History/Info:
A piece of Oregon history sits atop a bluff at the mouth of the Yaquina River. It is the Historic Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, built in 1871 and decommissioned in 1874. It was officially restored as a privately maintained aid to navigation on December 7, 1996.
It is believed to be the oldest structure in Newport. It is also the only existing Oregon lighthouse with the living quarters attached, and the only historic wooden Oregon lighthouse still standing. The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Yaquina Bay Lighthouse has been restored as a working lighthouse and an aid to navigation by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, with the help of many people and agencies, including Yaquina Lights, Inc. The official relighting ceremony with the US Coast Guard took place on December 7, 1996. The light shines with a steady white light from dusk to dawn (and sometimes on dark days, because it is controlled by a photocell.) The light is 161 feet above sea level.

Source: Yaquina Lights, Inc.

Hours:
The Lighthouse is open to the public every day except for holidays such as Christmas, New Years, and Thanksgiving. The hours during the summer, Memorial Day weekend through the end of September, are 11:00 A.M. to 5:00 P.M. and during the months of October to Memorial Day, the hours are 12:00 noon until 4:00 P.M..

Personal Notes:
Be sure to get there during the hours they're open. Otherwise you can't even get up close to the lighthouse. As you can tell from our photos, we got there after it closed.

Latitude/Longitude: 44°37.5'N 124°03.7'W

Directions: click here for map

• From the south take US101 north into Newport. As soon as you cross over the big bridge (sorry, can't remember the name of it), take the first exit.
• Head west, following signs to Yaquina Bay State Park. Park in the lot across the street from the lighthouse.