Point Montara Light

Point Montara Light

Established in February 1875, the current tower was first erected in 1881 in Massachusetts as the Mayo Beach Lighthouse. It was moved and rebuilt as the Point Montara Light station in 1928.

In 1925, before being sent to its current location, the cast iron tower was moved to Yerba Buena.

The lighthouse originally had a kerosene lantern, but was upgraded in 1912 to a fourth order Fresnel lens.

The lighthouse is open to the public, and is the site of a hostel.

The lens was transferred to the San Mateo Historical Society when the lighthouse was automated in 1970, and is currently on display at the library at the College of Notre Dame in Belmont, California.

Location

16th Street A, Southern approach to San Francisco Bay
Moss Beach, San Mateo County
California
USA

Getting There

It is located about 20 miles south of San Francisco. Here are some possible ways to get there:

By car: You can reach Point Montara Light by car via Highway 1. There is a small parking lot located near the lighthouse.

By public transportation: You can also reach Point Montara Light by taking public transportation. SamTrans bus line 17 runs from San Francisco to Half Moon Bay, and stops at Montara Beach, which is about a 15-minute walk from the lighthouse.

By bike or on foot: If you're feeling adventurous, you can bike or hike to Point Montara Light via the California Coastal Trail. The trailhead is located at Montara State Beach, which is about a mile north of the lighthouse.

It's important to note that the lighthouse is only open for guided tours on Sundays and Mondays, and reservations are required. However, the grounds around the lighthouse are open to the public daily and offer scenic views of the Pacific Ocean.

Nearby Airports

This is a list of primary airports in California that have scheduled passenger service on commercial airlines.