San Luis Obispo County, CA

Above the coastline of the Pacific Ocean between San Simeon and Ragged Point, the Piedras Blancas Light Station stands as a monument to maritime days gone by. The lighthouse, built in 1875 and still in operation today, offers 2-hour tours of its interior and grounds, year-round. Access to the light station grounds is by guided tour only.

San Luis Obispo County, CA

Tours of the Piedras Blancas Light Station take place year-round, every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday morning. During the summer season, additional tours occur Monday and Friday mornings. Tours are cancelled during inclement weather, and the light station is closed on all federal holidays.

San Simeon, CA

At Piedras Blancas, observe migrating whales, seabirds, sea otters, dolphins, and tide pool marine life – all from the lighthouse grounds. In addition, Piedras Blancas Point boasts one of the most robust Northern Elephant Seal Rookeries in the world, with 25,000 seals migrating there annually. The Northern Elephant seal is the second-largest seal in the world, and the largest in the northern hemisphere

San Luis Obispo County, CA

Centuries ago, Native Americans made Point Piedras Blancas their home, using resources from both land and sea to thrive here. Later, mariners named it “Piedras Blancas” after the white rocks they used to navigate this bit of shoreline. The Piedras Blancas lighthouse was built to protect sea goers from craggy cliffs and guide their travel along the Pacific Coast. The Fresnel lens, made in France by Henri Lapaute in 1872, flashed every 15 seconds. (Due to earthquake damage in 1949, the lens now resides on loan at the Lions Club in nearby Cambria.) Today, the Bureau of Land Management works in tandem with the Piedras Blancas Light Station Association to maintain the lighthouse.

San Luis Obispo County, CA

A midcentury horror film called The Monster of Piedras Blancas takes place at the historic Piedras Blancas Light Station. Produced in 1959, the film tells the story of a lighthouse keeper who tries to keep a sea monster from devouring his beautiful daughter ― and the local townfolk! Though it wasn’t filmed at Piedras Blancas (that happened on Point Sal, in Lompoc), shots of the Piedras Blancas lighthouse are shown throughout.

San Luis Obispo County, CA

There’s plenty more fun to be had near the Piedras Blancas Light Station. Take a tour of the lighthouse, then head to some of these other family-friendly attractions. And don’t miss the lighthouse’s original Fresnel lens, on loan from the Coast Guard at the Cambria Lions Club, 1000 Main Street in Cambria.