In 1871 a lighthouse was built here on a bluff overlooking the mouth of Yaquina Bay, and the lighthouse keeper, his wife, and seven children moved into the two-story wood-frame structure. It soon became apparent, however, that the location was not ideal, as the light could not be seen by ships approaching the harbor from the north.

The station was abandoned after just three years once the nearby light at Yaquina Head was completed. The building was slated for demolition in 1934, when local residents formed the Lincoln County Historical Society to preserve it. In 1997 the government decided to turn Yaquina Bay’s beacon back on.

Today, the handsome restored structure and surrounding grounds make up Yaquina Bay State Park (541/574-3129 or 800/551-6949), in a beautiful location at the north end of the Yaquina Bay Bridge. The oldest building in Newport, it’s the last wooden lighthouse on the Oregon coast. The living quarters, replete with period furnishings, are open noon–4 p.m. daily. Admission is free. Be sure to ask the volunteers about the resident ghost.

From the parking area, you have an excellent photo-op of the bayt and the bridge. The park is a good place to have a picnic, or you can descend the trails to the beach and dig for razor clams or hunt for agates and petrified wood.