Piedras Blancas Light Station

Piedras Blancas Light Station

Location	Point Piedras Blancas, California
Coordinates
Year first constructed	1874
Year first lit	1875
Automated	1975
Foundation	Masonry
Construction	Brick
Tower shape	Conical with flat top
Markings / pattern	White with black trim
Height	70 feet (21 m)
Focal height	142 feet (43 m)
Original lens	First order Fresnel lens made by Henri Lapaute
Current lens	VRB-25
Characteristic	Flashing white every 10 seconds
Admiralty number	G3982
ARLHS number	USA-598
USCG number	6-0265
Piedras Blancas Light Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Nearest city	San Simeon, California
Area	20 acres (8.1 ha)
Architectural style	Classical Revival, Gothic, Romanesque
MPS	Light Stations of California MPS
NRHP Reference #	91001095
Added to NRHP	September 03, 1991

Piedras Blancas Light Station is located at Point Piedras Blancas, about 5.5 miles (8.9 km) west by northwest of San Simeon, California.

History and management

Piedras Blancas lighthouse (circa 1930) prior to removal of upper three levels.

The first-order Fresnel lens at Piedras Blancas was first illuminated on February 15, 1875. The Piedras Blancas lighthouse was originally 100 feet (30 m) high to the top of the ventilator ball, but earthquakes damaged the structure over the years. On December 31, 1948, final damage from an earthquake centered 6 miles (9.7 km) off the point led to the decision to remove the upper three floors: the fourth landing, watch room, and lantern. Missing the ornate upper floors, the truncated lighthouse now stands about 70 feet (21 m) tall. The lens was moved and is on display in the nearby community of Cambria.

A sound signal was added in 1906.

In 1939, management was transferred from the United States Lighthouse Service to the United States Coast Guard. In 1975, the light was automated, the sound signal removed, and the light station was unmanned. A group of biologists with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service received permission to establish a biological research station in 1977. In 2001, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) assumed management of the site and was tasked to offer structured public access, allow site-specific research to continue, and restore the light station to its period of greatest historical significance (1875 to 1940). The Piedras Blancas Light Station Association is a non-profit partner of the BLM, helping to raise funds for restoration and maintenance.

The lighthouse continues to serve as an aid to navigation. A Vega VRB-25 produces a flash every 10 seconds. The light station is managed as a historic park and wildlife sanctuary.

The Piedras Blancas Light Station has been designated as an Outstanding Natural Area.

File:Piedras Blancas Light Station Water Tower.jpg

In 2013, a replica 50 foot water tower was completed to hold public safety communications equipment.

Access

Access to the 19-acre (7.7 ha) site is by guided tours, available every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday (except federal holidays) year round. From June 15 through August 31, tours are offered Mondays through Saturdays (except federal holidays). The fee is $10 for adults; $5 for ages 6 to 17; and free for ages 5 and under. Special tours for parties of 10 or more may be arranged. The tour lasts two hours and includes the historic lighthouse and support buildings, wildlife viewing, and spectacular scenery along an easy half-mile interpretive trail.

Piedras Blancas elephant seal rookery

The largest elephant seal rookery on the West Coast is located about a mile south of the lighthouse along California Highway One. A large parking area and boardwalk offer easy access to view the elephant seals. Docents from Friends of the Elephant Seal provide insight as to what the visitor is viewing. Open year round.

Marine protected areas

Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area are marine protected areas offshore from Piedras Blancas Light Station. Like underwater parks, these marine protected areas help conserve ocean wildlife and marine ecosystems.

Popular Culture

The 1959 movie The Monster of Piedras Blancas was shot not at the real Point Piedras Blancas, which is north of San Simeon on the California coast. The lighthouse locations in the movie were filmed at the Point Conception Light lighthouse near Lompoc, and the movie's "town" is actually the seaside town of Cayucos, about 30 miles south of the real Piedras Blancas.

Image gallery

• Piedras Blancas Light Station, 2014.jpg

  Piedras Blancas, 2014.

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  Tours of the Piedras Blancas Light Station are offered regularly.

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  Native plants ablaze with color in early summer.

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  Sea otters rest and feed in the waters surrounding Piedras Blancas.

See also

• Rancho Piedra Blanca, old Mexican land grant that included Point Piedras Blancas
• Piedras Blancas Motel, vintage roadside motel near the lighthouse

Further reading

• Point Piedras Blancas, by Carole Adams & John Bogacki. 2008, Arcadia "Images of America" series. ISBN 978-0738558196

External links

• Piedras Blancas Light Station Outstanding Natural Area, Bureau of Land Management
• Piedras Blancas Light Station Association