Fog is an ever-present reality along the California coast, especially during the summer. It was no different on the night of 6 June 1853 as Captain Azariah Doane shepherded the clipper ship “Carrier Pigeon” north towards San Francisco. The ship, with a beautiful carrier pigeon as its figurehead, was on its maiden voyage, having left Boston six month earlier and rounded Cape Horn.

As the thick fog enveloped the rigging, the Captain was convinced that he was far out at sea. In reality, he was only a few feet from shore. Without warning the ship hit the rocky bottom and, buffeted by heavy waves, was dashed against the rocks and destroyed. Being so close to land, the crew was able to escape.  In the years that followed, at least three other ships fell victim to the rocks in what is now known as Pigeon Point (renamed after the Carrier Pigeon). These included the “Sir John Franklin” in 1865, the British Bark “Coya” in 1866, and the “Hellespont” in 1868.

To protect other ships from suffering the same fate, in 1872, a 115- foot lighthouse was built on the site formerly known as Punta de Las Balenas (Whale Point) because of the groups of gray whales which can be seen swimming offshore during their annual migration. Today, Point Pigeon Lighthouse is one of the oldest remaining lighthouses in California and is the most photographed. It still guides mariners on their way to San Francisco Bay.

As you drive down Highway 1, about 50 miles south of San Francisco, the blue and white lighthouse appears against the blue California sky, soaring above the wind-swept, rocky promontory. Beneath it, the lighthouse keeper’s quarters have been converted into a hostel for the adventurous traveler. Although the interior of the lighthouse has been closed to the public since 2001 when a part of the exterior cornice fell off, you can visit the grounds, gazing upwards at this might structure, imagining what it must have looked like when the huge 16-foot Fresnel lens once lit up the night sky with its flashing signal across the water. The lens is lit up once a year in mid-November to commemorate the inauguration of the lighthouse.

Perched on the windswept cliff, the lighthouse looks out over the cove where Prisoner Rock, surrounded by crashing waves, is home to seals, seabirds and marine life. The Rock is so-called because fishermen were often trapped here when high tides cut off their way home. The cliffs around the cove are covered with low sea fig and hottentot fig plants, the green leaves interspersed with multicolored flowers that shimmer in the sunlight.

The hostel is a good base from which to explore the area including Butaro State Park where you can walk through a majestic redwood forest.

IF YOU GO
Pigeon Point Lighthouse and Hostel are located on Highway 1 in Pescadero, California at 210 Pigeon Point Road. 

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