heceta head lighthouse

We enjoyed the tour of the lighthouse and the views on the walk up. The lighthouse keeper B&B wasn't open but looked interesting.

I did the short walk up to the lighthouse but it was too busy with people and I was really dying to get to the beach, so I turned around and came back. This is one of my favorite beaches. I always find a sand dollar or 2. Lots of cool tide pools. There is a little area in the cliffs, kind of a carved out little grotto type space with tons of rock cairns that people have made...so beautiful! I contributed one stack : ) My favorite thing about this place is the gorgeous Cape Creek Bridge! It photographs beautifully!!

The weather was amazing and the view was awesome. This is always a must see for us on the Oregon coast. We love the drive up past Haceta Head going toward Newport.

$5 day use fee includes parking. 1/2 mile walk from the parking lot to the lighthouse. Easy walk and well worth it on a clear day. You can take a guided tour of the lighthouse. We didn't have time but someone visiting said it was quite beautiful inside.

Just south of the lighthouse,( at the 1/4 mile marker to the Sea Lion Caves), is the best viewpoint of Heceta Head Lighthouse! Spectacular on a sunny day, with the waves crashing down below, this scenic pull-off is one of the many picturesque sights along this stretch of HWY 101- don't forget your camera!! And don't forget to look down and see the sea lions basking on the rocks below- if you didn't already hear them barking ;)

We stayed in Florence and drove 13 miles to the lighthouse several times. It was spectacular! Built in 1894, it stands 56 feet, midway up a 200 foot mountain with a planted walkway around the buildings, backed by a pine-covered forest. All at the ocean's edge.Heading north on a day trip, we stopped at pull out about a mile before the road's descent toward sea level. We had a great landscape view of Haceta Head State Park--and the lighthouse--perched on a promontory overlooking the Oregon coast. We went back several times at dusk and loved the orange Pacific sunsets behind the lighthouse framing the great rock pillars that dot the beach. We loved walking the sandy cove, too. We went back well before sunset another evening and climbed around the back fence and up, up, up the mountain behind the lighthouse for more terrific views of the coast--and a look down on the lighthouse top.The grounds have several building that supported the families who made the life-saving light work. (probably mechanized now) There is now an Interpretive Center, a Bed and Breakfast in the Light Keeper's House and informative signs along the pathway for day visitors. (We didn't stay there but it looked lovely--secluded and peaceful.)We stopped again at deep-dusk at the same pull-out as we headed back to Florence. In the low light, we were mesmerized as the beacon swirled. It has a special "Festal lens" (superior medical-quality glass) casting light 21 miles--the strongest light on the Oregon coast. At our last visit, we got quite a show--seeing the light not only pouring out to sea but also spinning on to the land and flashing us on each rotation. Take time here, if you can. This is a very special place!

Such a pretty spot. The beach below was lovely to explore and play. It is worth the walk up to the lighthouse on the trail and I would also recommend the short trail above the lighthouse too. Spectacular at sunset.

I could spend hours, looking at the different things in the store and looking at the waves breaking over the rocks.

From the highway, from the beach below it, or up close, the lighthouse is always a wonderful subject for travel photography. Please, pull off the highway to look only from the southbound lane south of the lighthouse. Don't cross narrow, twisty US 101 to the viewpoints.

We had our wedding and reception at the light house keepers house. What a beautiful and wonderful place for us to start our olives together. Everyone in the wedding party spent the night and a incredible five course breakfast, fresh and delicious meal. We look forward to returning to celebrate future anniversaries.

It seemed like we saw one nice lighthouse after another along the Oregon Coast. This one had a beautiful setting.

If you are a lighthouse fan, and love a good view, you need to stop here and to the Yaquina Lighthouse Natural Area further up the coast. Bring your camera. It is worth it!

I came all the way from the Seattle area to take pictures, and it was worth it. Beautiful lighthouse on a cliff, very pretty and serene. Awesome ocean view even in terrible weather.

The most photographic lighthouse in Oregon and the United States. The pull out area north of the Sealion Caves gives you a panaromic view of the Lighthouse, the coast. The $5 fee to park and walk to the lighthouse is a most. You will see the caretakers house which you can stay in, also hunted, but subjects of interest for the media and especially television. The lighthouse at certain times of the year you can go in and climb up to the lens and look out over the ocean. A visit to the central Oregon coast is not complete without a visit.

I wondered if paying the $5 would be worth it. First, how many other OR State Parks have you stopped at for free along the coast. If none, this is probably not the place for you. If many, consider it a small token of what the coast has to offer. The grounds of the lighthouse are well maintained. The lighthouse keeper's home is now a B&B and not open to the public. The lighthouse is open for tours and worth the time. I recommend hiking up the trail to overlook the lighthouse. My hope is that they will work on the overlooks to better enable the views without exacerbating erosion. As an aside, stop at the overlooks just to the south to look down on the sea lions.