Piedras Blancas Light Station

Piedras Blancas Light Station

Piedras Blancas Light Station
Location	Point Piedras Blancas San Simeon California United States
Coordinates	35°39′56″N 121°17′02″W
Tower
Constructed	1875
Foundation	masonry basement
Construction	brick tower
Automated	1975
Height	70 feet (21 m)
Shape	massive cone frustum tower with flat top
Markings	white tower, black trim
Heritage	National Register of Historic Places listed place
Light
Focal height	142 feet (43 m)
Lens	First order Fresnel lens made by Henri Lapaute
Range	21 nmi (39 km; 24 mi)
Characteristic	Fl W 10s.

Piedras Blancas Light Station is located at Point Piedras Blancas, about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west by northwest of San Simeon, California.

History and management

Piedras Blancas lighthouse (circa 1930) prior to removal of upper three levels.

The first-order Fresnel lens at Piedras Blancas was first illuminated on February 15, 1875. The Piedras Blancas lighthouse was originally 100 feet (30 m) high to the top of the ventilator ball, but earthquakes damaged the structure over the years. On December 31, 1948, final damage from an earthquake centered 6 miles (9.7 km) off the point led to the decision to remove the upper three floors: the fourth landing, watch room, and lantern. Missing the ornate upper floors, the truncated lighthouse now stands about 70 feet (21 m) tall. The lens was moved and is on display in the nearby community of Cambria.

A sound signal was added in 1906.

In 1939, management was transferred from the United States Lighthouse Service to the United States Coast Guard. In 1975, the light was automated, the sound signal removed, and the light station was unmanned. A group of biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received permission to establish a biological research station in 1977. In 2001, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) assumed management of the site and was tasked to offer structured public access, allow site-specific research to continue, and restore the light station to its period of greatest historical significance (1875 to 1940). The Piedras Blancas Light Station Association is a non-profit partner of the BLM, helping to raise funds for restoration and maintenance.

The lighthouse continues to serve as an aid to navigation. A Vega VRB-25 produces a flash every 10 seconds. The light station is managed as a historic park and wildlife sanctuary.

The Piedras Blancas Light Station has been designated as an Outstanding Natural Area.

In 2013, a replica 50 foot water tower was completed to hold public safety communications equipment.

Access

Access to the 19-acre (7.7 ha) site is by guided tours, available every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (except federal holidays) year round. From June 15 through August 31, tours are offered Mondays through Saturdays (except federal holidays). The fee is $10 for adults; $5 for ages 6 to 17; and free for ages 5 and under. Special tours for parties of 10 or more may be arranged. The tour lasts two hours and includes the historic lighthouse and support buildings, wildlife viewing, and spectacular scenery along an easy half-mile interpretive trail.

Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery

The largest elephant seal rookery on the West Coast is located about a mile south of the lighthouse along California Highway One. A large parking area and boardwalk offer easy access to view the elephant seals. Docents from Friends of the Elephant Seal provide insight as to what the visitor is viewing. Open year round.

Marine protected areas

Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area are marine protected areas offshore from Piedras Blancas Light Station. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

In popular culture

The 1959 movie The Monster of Piedras Blancas was not shot at Point Piedras Blancas, which is north of San Simeon on the California coast. The lighthouse locations in the movie were filmed at the Point Conception Light lighthouse near Lompoc, and the movie's "town" is actually the seaside town of Cayucos, about 30 miles south of Piedras Blancas.

Gallery

• 
  Piedras Blancas, 2014.
• 
  Tours of the Piedras Blancas Light Station are offered regularly.
• 
  Native plants ablaze with color in early summer.
• 
  Sea otters rest and feed in the waters surrounding Piedras Blancas.

See also

• List of lighthouses in the United States
• Rancho Piedra Blanca, old Mexican land grant that included Point Piedras Blancas
• Piedras Blancas Motel, vintage roadside motel near the lighthouse

Further reading

• Point Piedras Blancas, by Carole Adams & John Bogacki. 2008, Arcadia "Images of America" series. ISBN 978-0738558196

External links

• United States Coast Guard
• Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area, Bureau of Land Management
• Piedras Blancas Light Station Association