Light Station Report and Improvements

Straddling cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Point Reyes Light Station is one of the Bay Area’s most heavily visited destinations, even though it offers minimal visitor services and presents challenges for those with limited mobility. The lighthouse provided critical navigational aid to ships traveling on the Pacific Ocean into San Francisco and exposed its workers to harsh environmental conditions.

The site now provides access to an exceptional cultural and natural setting.

This multi-phase project began with research into the landscape’s history and ended with the construction of a rehabilitated site. A technical advisory group of experts from multiple disciplines within the park helped shape the design and programmatic elements. Recommendations in the cultural landscape report focus on expanding the experience of the site’s story to include the military presence during World War II and the often-isolated life of lighthouse keepers.

The rehabilitation project, in partnership with Architectural Resources Group, improved access and services. Visitors now have step-free access to the primary viewpoint and access to a restored historic circulation route that had been unused for decades. The new design also seamlessly merges contemporary elements, such as railings, with historic elements, like the white picket fences.