Qualla: Point Bonita Lighthouse

Point Bonita Lighthouse: Introduction

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Allan J. Cronin, CC BY-SA 3.0. To reach Point Bonita Lighthouse, you walk through a tunnel hand-cut through solid rock, then cross a narrow suspension bridge over a chasm where Pacific waves crash against the cliff face below. The lighthouse itself perches on a rocky point at the very tip of the Marin Headlands, marking the entrance to San Francisco Bay. It was the last staffed lighthouse on the California coast, automated only in 1981.

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Image: Allan J. Cronin | CC BY-SA 3.0

Point Bonita Lighthouse: Building on the Edge

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Don McCullough from Santa Rosa, CA, USA, CC BY 2.0. Point Bonita Lighthouse was first established in 1855, making it one of the oldest light stations on the Pacific Coast. The original lighthouse was built too high on the headland -- fog frequently obscured its light, defeating its purpose. In 1877, a new lighthouse was constructe...

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Image: Don McCullough from Santa Rosa, CA, USA | CC BY 2.0

Point Bonita Lighthouse: Last of the Staffed Lights

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit Albert Bierstadt, Public domain. Point Bonita was the last lighthouse on the California coast to be staffed by keepers. The remoteness of the site, the violence of the weather, and the importance of the light to navigation through the Golden Gate all argued for human presence long after other stations had been a...

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Image: Albert Bierstadt | Public domain

Point Bonita Lighthouse: The Walk to the Light

Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Photo credit ParaGreen13 (talk)Derek Jolly derivative work: Mtsmallwood (talk), CC BY-SA 2.0. Today the lighthouse is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area and is open to visitors on weekends. The half-mile walk from the parking area follows the cliff edge, passes through the hand-cut tunnel, and crosses the suspension bridge to the lighthouse itself. The views...

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Image: ParaGreen13 (talk)Derek Jolly derivative work: Mtsmallwood (talk) | CC BY-SA 2.0