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Point Sur State Historic Park, Big Sur, CA

Photo: Frank Schulenburg, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sightseeing

Point Sur State Historic Park

A preserved 1889 lighthouse station on a volcanic rock above the Big Sur coast, open only on guided tours.

Big Sur, CA

About Point Sur State Historic Park

Point Sur State Historic Park centers on a lightstation perched about 361 feet above the Pacific on a volcanic rock jutting into Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. The lighthouse was first lit in 1889 and ran continuously until it was automated in 1974, and keepers' families lived on site during that time. The park also includes the former Point Sur Naval Facility, a Cold War listening station opened in 1958 that was transferred to State Parks in 2000. Visitors can only see the site through docent-led or volunteer-led tours, which involve steep walking and stairs.

  • #lighthouse
  • #historic lightstation
  • #Cold War history
  • #Big Sur
  • #guided tour

What's around here?

The closest stops to Point Sur State Historic Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    Bixby Bridge

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    15 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Iconic

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  • Sightseeing
    Local Gem

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    Downtown Salinas improvement association promoting Old Town's restaurants, shops and events.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    29 mi awayMore like this

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    Old Fisherman's Wharf

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    Historic waterfront pier in Monterey lined with seafood restaurants, shops and whale-watching operators.

    29 mi awayMore like this