The Pacific Northwest coastline carries 32 historic lighthouses — 11 in Oregon and 21 in Washington, 13 of them open to the public — and a new roundup from Islands singles out the eight that pair best with the scenery around them. Many still function as backup navigation aids for ships, but these days they double as postcard-ready landmarks you can hike to, tour, and in a couple of cases even sleep in.
In Washington, the standouts cluster around Ilwaco and the Olympic Peninsula. Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, built in 1856 and the state's oldest at 53 feet, is best viewed from Waikiki Beach when winter swells crash against the peninsula — roughly 2.5 hours from Tacoma. Sharing the same state park, the cream-coloured North Head Lighthouse opens for summer tours only (it shuts October 1 to April 30), with rules to note: no kids under seven on the stairs, and flip-flops are banned for the climb. The keeper's house can be booked as overnight accommodation. Further north on Whidbey Island, Admiralty Head at Fort Casey shows off Spanish Mission styling with arched entryways, decorative ironwork and a red roof; the park is open year-round but interior tours run on summer weekends only. At the continent's far northwest tip near Neah Bay, the 1857 Cape Flattery Lighthouse sits on closed Tatoosh Island, but the Cape Flattery Trail offers strong views — you'll need a Makah Tribe permit for the hike.
Oregon's picks stretch down the coast. Cape Meares, first lit in 1890, is the shortest lighthouse on the shoreline at 38 feet and free to visit daily from May to September. Yaquina Head in Newport, at 93 feet the tallest in the state, has been shining since 1873; tours run only in July and August and require a day pass or an Oregon Pacific Coast Passport. Heceta Head near Florence lights the strongest lamp on the Oregon coast — visible over 20 miles offshore — and doubles as a whale-watching spot during spring and winter migrations, with a keeper's house B&B nearby if you want to linger. Finally, Cape Blanco near Port Orford, built in 1898, pairs its 59-foot tower with a tourable Victorian farmhouse from July through September; the road is closed but the walk up is short.
Who is this for? Anyone plotting a coastal road trip — Oregon's Three Capes Scenic Route and Highway 101 string several of these together, and Washington's additions make an easy loop from Seattle or Tacoma. Check tour seasons before you go, since interior access is heavily concentrated in summer.
