Location:
Off US 101, 9 miles west of Tillamook on the north end of the Three Capes Scenic Loop
Contact Information:
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Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint
(800) 551-6949
Cape Meares Lighthouse Website
Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint website
Tours:
Open April through October, free admission (donation requested), and you can climb upstairs to see the lens
Facilities:
Flush toilets in parking area
Getting to Cape Meares Lighthouse:
The Three Capes Loop goes west from Tillamook, where OR 6 intersects US 101. Follow the signs west about 9 miles. The lighthouse is 0.2 miles away from the parking lot, down a wheelchair-accessible, paved path.
Vital Statistics:
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Height: Oregon's shortest lighthouse is 38 feet tall
Elevation: 217 feet
Lens: The first-order Fresnel (original), an unusual, 8-sided lens with 4 primary lenses and 4 bull's-eye lenses covered with red panels was made in Paris, France. The original, five-wick oil lamp with a reflector was replaced in 1910 by an oil-vapor light and electrified in 1934.
Signature: 30 seconds of fixed white light followed by a 5-second red flash, once per minute
Cape Meares Lighthouse History:
Funded by Congress in 1886 and completed in 1890, the Cape Meares lighthouse is constructed of sheet iron, lined with bricks made on the site. Rumors say that the Cape Meares lighthouse was mistakenly built here, when it was supposed to be located at Cape Lookout. However, historical records prove the rumor false. The lighthouse was electrified in 1934 and decomissioned in 1963.
