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All the United States California Crescent City Battery Point Light

Battery Point Light

This 19th-century museum inside of a lighthouse is only accessible during low tide.

Crescent City, California

Added By
blameese
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Battery Point Light at high tide   wikiphotographer/CC BY-SA 2.0
Battery Point Light at high tide   wikiphotographer/CC BY-SA 2.0
  drwolff / Atlas Obscura User
great tide pools at the lighthouse   leslipeterson / Atlas Obscura User
The author, accompanied by family members, stands in front of the lighthouse.   blameese / Atlas Obscura User
The lenses for the light   kkwellik / Atlas Obscura User
The light!   kkwellik / Atlas Obscura User
The lighthouse’s tower   Dougtone/CC BY-SA 2.0
A tree decked out in buoys close to the lighthouse   Dougtone/CC BY-SA 2.0
  RemillardJourneys / Atlas Obscura User
The lighthouse, surrounded by wildflowers   Doug Kerr/CC BY-SA 2.0
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About

On the northern coast of California, just minutes away from the Redwoods, the glow of the Battery Point Light spills out across the water each night, warning passing ships of the rugged coastline. One of the oldest operating lighthouses in the state, the museum-in-a-lighthouse has been active since 1856. The lighthouse has been automated for decades, but resident caretakers continue to inhabit the building, tending to the tower, operating the museum, and offering tours of the premises. 

Over the centuries, the tiny island on which Battery Point Light is perched has endured strong winds, violent storms, and massive waves that have flooded the lighthouse on more than one occasion. In 1964, a devastating earthquake sent seismic waves racing toward California’s northern coast, slamming Crescent City with 20-foot swells. Nevertheless, the lighthouse remained intact, and its keepers, watching from above, offered some of the most harrowing accounts of the tsunami. 

Visitors can learn more about the history of the lighthouse and its keepers at the in-house museum, which is open to the public every day from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.. Those who wish to venture out to Battery Point Light, however, will have to do so carefully; the pathway connecting mainland Battery Point to the tiny island periodically disappears beneath the waves during high tide. When the tide recedes, one can easily walk along the rocky stretch of land to access the lighthouse and surrounding grounds, exploring the wildflowers, tree branches draped with buoys, and tide pools full of urchins and sea stars.

Related Tags

Lighthouses California Oceans

Know Before You Go

While the lighthouse is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., be sure to check the tide charts before planning your trip, as the island is only accessible during low tide. Admission to the museum and a tour of the grounds costs $5 for adults and $1 for those 18 and under.

Community Contributors

Added By

blameese

Edited By

Avoiding Regret, leslipeterson, amyalicejones20, Abbey Perreault...

  • Avoiding Regret
  • leslipeterson
  • amyalicejones20
  • Abbey Perreault
  • kkwellik
  • drwolff
  • RemillardJourneys

Published

June 23, 2020

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  • https://delnortehistory.org/battery-point-lighthouse/
  • https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=58
  • https://365atlantatraveler.com/best-hikes-in-redwood-national-park/
Battery Point Light
Lighthouse Way
Crescent City, California, 95531
United States
41.744089, -124.203095
Visit Website
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Nearby Places

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Crescent City

Crescent City

California

Places 2

Nearby Places

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Photo of Crescent City

Crescent City

California

Places 2

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