Friends of Yaquina Light's page for Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area

Friends of Yaquina Light's page for Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area This federal park extends one mile into the Pacific and features the tallest lighthouse in Oregon, an interpretive center, tidepools, trails & wildlife.

This page is managed by Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses and is not affiliated with the BLM. From exploring tide pools teeming with life to witnessing Oregon's tallest lighthouse, there is something for every visitor at Yaquina Head. Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area extends out from the Oregon coast, one mile into the Pacific Ocean. Standing 93 feet tall at the westernmost point of the basalt h

eadland, the lighthouse has been a bright beacon of the night, guiding ships and their supplies along the west coast since the light was first lit on August 20, 1873. The offshore islands are a year-round refuge for harbor seals and a spring-summer home for thousands of nesting seabirds. Gray whales can be spotted during their annual migrations to Mexico (late fall-early winter) and Alaska (late winter-early spring). During the summer months some gray whales take the opportunity to feed in the shallow waters around the headland. Cobble Beach is compiled of millions of round basalt rocks that produce an applause-like sound as the waves roll in. When the tide is low a vibrant ocean floor is revealed—pools of colorful animals including orange sea stars, purple sea urchins, and giant green anemones. Rangers are at hand to answer questions and point out all of the amazing plants and animals that call the tide pools home. Visit the Interpretive Center and discover 140 years of lighthouse history and thousands of years of natural and cultural history. Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses, a non-profit organization, offers site-related books, maps, and postcards in their interpretive store. Whether you want to see raging winter storms batter the Oregon coast, learn about the role lighthouses played in the westward expansion of the United States, or watch peregrine falcons at play, visit Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area and experience something wild. (This page managed by Friends of Yaquina Lighthouses.)

And they are flying! Yes, the peregrine chicks of 2017 have taken to the sky, Day 46 after the hatch. Amazing growth, ...
06/26/2017

And they are flying! Yes, the peregrine chicks of 2017 have taken to the sky, Day 46 after the hatch. Amazing growth, as evidenced by these photos taken by Carole Holmson just 9 days apart.

Newest Yaquina Head Peregrines (photo credit to Mitch Rohse)
06/06/2017

Newest Yaquina Head Peregrines (photo credit to Mitch Rohse)

Spring is in the air, the Common Murres are returning to Colony Rock at Yaquina Head! Stop by and enjoy the sight of on...
03/03/2017

Spring is in the air, the Common Murres are returning to Colony Rock at Yaquina Head! Stop by and enjoy the sight of one of the largest seabird rookeries on the Oregon Coast (thanks to Ranger Meredith for this lovely picture).

Today (01/27) is the first public meeting to discuss and comment on a new Recreation Area Management Plan for Yaquina He...
01/27/2017

Today (01/27) is the first public meeting to discuss and comment on a new Recreation Area Management Plan for Yaquina Head. Today 1-4pm, Tomorrow from 9am-1pm. Admission is free for this purpose, the format is "open-house" so everyone may come and go as they like. Your voice matters! (photo by M. Williams)

The stormy winter season creates fantastic waves.
01/04/2017

The stormy winter season creates fantastic waves.

This poor flicker flew into one of the windows at the interpretive center. Flickers are a woodpecker that eat ants and b...
01/02/2017

This poor flicker flew into one of the windows at the interpretive center. Flickers are a woodpecker that eat ants and beetles on the ground, using their beak to dig.

It's a Yaquina Surfman! Just like snowmen, surf balls are created through the rolling and accumulation of material. As w...
12/31/2016

It's a Yaquina Surfman! Just like snowmen, surf balls are created through the rolling and accumulation of material. As waves push detritus up and down the beach, they roll into these ball shapes and are deposited in the wrack zone (the debris zone on a beach). During this stormier season, Yaquina Head is seeing a lot of these on the beach.

Here are some of the beautiful sunsets Yaquina Head has seen just in this last week.
12/31/2016

Here are some of the beautiful sunsets Yaquina Head has seen just in this last week.

12/22/2016

Whale Watch Spoken Here! An annual event coordinated by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department since 1978, join a local volunteer on December 29th - 31st, 10:00-1:00 at the lighthouse viewing deck and spot some whales!

11/19/2016

Ever wondered what it sounds like in the top of the tower during a storm with winds gusting up to 60 mph!? Watch the video and listen for yourself. Video shot on October 15, 2016.

Good morning from Yaquina Head!
11/17/2016

Good morning from Yaquina Head!

If you enjoy painting and cleaning, then maybe lighthouse keeper is the right career for you!Keepers were required to pa...
11/14/2016

If you enjoy painting and cleaning, then maybe lighthouse keeper is the right career for you!

Keepers were required to paint the inside and outside of the lighthouse twice a year. To get the tower, they seated themselves on a simple rope swing, lowering down as they painted. Certainly not a task for a windy day.

They also had to keep the inside of the lighthouse and their personal homes white-glove clean at all times. Inspectors even checked above the door-jams. Inspections were quarterly, and could happen at any time day or night. This job must have been especially difficult for light keepers with small children!

Address

750 NW Lighthouse Drive
Newport, OR
97365

Telephone

(541) 574-3100

Website

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