Heceta Head Lighthouse

This place is gorgeous! The scenery here is unbelievable. Starting at the cove where we stood just taking it in and making our way up the trail. The trail itself is fairly easy but long. This lighthouse has a lot of history and the park itself has been renamed. Worth a stop for the views alone.

This light house has a history. If you come at the right time (every hour in the summer time) they have a tour of the light house. Of course its not free! I highly recommend visiting this place.
you do have to walk up quite a distance. Once you are up there you see a big house and a small house. There is a board that tells the story. I personally like the walk and the beautiful scenery. Its amazing to see the view of the Coast.

Heceta Head Lighthouse is one of the most picturesque lighthouses I have seen. You park in a decently sized parking lot and then have the option of enjoying the beach or going on a short and easy hike to the lighthouse. On the way to the lighthouse you will have beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean and the Oregon Coast. Once you arrive, you can go into a small gift shop to buy a souvenir and sign up for a tour. If they’re busy, you may need to wait a short amount of time as there is limited space inside the lighthouse. The only downside was that there is limited seating while you wait and there were a TON of flies to the point where we almost decided to leave instead of wait for our turn. The docent are friendly and eager to tell the story of the lighthouse. We really enjoyed the tour and are glad we chose to stay. The best view of the lighthouse, in my opinion, is from a little further down the road. We have a picture I took from that spot hanging in our living room. If you are in Florence, I highly recommend visiting. 4 stars.

Very easy trail that takes you right up to the lighthouse! There’s also a trail that goes up behind it for an even better view. Amazing views of the coast as well. I’ll be dreaming about this lighthouse for a while. If you’re in the area, don’t pass by without stopping!

I saw the sign for the lighthouse as I was mentally preparing the climb up and around the bluffs but I couldn’t resist — lighthouse! As soon as I started descending I thought, am I going to regret this because I’ll have to climb back out on my bike? But no chance of that.
Beautiful sunny scenic beach with the lighthouse on the bluff above. It’s only about a half mile walk up to the lighthouse on a nicely paved path. Make the effort. They have free 10 min tours inside the lighthouse. It was pretty busy when I showed up on Sunday afternoon and had to wait 15 minutes to get on a tour but it was worth it to go up inside. I learned the bricks came from SF! They don’t let you go all the way up so that you’re level with the light but it’s still cool. And short. Also make the effort to walk up the trail to the right just before the lighthouse to get a great view of it from above. There was only 1 other person on this trail and took me 5 – 10 minutes to get to the view in the photo below.
It’s pretty popular with daytrippers and I can see why with the beach and views. It was probably my favorite stop along the Oregon coast. The views are just stunning.

What can I say that hasn’t already been said about this FANTASTIC lighthouse! The views are something to speak of, the trail is paved with gravel and not that difficult a climb. The beach was AWESOME! $ 5 day use fee.

Beautiful stop on the drive down Hwy 101. We had never walked up inside a lighthouse before and the tour guide took us right up to the top. She was also very knowledgeable and knew a lot about the history of the lighthouse and others on the Oregon coast. It was so awesome to see the inside. Tours end at 3pm, so don’t get there too late in the day. Be sure to give yourself a few minutes and stop, look around, and snap some photos. Short hike to it, but it was totally doable.

After extensive renovations the Haceta Head Lighthouse is again brought back to it’s splendor. The staff are very helpful and friendly and the lighthouse is magnificent. We used our National parks parking pass and enjoyed the walk and view. There is a small beach at the bottom which is perfect for families.
Maryjane

