On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
StringOnAStick
The rugged Oregon coast has a number of lighthouses, often as part of the state park system since they are both historic and still functioning lighthouses. Construction of the Heceta Head lighthouse began in 1892, the oil lamp lit for the first time in 1894, electrified in 1934 and became fully automated in 1963. Until Highway 101 was built, the lighthouse keepers, assistant keepers and their families lived a very remote existence, resupplied only at low tide when wagons could rush around the headlands through the low water. One of the keeper’s houses remains today and is a bed and breakfast operated by a concessionaire of the U.S. Forest Service while the entire site is a State Scenic Viewpoint of Oregon State Parks Department.
This long view shows the rugged coast, the lighthouse and associated buildings on the left, and the remaining keeper’s house that is now a bed and breakfast.
There’s a steep hike to up above the lighthouse that lets you get above the lighthouse and look out over it and out to sea. The low building attached to the left of the lighthouse was originally a working part of the lighthouse but is now a nice small museum with artifacts and a large collection of photos, plus friendly volunteers who love their lighthouse!
You can’t climb up the stairs to get up the the level of the light, but you can walk this far into the building and look up at the spiral stairs that lead up to it.
Hiking up the trail behind the lighthouse and then suddenly catching the perfect view of it and at eye level too is really wonderful
Wag
Thanks for adding a new dream destination to my list! What a cool place, and great photos!
sab
I live in Ohio and I really really love Ohio, but the Pacific norhwest is really very much gorgeous.
SiubhanDuinne
Lighthouses are so cool, and your photos are wonderful. And I have a huge weakness for pictures of spiral staircases taken from above or below — there’s something just mesmerising about the shape — so I really loved that photo in particular.
Benw
Lighthouses are one of my favorite solutions to a problem! Cool photos, thanks
Scout211
We love the Oregon coast and also the extreme northern coast of California. The rugged beauty of the rocks and rough waters takes your breath away. We’ve visited all the lighthouses up and down the coast and it just never gets old.
Thank you for the great pics and for triggering some great memories.
P Thomas
I lived in Florence for about 4 months back in 2015. Visited the overlook many times just to watch the lighthouse as the season changed from summer to fall. Strolling Heceta Beach every day and seeing the lighthouse on the horizon was a beautiful experience.
sab
Every jackal lives somewhere more scenic than where I live
ETA Plus better with cameras.
Grumpy Old Railroader
Yepper. Lighthouses in N. California and Oregon are each unique but share the rggedness of those coasts. This is another must visit for me
Xavier
As someone who has travelled extensively in this country, the Oregon coast is one of three places that stand out for scenery. (The other two are southern Utah and the Maine coast.)
Tim C.
The Oregon Coast is a real gem. Sandy beaches with amazingly fine-grained sand, shocking weather at times, but also a sense of wildness and nature that’s hard to express. One of my favorite places.
Best expression of the Oregon coast. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU-_Sn2cDwI
JustRuss
@Tim C.: Awesome, and pretty accurate!
Never knew about that trail near the lighthouse, I’ll have to check it out. I’m about an hour from the coast, and yeah, it’s pretty great. Except for sunbathing.
alhutch
Heceta Head is one of my favorite places on the coast. My wife and I were married there, overlooking the ocean in front of the keeper’s house. We were very lucky to get a beautiful, sunny day in early September (locals can appreciate that is no small fortune).
Definitely stop by to explore, if you can.
Dan B
The Oregon coast is one of the scenic wonders of the world. 101 by Hecata Head catches the lighthouse from several angles. The northern part of the coast is awe inspiring with mountains plunging into the Pacific and long stretches of sand. Sigh.
Plus for Washington is the northern coast is only 4-5 hours from Seattle. And we have the Olympic National Park wilderness beaches. But Alaska laughs at our subtle charms.
Dan B
@Tim C.: Nailed it. I’ve had gorgeous sunny weather every time except for the 100 mph wind day going to a friend’s art show at Cannon Beach.
J R in WV
@Xavier:
Love this photo set!
The Oregon coast was wonderful when we visited it back in the late 1980s. Took photos, was long before digital, tho.
Also visited Maine, and Monument Valley on the edge between Utah and AZ, place is like visiting another world. Haven’t done the obviously extremely wonderful parks in Utah yet… lighthouses are amazing, as are spiral staircases. I don’t mind repeating other comments.
Tehanu
Great pictures, thanks!