Battery Point Lighthouse
Battery Point, Crescent City, CA
Crescent City, CA
A stout stone lighthouse first lit in 1856, standing on a rocky islet that becomes an island at high tide and a walk-across peninsula at low tide, on the wild far-northern edge of the California coast.
On a knuckle of rock just off the Crescent City waterfront stands Battery Point Lighthouse, one of the oldest lighthouses on the California coast, first lit in 1856 to guide lumber schooners past a treacherous shore. It is a squat, sturdy building of thick stone with the light tower rising straight through its roof, and it sits on a tiny island that the sea cuts off at high tide and hands back to walkers at low tide.
That twice-daily disappearing act is what makes the place magic. When the water pulls back, a rocky causeway emerges and visitors can walk across the seabed to the island, climb to the light, and look back at the town and the endless gray Pacific. When the tide returns, the path vanishes and the lighthouse becomes an island again, exactly as it has for well over a century and a half.
What Guests Love
- Timing the tide right and walking across the seabed to reach the island
- One of the oldest working lighthouses on the entire West Coast
- The driftwood-strewn beaches and crashing surf all around the point
- Sweeping views back over Crescent City's harbor and coastline
Worth Knowing
- The island can only be reached on foot at low tide, so check a tide table before you go and never cross on a rising tide
- The lighthouse is run as a small museum by the local historical society with seasonal, tide-dependent hours
- The rocks and paths are uneven and can be slick, so wear sturdy shoes and watch your footing
- The far-north coast is cool, windy, and often foggy, so dress warmly even in summer
Details
Crescent City, CA
Learn about Battery Point Lighthouse
A lighthouse from the 1850s
Battery Point Lighthouse was built in 1855 and first lit in 1856, part of the first generation of navigational lights on the young state's dangerous coast. Its keeper's dwelling and light tower are combined in one solid Cape Cod-style building, designed to withstand the constant assault of wind and surf on its exposed rock. For decades keepers and their families lived out here, rowing or wading to town for supplies and tending the light every night.
The lighthouse is still an active aid to navigation, and it is cared for today as a museum by the Del Norte County Historical Society. Inside, its small rooms are furnished in the style of its keeper era, and the climb to the lantern room rewards visitors with the same commanding view of the sea that generations of keepers watched for trouble.
Walking to the island
The great ritual of a visit is the tide. At high water, Battery Point is a true island, ringed by surf and unreachable. As the tide falls, a rough causeway of rock and sand emerges from the water, and for a few hours the lighthouse can be reached on foot across the exposed seabed.
That means a visit takes a little planning: check a tide table, arrive on a falling or low tide, and keep an eye on the water so the returning sea does not strand you. The reward is a short, dramatic walk over ground that is underwater half the day, out to a lighthouse that feels wonderfully marooned from the town just behind it.
The coast that survived the wave
Crescent City has a hard relationship with the sea. In 1964, the tsunami generated by the great Good Friday earthquake in Alaska raced down the coast and struck the town harder than anywhere else in the mainland United States, flooding the waterfront and reshaping the harbor. The lighthouse on its rock came through, as it had through countless storms before.
That history is part of what gives Battery Point its atmosphere. All around the point are driftwood beaches, tide pools, and rugged surf, and the great redwood parks rise just inland. The little stone lighthouse, weathered and enduring on its tidal island, is the emblem of a coast that lives with the full power of the Pacific.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Crescent City
Crescent City Harbor and waterfront
Under 1 mile
A working fishing harbor with a beachfront walk, sea lions, and views out to the lighthouse and the open Pacific.
Point St. George
About 4 miles north
A windswept headland of grassy bluffs, wildflowers, and beaches with some of the finest coastal walking on the far-north shore.
Redwood National and State Parks
About 10 miles south
Groves of the tallest trees on earth, with drive-through scenic roads and easy walks among ancient coast redwoods.
Trees of Mystery
About 15 miles south
A classic roadside redwood attraction with a canopy trail and gondola, marked by giant statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe.