Piedras Blancas Light Station

The Piedras Blancas Light Station is a historic landmark on California's central coast. Located on a rugged windswept point of land six miles north of Hearst Castle along California's scenic Highway One, the lighthouse was first illuminated in 1875 and today beckons the visitor for respite from the modern world. The Light Station is named for the distinctive white rocks that loom just offshore. These rocks and the rugged shoreline are home to seabirds, sea lions and elephant seals, and over 70 native plant species can be found on the 19 acres surrounding the Light Station. Over the years, earthquakes have caused damage to the lighthouse. An earthquake on the last day of 1948 resulted in the upper part of the lighthouse being declared structurally unsound, and in 1949 the upper three levels — fourth landing, watch room and lantern — were removed. The Bureau of Land Management manages the Piedras Blancas Light Station as a historic park and wildlife sanctuary. Access is by guided tour only. Tours are offered year-round and feature cultural and natural history, as well as spectacular scenery: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from June 15 through August 31, and Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from September 1 through June 14.