Newport, Oregon Lighthouses

There are two lighthouses in Newport, Oregon.  The Yaquina Head Lighthouse, Oregon's tallest and second oldest continually active lighthouse is located north of Newport.  The tower is 93 feet tall and stands 162 feet above sea level.  The light has been active since August 1873.  Today the fully automated Fresnel lens runs on commercial power and flashes a unique pattern. Yaquina Head Lighthouse is part of the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area which is managed by BLM. Below the lighthouse is an observation deck with views of the coast, sea lions and a large rock called Colony Rock.  Several varieties of seabirds cluster on the rock.  There is a large Interpretive Center as you enter the park that has exhibits on the lighthouse, birds, whales, tidepools, etc.
The second lighthouse is the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.  It was built on a wooded bluff above the mouth of the Yaquina River, overlooking the Newport bayfront and the Pacific Ocean.  It was built in 1871and was the only lighthouse in Oregon in which the living quarters are housed in the same building as the light.  It is also the only wood lighthouse in Oregon and is listed on the National Historic Register.  The lighthouse was decommissioned in 1874, just 3 years after it was built. While visiting the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse we saw the Tall ships coming back into the harbor.

The Yaquina Head Lighthouse

 Colony Rock

 Sea Lions sleeping on the rocks

Hundreds of Common Murre Sea Birds on Colony Rock

  

Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.

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 The view of the ocean from inside the lighthouse

 The Tall Ships returning to the Yaquina Bay