Point Cabrillo Light Station California State Historic Park

Point Cabrillo Light Station California State Historic Park
45300 Lighthouse Rd
Mendocino, CA 95460

September 04, 2019

This State Historic Park occupies a spectacular headland extending out into the Pacific, approximately 270 acres of undeveloped coastal bluffs and prairie and numerous coves, including Frolic Cove.

The California Coastal Conservancy supported and funded the acquisition of the property in 1991. The conservancy provided grants, along with private donations rehabilitated the lighthouse, its lens, the Blacksmith/Carpenter Shop, and Oil House. The California State Park acquired the Light Station and surrounding property in 2002. In 2002, the lightkeepers’ houses and three outbuildings restoration began. With 12 of the original 15 buildings, Point Carrillo is one of the most complete light station in the U.S.

There is a parking area inside the gate off Point Cabrillo Drive, adjacent to the restored Kearn farmhouse. Enjoy the half mile downhill walk to the Light Station buildings.

There are two paths to the Station. The dirt path begins at the north end of the parking lot and takes you through the introduced grassland and coastal prairie. The paved access road to the south is an easier walk.

As you stroll down this road, the 1909 Point Cabrillo Light Station is arrayed before you.

The Light Station includes:

The Lighthouse, which is an active duty Aid to Navigation, containing the original Chance Brothers classic 3rd order Fresnel lens with four panels containing 90 lead glass prisms and weighing 6800 pounds.

There are three restored Lightkeeper Houses, the first house belonged to First Assistant Lightkeeper

a period museum of a lightkeeper’s house in the 1930s;

the next belonged to the Second Assistant Lightkeeper, which is currently rented out as a vacation house;

the third belonged to the Head Lightkeeper, which is also cruelty rented out as a vacation house.

Undeveloped coastal bluffs behind the lighthouse on a not so clear day

Frolic Cove is the site of the 1850 wreck of the clipper brig Frolic. The cove is just north of the Lighthouse.

In the summer of 1850 a sailing brig named the Frolic struck the reef just north of Point Cabrillo and settled in a cove at the north end of what is now the state park property. Dubbed “the most significant shipwreck on the west coast”by historians at the San Francisco Maritime Museum.

The significance of the wreck was that the eventual salvage attempt led to the discovery of the redwood forest. The attempt at salvage failed, but the harvesting of the redwoods led to the creation of towns and mills along the Mendocino coast. The site is now a California State Underwater Park.

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