GPS Coordinates: 44.6737035, -124.0774272
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REGIONS > CENTRAL OREGON COAST > NEWPORT AND VICINITY
Yaquina Head is a narrow rocky headland located at the north end of Newport just west of the Oregon Coast Highway 101. This public land was designated for protection as an Outstanding Natural Area (ONA) in 1980. The geography and its facilities are administered by the United States Bureau of Land Management and include an interpretive center, hiking trails, a marine garden with sprawling tide pools and a cove which often serves as a refuge to harbor seals. Yaquina Head is one of three ONAs in the country to have a lighthouse on it (more information below). Aside from its impressive views of the central coast, the head is famous for the seabirds which nest by the thousands on the nearby islands and in the nooks and crannies of the basalt cliff face. Larger predatory birds like bald eagles and peregrine falcons also live, breed and feed here. Related Feature: An App for That |
The Story of Two Lighthouses:
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 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, which is now a part of the ONA. The Yaquina Head facility was also equipped with a much better light — a First Order Fresnel Lens which sent a powerful pulse far out to sea every two to fourteen seconds.
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Once Yaquina Bay was an operational port, it 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, which is now a part of the ONA. The Yaquina Head facility was also equipped with a much better light — 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. It 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.
Although modern technology has replaced the need for the light tower at Yaquina Head, the beacon still flashes to the delight of its many visitors who climb the 93-foot tower to marvel at the incredible views.
Although modern technology has replaced the need for the light tower at Yaquina Head, the beacon still flashes to the delight of its many visitors who climb the 93-foot tower to marvel at the incredible views.