Cost is free, though donations are requested. Built in the Stick Style, the lighthouse looks like a cute house with a light structure on top. It was built in 1874, making it one of the oldest, most unique buildings in San Pedro. A lovely park surrounds it with walking trails, picnic tables and a popular tavern motorcyclists frequent across the street
Point Fermin Lighthouse, 807 W Paseo Del Mar, San Pedro, CA 90731-7131
(310) 241-0684
pointferminlighthouse.org
