Published 04/02/25 at 5:55 a.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff
(Florence, Oregon) – Looking for a lighthouse? Hankerin' for a sentinel experience? (Above: Cape Blanco Lighthouse)
2025 is going to be rather up and down when it comes to lighthouses on the Oregon coast. Some are opening now to tours, some open later in the season but others are not taking visitors for now, and maybe for awhile.
This list of lighthouse tours will be updated on occasion, but you will want to call each for the latest information if you're heading to the coast.
Cape Blanco Lighthouse Tours, Near Port Orford. Tours of the Cape Blanco Light just opened up, every day except Tuesday, starting at 10 a.m. and going through 3:30 p.m. You can no longer go to the top, but you can see plenty of other fascinating stuff. (541) 332-0521.
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Bandon's Coquille River Light. It's reopening soon. Volunteers are back interpreting the signal room, open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. starting in the middle of May. They help you look into the history of the place through September. The tower is closed, however. 541-347-2209. Coquille River Lighthouse HIstory Adventures.
Cape Arago Lighthouse. Located on Chief's Island near Coos Bay, this one was closed off years ago, partially because the island itself is crumbling and because it was returned to local tribes and is considered a sacred site. Tales of the End of a South Oregon Coast Lighthouse: Chief's Island and Arago Light
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Umpqua Lighthouse Museum Tours, Reedsport / Winchester Bay area. Get inside one of the Oregon coast's more underrated attractions – and it's near the first actually documented shipwreck site in the state. Tours are given daily: from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in October through February; and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from March through September. That means this lighthouse just opened up its hours. The Umpqua River Light is 65 feet tall. Students (5 – 17) - $4. Adults - $8. 541-271-4631.
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Heceta Head Lighthouse Tours – Between Florence and Yachats. This can be hit or miss, depending on how much volunteer staffing they have. Hours are . daily from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. in the summer (March-October) and 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. in the winter (November-February), if weather and staff allow.
These are guided tours of the bottom area, but they do not take reservations. The staircase and light area were closed years ago. It's best to call 541-547-3416.
The Heceta Head BnB – what were once the living quarters – occasionally has events that let you tour the inside of the home, including ghost tours in October. Hotels in Yachats - Where to eat - Yachats Maps and Virtual Tours
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Yaquina Bay Lighthouse Tours, Newport. This year, the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse at Newport is closed for renovation until June 1, 2025. After that it resumes normal hours of noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. However, since it is run by volunteers those hours may drastically change.
This one is different from the other Oregon coast lighthouses in that the living quarters and the lighthouse were all in one. When touring the lighthouse above Yaquina Bay, you could get a glimpse of Victorian and turn-of-the-century life. There are two flights of stairs and all kinds of period furniture and settings, with the watch room having been open to viewers. You could never get into the lantern room, however.
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Yaquina Head Lighthouse and Tours, Newport. This appears to be gone – at least for now. They may or may not resume when summer season starts, but the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) which runs the lighthouse has said no tours at this time. Because of drastic federal cuts the area has cut its hours, which may impact any plans for tours in 2025.
If and when they resume, tours of the Yaquina Head Lighthouse do not include the spiral stairway and the lantern room top as they once did. You get to simply walk around the bottom area. The stairs were not built for that constant load so tours were stopped years ago. The official word is the staircase is under renovation, but some lighthouses have ceased such tours altogether because of traffic on the stairways.
Call the Interpretive Center for up-to-date information: 541-574-3100. Admittance is free but the park requires a vehicle pass to enter ($3 - $7).
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Cape Mears Lighthouse (Oceanside / Tillamook area). The lighthouse and its gift shop are open from May through September, normally 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., seven days a week. You can visit the top area, but normally no tours are offered because it's small, so self-guided walk-throughs are the norm. 503-842-3182 Hotels in Oceanside - Where to eat - Oceanside Maps and Virtual Tours
Tillamook Rock Lighthouse – Near Seaside and Cannon Beach. Obviously, this one has always been inaccessible. But you can get some secondhand sense of visitation by checking out the historical museums in Cannon Beach, Seaside and the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria. Hotels in Seaside - Where to eat - Seaside Maps and Virtual Tours
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