Visiting Cape Meares Lighthouse: A Beautiful Oregon Lighthouse

Oregon has 11 beautiful lighthouses, 9 of which are historic and still standing from the 1800’s. Cape Meares Lighthouse is one of those historical lighthouses!

Just 10 miles from Tillamook, OR, stands Oregon’s smallest lighthouse.  This stubby little lighthouse was erected in 1889 and stands at just 38 feet tall.  

If you want to see a piece of history, you’ll certainly want to visit Cape Meares Lighthouse while visiting the Oregon coast.  Here is everything you need to know! 

Important Links

• Cape Meares State Park website
• Cape Meares Lighthouse Info
• Camping Checklist Freebie – A Useful Camping Checklist
• Hiking Backpack Checklist Freebie – Be Prepared on the Trails
• Hiking Journal – Never Forget the Details of Your Favorite Hikes Again!
• Camping Journal – Never Forget Your Camping Trips Details Again!

Fees

Cape Meares Lighthouse is located in the Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint area.  This is owned and operated by Oregon State Parks.

And if you know anything about Oregon State Parks, you know there is a fee to visit each of these parks.  

The fee is $10 for Oregon Residents and $12 for Out of State Visitors.

At the parking lot there is a QR code that you can scan and use to pay the fee.  BUT you might not have phone service here.  So in order to not risk getting a fine, here are a few suggestions to pay said fee!

Pay Ahead of Time

The first option is to purchase your Day Use Parking Permit online ahead of time.  This pass is valid for an entire day and can be used at all of the state parks for that day.  In other words, if you are planning on visiting Cape Meares Lighthouse, Cape Lookout State Park and Tunnel Beach all in one day, this pass will cover you. 

And the second option is to purchase an Oregon State Parks Annual Pass. This pass gives you access to all of Oregon State Parks and Beaches for 12 months from the month of purchase.  The resident pass is $60 and the non-resident pass is $75. 

The annual pass only makes sense if you are planning on visiting several state parks/beaches on several different days.  This pass ONLY makes sense if you are visiting state parks more than 6 days in a year. This goes for both residents and non-residents.     

Make sure the math makes sense before you purchase, or you might be wasting some money.

Location

Now let’s get into the location.  Cape Meares Lighthouse is about a 20 minute drive from Tillamook, OR and 10 minutes from Oceanside, OR.

If you are coming from a larger city, then you’re looking at more of a drive. The lighthouse is just under 2 hours from Portland, OR, 2 hours from Salem, OR and 5 hours from Seattle, WA.  

Parking

As far as parking goes, you will be parking here. This lot is not very big, but if you go in the morning or in the evening you won’t have a problem getting a spot.  You’ll use this parking area to access the Octopus Tree and the Cape Meares Lighthouse.

The other parking area is here.  This little lot is primarily used for hiking the Big Spruce Tree Trail and the Cape Meares Beach Trail.  (More on these trails later).

Now that you know where to go and what to pay, let’s look into the lighthouse!

The Lighthouse

Cape Meares Lighthouse is the shortest lighthouse in Oregon, standing at only 38 feet tall.   This lighthouse might sound useless at that height, but it’s not.  

With the height of the cape (cliff), the light stands 217 feet above the ocean.  With the added lighthouse, this light actually stands taller than the tallest lighthouse in the United States (210 feet).

The lighthouse was finished in 1889 and the light was officially lit in 1890.  The lens was so powerful, sailors could see the light from up to 21 miles away.  Offering guidance years and years before GPS.  

After 73 years of guiding sailors, the Cape Meares Lighthouse was decommissioned in 1963.  And as of 2014, the light was permanently turned off.  

There is a gift shop in the lighthouse and even a tour you can take.  The gift shop is open in the Summer months from 11am – 4pm.  The tours are limited to 5 people per tour.

Hiking in Cape Meares State Scenic Area

In order to access the Cape Meares Lighthouse, you’ll have to walk a short trail out to the lighthouse.  You can either choose to walk straight to the lighthouse from the middle of the parking lot, or you can walk the Lighthouse Loop Trail.

The loop trail offers gorgeous views of the ocean and the rock structures out at sea. You’ll then be able to stand next to this tiny lighthouse and loop back to your car.  

There are a few other hiking trails in the park.  The are all quite short and mostly easy hikes.  Let’s take a look.  

List of Hiking Trails

Lighthouse Loop Trail – 0.5 miles, 120 feet of elevation gain : This trail is paved and easy to follow.  Stand next to the shortest lighthouse in Oregon!

Octopus Tree Trail – 0.4 miles, 94 feet of elevation gain : Witness the uniqueness of the Octopus Tree by taking a short hike down to the tree and back.

Big Spruce Tree Trail – 0.3 miles, 36 feet of elevation gain : Stretch your legs by walking to the Big Spruce Tree.  This is a popular trail for birding. 

Cape Meares Beach Trail – 1.6 miles, 440 feet of elevation gain : Hike down to the beach at low tide and enjoy the solitude of this beach.  

All of the hiking is short and some might not call it hiking.  But any chance to get out in nature is a great way to spend your time.  

In the Area

When visiting Cape Meares Lighthouse, there are some awesome sites nearby that you must see!  First up is Tunnel Beach, which is an awesome beach just north of the state park.  You’ll literally walk through a tunnel and exit onto a secluded beach (go a low tide for best results).

Next is Cape Lookout State Park. This park has a great campground, picnic area, a beach, and some cool hiking.  It’s a great place to sit and relax and is included with your Oregon State Parks Day Pass you already purchased for Cape Meares Lighthouse.

And finally, there are all the typical things to do and see in Tillamook.  There is obviously the Tillamook Cheese/Ice Cream tours. And if breweries are your thing, there is Pelican Brewing, and the unique de Garde Brewing.  De Garde is one of only 3 breweries in the US that use spontaneous brewing.  All of these are definitely worth a stop!

Conclusion

Cape Meares Lighthouse can be seen with an easy hike out to this famously short lighthouse.  Don’t miss one of only 9 historic lighthouses still standing in Oregon!

As always, feel free to reach out to me at averagewildexperience@gmail.com with any questions.

-Happy Visiting!