Of the many lighthouses on California’s coast, few have such an evocative natural setting as this 1875 light station – one of the tallest on the West Coast – 6 miles north of Hearst Castle. Its jutting, windblown grounds have been replanted with native flora and look much the way as they did when the first lighthouse keepers helped ships find safe harbor at the whaling station in San Simeon Bay. Learn more on a two-hour guided tour, best booked online.
Tours meet at the old Piedras Blancas Motel, 1.5 miles north of the lighthouse gate on Hwy 1.