Hike-in Required
No
ADA accessible
No
Guided tours
No
Please respect the outdoors by practicing Leave No Trace. Learn more about how to apply the principles of Leave No Trace on your next outdoor adventure here.

The sturdy and humble Cape Meares Lighthouse has been sitting on its headland 200 feet above the ocean since 1890, enduring innumerable storms, technological obsolescence and the indignities of vandalism. Active until 1963, the Coast Guard actually had plans to demolish the building at one point but was dissuaded by public input. In its time, the little lighthouse beamed 21 miles out to sea, which ties the distance mark that Heceta Head Lighthouse currently holds. Since 1980 the lighthouse has been open to the public, and tours are available April through October.

The views from this park are incredible; dramatic cliffs stir a little vertigo, and to the south you can see Three Arch Rocks National Wildlife Refuge. Information stations are abundant, so come with a bit of extra time and an appetite to learn about the local wildlife and the history of the lighthouse itself. And don’t forget the short walk up to the Octopus Tree, a uniquely shaped Sitka spruce, just above the parking area. If you have the time and energy once you’ve finished taking it all in, check out the Big Spruce and Beach Trail near the park entrance.
 

Logistics + Planning

Preferable season(s)

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Congestion

Low

Parking Pass

Not Required

Pros

Great views. Historic lighthouse. Interpretive signs. Wildlife.

Cons

None.

Pets allowed

Allowed

Features

Big vistas
Lighthouse

Location

Comments

10/01/2017
Views from this park are incredible. Well worth walking the short trail along the south end the park.
08/16/2010
Lighthouses always seem to have the best views.
07/08/2013
Cool lighthouse and some great views up on the trail to the Octopus Tree. Great views just south of here of the coast as well. A favorite stop of ours.
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