Newport, which sits at the mouth of the Yaquina River, has two lighthouses. Yaquina Head Lighthouse is on the north side of the opening for Newport Bay and Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is on the south side.
Seamus Murray, Creative Commons
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse was built in 1872 and is Oregon's tallest lighthouse at 93 feet. It is now an automated light--lit by electricity. You can walk up the 93 steps and look at the original Fresnel lens as well as the spectacular views of the
coastline. It is supposedely haunted.
The land the lighthouse sits on is designated as the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area. It is wise to time your visit to the lighthouse so that you are there at low tide. Then you can explore the tide pools on the beach below for sea
creatures and quite possibly also see some seals.
The hours for self-guided tours are 12:00 noon to 4:00 pm. The lighthouse is open earlier but I am not mentioning them here because the earlier hours vary from season to season. If you wish to go in the morning call (541) 547-3100 to make sure they
are open. Ranger guided tours are available.
To get there: From the town of Agate Beach, three miles north of Newport, on Highway 101, turn west on Lighthouse Drive.
kckellner, Creative Commons
Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is probably the shortest lighthouse in Oregon. It is the only one that is built of wood and attached to a house. It was built in 1871 and was decommissioned in 1874. It has been restored and has been a working lighthouse again since 1996.
The house is furnished with antiques and is sometimes used for small weddings. If you are interested in having a wedding there call (541) 574-3129.
kckellner, Creative Commons
The lighthouse is open every day except Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Years Day. The hours in the summer are 11 am to 5 pm. In the winter open times are 12 noon to 4 pm. Entrance is free. To get there drive through Yaquina Bay State Park. The entrance to the park is at the north end of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. From the park, paved trails and a walkway lead to the lighthouse at the top of the hill.
