You can appreciate what it took to help ships navigate the rocky, fog-shrouded, and windswept northern Pacific coast when you journey far out to the isolated Point Reyes Lighthouse. It is a hike to get there. From the parking area at Point Reyes National Seashore, you first ascend a steep paved walking path and then descend a long winding stairway of more than 300 steps – the equivalent of a 30-story building. The trip back will tax your legs and raise your heart rate. Consider this before you go: The walk down to the lighthouse takes between 5-10 minutes; the return trip up is approximately 20-30 minutes or longer depending on your fitness level. At the top of the stairway, the lighthouse appears as a mere speck on the horizon. This no man’s land surrounded by water had no mercy on the human spirit. Lighthouse keepers spent lonely days perched on a cliff at the western tip of Point Reyes that juts 10 miles out into the sea. No other lighthouse in America experienced more fog and wind than Point Reyes. It still stands as a beacon in the Pacific nearly 150 years after it became operational in 1870. Until the lighthouse was retired by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1975, keepers occupied and maintained the house, the machinery, and the powerful Fresnel lens that alerted mariners.

The lighthouse surely prevented casualties at sea, but not all. Over 50 shipwrecks still occurred, killing countless crews and passengers. Since the lighthouse has historical maritime significance, an ambitious full restoration project kicked-off in early August 2018. It took 13 months to complete and cost $5 million. Restoring the huge Fresnel lens was the centerpiece of the project. This required specialized work from a lampist who disassembled, repaired, and reassembled the lens’ 1,032 original crystal pieces made in Paris. The lighthouse’s observation deck is open to the public and is a great place to watch for marine life, especially gray whale migrations during winter and spring. If you love history, nature, and don’t mind an aerobic workout along the way, plan at least a half-day excursion out to the Point Reyes Lighthouse. Click the video below to learn more about the life of a lighthouse keeper, a behind-the-scenes look of their workplace, and the challenges they faced.