Yaquina Head Lighthouse stands at the tip of a basalt headland just north of Newport, Oregon, reaching one mile out into the Pacific. At 93 feet it is the tallest lighthouse in the state, first lit on August 20, 1873. It anchors the Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area, a BLM-managed site famous for tide pools, seabird colonies, and gray-whale watching.
Best season — Winter and spring for whale migration; summer for tours and tide pools
At a glance
The facts worth checking before you roll out
Conservative, source-minded facts for planning your visit — always worth confirming against current conditions before you travel.
State
Oregon
Managed by
Bureau of Land Management (Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area)
First lit
August 20, 1873
Tower height
93 feet (Oregon's tallest)
Nearby
Newport, OR
On the ground
Yaquina Head reaches a mile out into the Pacific from the central Oregon coast, and its 93-foot tower — first lit in 1873 — has guided ships along this rocky stretch ever since. Congress designated the surrounding land an Outstanding Natural Area in 1980.
The headland is one of the best wildlife-viewing spots on the coast: visitors can explore tide pools at low tide, watch nesting seabirds on the offshore rocks, and look for gray whales, harbor seals, and other marine life from the bluffs.
An interpretive center sits near the lighthouse, and tours are offered by the BLM. Confirm current tour times and access on the Bureau of Land Management site, and base your rig in or near Newport, just to the south.
Official sources
- Bureau of Land Management — History of Yaquina Head Lighthouse Government source
- BLM — Yaquina Head Outstanding Natural Area Government source
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