Coastal Views

1 2024 Road Trip - Day 21

2 2024 Road Trip - Day 28

3 2024 Road Trip - Day 28

4 The Heceta Head Lighthouse, perched on Oregon's rugged coast, has a storied history dating back to the late 19th century. Construction began in 1892, driven by the need for a navigational aid along this treacherous stretch of the Pacific Ocean. Named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who first mapped the area in 1775, the lighthouse was completed in 1893. Its first-order Fresnel lens, made in England by Chance Brothers, cast a powerful beam visible for 21 nautical miles, crucial for guiding mariners safely through the foggy, perilous waters. The lighthouse keepers, who lived in the adjacent keeper's house, maintained the light until it was automated in the 1960s, marking the end of an era of hands-on lighthouse operation.