My preschooler and I read the book “Hello Lighthouse” by Sophie Blackall before we ventured to the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. Set along the Mendocino Coast between Mendocino Village and Fort Bragg, the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse is a tiny, red-roofed beacon of light that still aids the navigation of ships along the California shore. It is free to visit and oh-so-picturesque. If you find yourself along Highway 1 in Mendocino County be sure to plan a visit to the lighthouse with your toddlers and preschoolers.
We acknowledge the Mitcom Pomo tribe, who for thousands of years have been stewarding the lands on which the Point Cabrillo Light Station was eventually built.
Before you go:
- Lighthouse is open from 11am-4pm every day. Check the website for special events and dates when access to the Fresnel lens is available.
- Check the weather before you go to ensure you’re wearing the right layers for the half-mile walk to the lighthouse from the parking lot. The weather on the California Coast can be unpredictable.
What we packed:
- Standard diaper bag essentials
- Layers for all-weather
- Snacks and/or lunch
- Sunscreen and hats
- Picnic blanket
- Baby carrier, wagon, or stroller
Tips to get the most out of your trip to the Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park
1. Plan for a walk – it is longer than you’d expect
The visitors’ parking lot of the Point Cabrillo Light Station State Historic Park is located right after you turn onto Lighthouse Road. If you pass the old farmhouse, you’ve gone too far. The parking lot is about a half-mile walk from the lighthouse.
You can walk to the lighthouse along the Lighthouse Road (reserved for California State Park vehicles or for guests staying at the lighthouse, see #7 below). You may drive down the road and park closer to the lighthouse if you have a handicap placard.
You can also take an easy stroll along the shoreline trail to the lighthouse. The trail has a slight decline towards the coast with a slight incline on the return. We chose to take Lighthouse Road on the way in and the trail on the way out (2 miles round trip).
2. Visit the Lighthouse Museum (free)
The Lighthouse Museum is located inside the lighthouse itself! The first floor has displays about the lighthouse’s history and the history of the community around the area.
Most items in the lighthouse are protected from little hands or too tall to reach, so you don’t need to worry about your toddler breaking anything fragile (if you have a “bull in a china shop” toddler like mine…).
Upstairs access to the lens is available only eight times per year – check the website to see if you are in town on one of those lucky days ($5 for the lens tour)!
3. Don’t Pass up the Marine Science Exhibit
It may seem small, but it is totally worth it! Our kids loved looking at the real baleen and the 240-gallon saltwater fish tank full of local marine organisms. The museum staff said that looking at the fish tank was like looking at the sealife right outside, under the very cliff we were standing on.
4. Bring lunch and snacks
Snacks are the only thing that can motivate my kids to keep walking along a trail. We packed a backpack with snacks, diapers, and lunch so we could plan to spend our morning at the lighthouse.
Eat lunch at one of the benches along the coast or bring a picnic blanket and take in the sights from a cozy perch on the ground.
5. Dress in layers
The Mendocino coastline is full of surprises—especially when it comes to the weather. Layer up with warm clothes and a wind blocker just in case the weather changes on you mid-walk (that’s California, for ya).
We traveled here once in winter and once in spring, wearing a puffy coat one time and shorts the next. Plan ahead!
6. Have more time? Visit Frolic Cove
Walk along the coastal trail just north of the lighthouse to find Frolic Cove, named after the ship, the Frolic, that ran ashore here in 1850. The shipwreck lead to the “discovery” of redwoods in this area by European settlers, bringing more settlers and immigrants to an area already inhabited by Indigenous peoples.
The beach is small and the route down to the beach is slippery and steep. Our kiddos love the ocean so we couldn’t keep them away, but beware if you go—you may end up carrying your wet and sandy kids back up!
7. Stay at the Lighthouse Keeper’s House ($)
Along the stroll to the lighthouse, you’ll see a few well-maintained buildings right before you gaze at the Point Cabrillo Lighthouse. The Lighthouse Keeper’s House, the Lighthouse Keeper Assistant’s home, and two smaller homes are all available for overnight stays at a really expensive cost (we’re talking $450+/night!).
I’ve stayed before at a lighthouse that has become a hostel, and although the lighthouse-lover in me really wants to spend a night at Point Cabrillo someday, the cost is quite prohibitive! Plus, I can’t ignore the lighthouse ghost stories I keep hearing…so maybe I don’t want to risk that?
If you can swing it, this would be quite the experience, but if not, there’s always the house tour on YouTube.
In my 20s I was drawn to songs about lighthouses (“The Lighthouse’s Tale” by Nickel Creek) and the idea of a beacon of light calling you home or guiding your path (“Harbor” by Vienna Teng). Maybe that’s because, like most other people in their 20s, I was trying to figure out my path in life, and the symbol of a lighthouse guiding me towards my path seemed not only romantic but also simple.
Lighthouses themselves are relics of an old era, one that I cannot separate from the militarization of America and forced removal of Indigenous communities from their lands.
Even so, finding lighthouses along our trips has become a bit of a hobby of mine—so much so that I’ve decorated our bathroom full of pictures of lighthouses we’ve visited (both pre- and post-kids).
Do you have a lighthouse story? Share in the comments below!
Lighthouse Song
Now I’ll leave you with Jelly’s favorite lighthouse song by Melissa Polinar & Ernie Halter.
*Swoon*
Puerto Rican & Indigenous mama of two. Bay Area native. Salsa dancer. Backpacker. Doula. Angel (she/her/hers) is a co-founding member of the Beautiful Brown Adventures team. She has traveled to over 30 countries and loves to explore the world with her two daughters & partner - one ice cream shop at a time.
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