These lenses are some of the most spectacular pieces of equipment in the lighthouses we visited.Ħ Umpqua River Lighthouse What Is a Fresnel Lens?ĭeveloped by the French physicist and engineer, Jean August Fresnel in 1822, it improved lighthouse technology all over the world. To make sure their light is visible from far away, lighthouses used Fresnel lenses, allowing the same light to travel farther, magnifying it. Without them, fewer ships would’ve made it safely to shore.
Often, lighthouses and their keepers held the lives of travelers, ship crews in their hands. Just like pilots rely on the towers to help them land, the ship captains relied on lighthouses to guide them. The captain and crew would have to navigate the ocean and make sure you didn’t sink close to shores, where the ship would encounter rocky terrain, shallow areas, or dark cliffs invisible in the dark. To reach faraway lands, you couldn’t just hop on a plane and get there in a few hours. In the fog, the lighthouse, on the side of Heceta Head would’ve helped sailors. They each had their own signature flash, acting as a GPS, helping sailors understand their location. They served as a beacon for navigation, marking dangers close to shore. Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint is a part of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve.Lighthouses stand sentinel on rugged coasts, helping ships navigate the dangerous cliffs, reefs, and rocks. The beach is a perfect location for beachcombing while sheltered picnic tables let you enjoy a meal or a light snack with a refreshing ocean breeze. Cape Creek enters the ocean at the southern part of the beach. This 7-mile part of the OCT leads to Carl Washburne Beach and Campground.Ī small pocket beach, Cape Cove Beach sits between two headlands and is easily accessible from the parking area. The lighthouse trail connects to the Oregon Coast Trail (OCT) just behind the light station. Viewpoints provide a chance to spot whales during their migrations from December through February and from March through May. The trail climbs 150 feet through a beautiful coastal forest with a few viewpoints on the way allowing to enjoy expansive ocean vista, and passes the last remaining on the Oregon Coast lightkeeper’s house. To see this pacific northwest wonder, drive to the large parking area near the beach and hike 0.5 miles up to the lighthouse. If you visit this spot in May, you might see migrating gray whales who get very close to the coast during this time of the year. Heceta Head Scenic Viewpoint is a majestic place to enjoy the beauty and serenity of the Oregon Coast, watch sea lions socializing in the surf, stay at the historic B&B, or simply stop by to see the lighthouse after you visit Sea Lion Caves located nearby. The keeper's quarters became a historic B&B with six rooms furnished with antiques where guests can enjoy their stay, unlike at any other place! In 1963 the automated beacon was installed and it is still in service nowadays and can be visible for 21 nautical miles offshore. In 1893 the construction of the lighthouse and keeper's quarters were complete. Given the location of the construction site, materials were either brought by wagon from Florence or delivered by water if the tide and weather were right. The crew of 56 workers participated in the creation of the lighthouse.
First European settlers started to move into this area in 1888, the same year the United States Lighthouse Service approved Heceta Head Light construction.
One of the first Europeans who visited this area in the late 18th-century was Bruno de Heceta, a Spanish explorer who gave the name to this headland. The area around the viewpoint was home to First people's tribes for hundreds of years as it was an amazing ground for both hunting and fishing. One of the eleven unique Oregon Coast Lighthouses, Heceta Head Light Station is located at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint 12 miles north of Florence and 14 miles south of Yachats. The white brick and stone building sits on a 1,000-foot high cliff towering over the incoming waves of the mighty Pacific Ocean. Heceta Head Lighthouse is the historic 56-foot-tall light station that projects a beam visible for a distance of 24 miles, which is the strongest among Oregon Coast lighthouses.
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