Unilocalsop’s Fables
«The two bears and the sea.»
One day in May, when the skies were grey and the winds cool off the Pacific, two bears made their way to the Haceta headlands, on the central Oregon coast (
).
Fortunately, they were prepared. They had sweaters (
).
The bears decided to visit the lighthouse, which was quite famous for being pretty. It was! But there also were paths through the forest to follow, which led to the top of the headlands, and there were even more views of empty beaches and quiet places, where bears would no doubt feel at home (
).
«I’m glad we came here,» said one bear to the other. «It’s very nice. And green.»
«And wet,» said the other bear. «Good thing it’s not raining today, because we forgot our rain gear.»
«True,» said the other. «But at least we remembered our sweaters. And the camera this time.»
«I would have enjoyed my visit even if we hadn’t brought the camera,» said the other bear. «Because getting here isn’t just half the fun. It’s the whole fun, to see lighthouses and headlands and oceans and beaches and places like this.»
«Too true, too true,» his diminutive ursine traveling companion replied. «Good thing we woke up from our hibernation in Montana to see this spot in person.»
«I think you mean ‘in bearson,’ don’t you?»
«Well, yes, but let’s not get too technical about it. Either way, Haceta Head lighthouse is a great road trip rest stop, even without staying overnight at the inn.»
«Let’s get coffee in Bandon later. And a blueberry muffin. I’ve been meaning to see Face Rock, anyway — in bearson!» He grinned.
«OK,» said the other bear,” laughing as they returned to the car. «Let’s hit the road!»
And so they did.
Moral: Getting there sometimes *is* all the fun. Seeing stuff in person is always better than online. And you don”t have to be a bear in a blue pullover sweater to know that!

Heceta Head is part of the Devil’s Elbow state park, so of course there’s an entrance fee. It was only a $ 5.00 single use fee, and we had skipped out on paying at the last state park, so I begrudgingly paid this time around. Plan on this being at least a 30-​minute stop, if not a little bit longer.
There’s a ½ mile hike from the parking lot to the lighthouse, but it’s up a gravel walking trail and it’s not really too steep. Luckily you make the climb on your way to the lighthouse, so you can catch your breath at the top while admiring the view. It gets a little chilly walking up the edge, so I’d recommend a light jacket. Although, if you’re like me, you’ll get sweaty and ditch it halfway up.
The lighthouse itself is really pretty, but the view of the Pacific from up there is equally impressive. The sun finally poked out a little once we reached the summit. It was a perfect viewpoint.

Stayed 2 nights. Very quite and scenic. Didn’t realize that the 7 course breakfast was going to take 2 hours. If staying 2 nights just be aware. If your not into chatting with people you don’t know, small talk.
Food was fabulous and bought the cook book. Nice hiking trails and the weather was good for April.

You gotta stay here. The breakfast is amazing, rivals any I’ve had, anywhere. Also a great place for weddings. You can tour for free on weekends after noon. A national treasure!

Take this review with a grain of salt, because, well, we didn’t actually visit the lighthouse. We walked the trail up from the parking area only to realize it is closed for renovations until August 2013. That said, we still managed to have a really nice visit. A small building next to the lighthouse was open for business, and a volunteer was on hand to tell us about the lighthouse’s history and show us historic pictures and other memorabilia, as well as explain the ongoing renovations. Other volunteers were likewise very informative, and had set up telescopes for visitors to view sea lions across the bay, and a flock (gaggle? colony?) of murres on a nearby rock. The view from the top of the trail was worth the short, somewhat uphill hike, even if we weren’t able to enter the lighthouse.
As I’ve mentioned in other reviews, I’m a complete sucker for gift shops, and one located about halfway up the lighthouse trial was full of all sorts of excellent trinkets. Naturally, we picked up a Christmas ornament to commemorate our non-​visit to Heceta Head.
Parking is located at the base of the trail, adjacent to the beach, and is subject to an Oregon State Parks fee ($ 5 per car).

The brightest light on the Oregon Coast. The Haceta Head Lighthouse ranks up there with Haystack Rock as one of the most photographed and iconic images in our state.
There are several scenic pullouts along Highway 101 for the classic shot of the lighthouse and keeper’s house which operates as an interpretive center during the day and bed and breakfast at night.
But these structures really take a beating and the lighthouse is not a sight that is as beautiful up close. It is scheduled to be refurbished in 2011 so the interior may be closed to the public next year.
When it is open, you can take a free guided tour with a docent to see the Fresnel lens up close. Each Oregon lighthouse has a distinctive lens and signal pattern and this one has a yellow glow.
To visit this area you pay a $ 5 day use fee at the parking lot below. There is a beach and hiking trails and if you are lucky you might see some migrating whales or sea lions. We spent time on the beach and enjoyed the gradual ½ mile uphill walk to the lighthouse because the path was filled with wildflowers in August.
I’m sure there is fascinating history and possibly a ghost, but our guide wasn’t terribly informed so our tour was quite boring. The interpretive center was also closed for a special event (it is a popular spot for weddings), so that was also a disappointment. Although it is scenic, if you can only visit one lighthouse in Oregon, I’m not sure I would recommend this one. Although, from a distance… outstanding.