Our visit to the Battery Point Lighthouse gave us our first chance to climb to the top of a lighthouse.
And what a view it was!
Much like covered bridges and old barns, lighthouses hold a magical place in the hearts of many. And that includes us for sure.
Over the course of the last four to six weeks, we have had the good fortune to visit and photograph many of the lighthouses that still dot the Pacific Northwest coastline.
Back in the day, and before the advances of modern navigation, hundreds of these towering structures helped guide ships to safety. And in the process, brought commerce and growth to the coastal towns.
But with the advances of modern navigation, lighthouses became obsolete. And in the process, many were shuttered and eventually torn down.
All of the ones we have come across on our journey have been closed to the public. Either because they have fallen into disrepair, or sold off to private interests.
So you can imagine our joy to finally come across Crescent City California’s Battery Point Lighthouse & Museum – and find out that it’s not only open to the public – but you can actually still climb to the top of it’s lighthouse tower!
So that is exactly what we did!
The Battery Point Lighthouse
The Battery Point Lighthouse first lit up the shoreline on December 10th of 1856. Until it closed, it was staffed with a full time keeper, and his family as well. As one would leave, another family would move in.
Back then, with no electricity, the towers light came from oil lamps. Finally in 1907, when electricity finally came to the tower, the oil light was replaced with a bulb.
The walls of the lighthouse are an astounding 2 feet thick. Constructed from granite, they have stood the test of time. Including several tsunamis.
In 1964, the lighthouse keepers watched from the towers as a series of massive waves crushed the mainland. The waves soared into the structure as well, but it survived in tact.
Standing there in the top of the tower, we could only imagine how terrifying that had to be!
One thing is for sure, we can cross trekking to the top of a lighthouse tower of of the bucket list! Happy Traveling – Jim and Mary
CURRENT TRIP STATS
- Day 77 of 365
- States Visited: 11 / 50
- National Parks / Monuments Visited : 10
- Stayed In : Crescent City, California
- Miles Driven : 13.5
- Total Trip Miles To Date : 8084.2
- Total Gallons Used : 603.30
- Biking Miles : 0.0
- Biking Miles To Date : 142.5
- Hiking Miles : 3.5
- Hiking Miles To Date : 176.0
About Our Living Simple Tour
On September 9th, 2019, we set out in our NuCamp T@B 400 Teardrop Camper to travel to every state. You can check out all of our dates here : Dates for the States
You can follow along by signing up for our twice weekly email updates at the bottom of the page. You can also follow us on Facebook : Live Simple Tour Facebook and Instagram : Live Simple Now Instagram Page.
Jim and Mary, It’s so fun to watch your travels, I’m happy for you two and glad it’s been a safe trip so far !! When reading about your excitement of climbing up into a lighthouse, I just wanted to recommend Spit Rock Lighthouse on the north shore of Lake Superior in Duluth Minnesota, it still has the original lenses in place ! Just an idea if it’s on your route and in your time frame 🙂 but of course you can’t come to Minnesota without seeing the headwaters of the Mississippi at Itasca State Park north of Park Rapids !!
Safe travels
Thank you for the recommendation Shirley! We will definitely try to check out your suggestions when we visit MN! I was born in the twin cities and although I didn’t grow up there, my brother lived there for 26 years. Can’t wait to visit again!