GPS Coordinates: 44.6237944, -124.0633853

EXPERIENCE > LANDMARK PLACES
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Newport is the only Oregon community with two lighthouses. The first of the two lights, called the Yaquina Bay lighthouse, was constructed in 1871 on a sandy hillside just to the north of the bay’s mouth. The building was unique to Oregon in several ways. It was one of the few wooden lighthouses on the coast and one of only four in which the light was attached to the keeper’s home, rather than built as a separate structure.

Once Yaquina Bay was an operational port, it quickly became apparent the light was too weak to reach many of the vessels passing along the coast. Within three years, the lighthouse was abandoned in favor of the much taller and better placed Yaquina Head lighthouse further north. The Yaquina Head facility was also equipped with a much better light called a First Order Fresnel Lens which sent a powerful pulse far out to sea every two to fourteen seconds.
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Following its decommission, the Yaquina Bay lighthouse eventually fell into ruin, becoming both an eyesore and a safety hazard. Only curiosity-seekers would bother to climb the sandy slope to explore the dilapidated building.

A Legend Arises...

Both Newport area lighthouses have their own ghost stories, but the Yaquina Bay lighthouse boasts the most famous short story written in 1899 by an Oregon resident named Lischen M. Miller. “The Haunted Lighthouse” appeared in the Pacific Monthly magazine and was inspired by Miller’s own fascination with the then-abandoned building.

In the tale, a young woman named Muriel Trevenard visits the old lighthouse with a group of acquaintances and finds a mysterious chamber behind an inside wall. The visitors all assume it’s a passage used by smugglers and pay it little mind. But then Muriel goes missing… and only her blood-soaked handkerchief is recovered.

In spite of the title, there’s no ghost in Miller’s story, but ghosthunters were happy to create one. Even today, the story is often told as a factual account with Muriel Trevenard becoming the ghost who haunts the lighthouse. Volunteers at the lighthouse have fun with the tale, too. Every Halloween, they retell it to wide-eyed visitors and then invite them to explore the lighthouse in search of Muriel.

So far, no one’s reported finding her.

A Lighthouse Reborn

Despite time, the elements and rumors of ghosts, the Yaquina Bay lighthouse was eventually saved from complete destruction when members of the Newport Historical Society rallied to restore it. Today, the lighthouse is a living museum open daily to the public.

After visiting it, you might also venture down the Oregon Coast Highway 101 to the Yaquina Head lighthouse, which is part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area operated by the Bureau of Land Management. Although modern technology has replaced the need for the light tower, the beacon still flashes to the delight of its many visitors who climb the 93-foot tower to marvel at the incredible views.

Visitors also have the chance to wander the cliff-tops overlooking the nearby islands where thousands of seabirds nest every spring. On the beaches below are some of the best tide pools on the central coast and a popular haul-out area for harbor seals.

Lights Along the Coast: A Newport historian shares the amazing and important history of Oregon's numerous lighthouses. 

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