The Old Point Loma Lighthouse
By Sherril Steele-Carlin
Built in 1855, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse was the last of the lights built on the west coast. Used for only thirty-six years, the light is now a well-loved part of San Diego's heritage, and a favorite destination for visitors and locals in San Diego. Gleaming white, it sits prominently on the tiptop of Point Loma, the spit of land that separates San Diego Bay from the Pacific Ocean.
Located in Cabrillo National Monument, the light is a special place, surrounded by tide pools, barking seals, and winding trails along the sage-covered bluffs of Point Loma. It's a little bit of nature right in the middle of bustling San Diego CA. Even though the park is within only a few miles of downtown San Diego, it seems a world away from the hustle and bustle of city traffic and congestion.
What to See
The focal point of the park is the lighthouse, restored and refurnished as it would have looked in the 1880s. Currently the park is redoing the landscaping in the area around the light to also reflect how it would have looked during its last use in the 1880s. In 1891, the New Point Loma Lighthouse opened at the foot of Point Loma, and the Old light went dark.
Some Reminisces
I haven't visited the light in years, and nostalgia swarms over me as I tour the cramped quarters beneath the light tower at Old Point Loma. The last time I visited, I was a little girl in the 1960s, and visitors could still crawl up the cramped twisting iron stairs to the light, and view the Fresnel lens up close. Today, there are too many visitors, and that luxury is gone, but the lighthouse itself is unchanged.
Back then the park contained a small parking lot, picnic tables, and no visitor center to mar the magnificent view of San Diego harbor, the North Island Naval Station, and the city skyline. On clear days, we'd take the drive up to the beacon just to see the Cuyamaca Mountains, which were usually cloaked in smog. Mom and I would pack a picnic lunch, and we'd sit at a table near the light, watching for whales and gazing at the gleaming lens in the light tower, and trying to ignore the ever-present winds. I'd wonder what it was like to live in the tiny rooms below the light, making sure that no matter what, each night the light was ready and waiting to guide sailors and their ships into the safety of the harbor.
What's it Cost?
Now, there's a $5 entry fee per car, but the view alone is worth the price. Walking up the hill to the light, you can hear seals barking on the rocks below, and sometimes the mournful sound of a foghorn in the distance. The visitor center is large, with an entire wall of glass facing downtown San Diego and the harbor. They have a well-stocked bookstore and gift shop. Park Rangers are available for tours, and they offer guided programs through the park, and a film about explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who the park is named after. Behind the visitor center there is a large statue of the explorer looking out over the harbor he discovered.
Today, the park has expanded, and along with the lighthouse, you can also hike along the bluffs of Point Loma, or explore some tide pools at the base of the Point. You'll pass through Fort Rosecrans Military Cemetery on your way to the park, with its own beautiful bay and ocean views, and an exhibit on the coastal defense bunkers. If you're a lighthouse fan, you'll love Old Point Loma. The thick old adobe walls hold more than rooms and the Fresnel light, they hold many exceptional memories of life as it used to be in San Diego.