north head lighthouse

From the parking lot they have a .5 mile loop to and from the lighthouse. Very easy trail. They make it sort of suspenseful by having the route lined with trees until BAM the lighthouse and the ocean just shows up, which is pretty cool. The lighthouse itself is old and adds to the charm. The ocean views are gorgeous! You're really high up on a cliff and can see for miles. I typically like hiking more and seeing more attractions at a site than just one, but it was worth the stop.

There is a short hike to get to the lighthouse- very scenic and picturesque sitting on top of a cliff overlooking the Pacific. It was in need of a paint job and the lighthouse itself wasn't open when we visited, but still worth it for the amazing views!

The short hike to this lighthouse was indeed worth it. The location makes for great photos. Thanks to the staff for keeping North Head looking great. Please keep it up!

Put into service in1898. Put in because of a lot of shipwrecks in the area of the Columbia River Bar. It would help the other lighthouse, Cape Disappointment. Still active but has a automated beacon now.

We attempted to visit but the access road is closed while they are doing repairs. It was closed starting September 15 (2014) and it states the trail to the lighthouse will reopen mid November (2014) with tours not resuming until Spring. When it is open there is a fee for the tour and there is a fee for parking at the state park.There is a second lighthouse accessible from this park that is open, the Cape Disappointment lighthouse, so if you've come here anyway you won't be completely disappointed!

I walked about 1/2 mile from the parking lot to the North Head lighthouse, past the Lighthouse Keepers Quarters, which was so rich and had strong vibes of people that lived there to take care of the lighthouse. Now it is all maintained by the Coast Guard and Cape Disappointment State Park. You can even rent out the lighthouse keepers cottage here if you make a reservation with the Washington State Park system.I swooped in and was able to go on the last Lighthouse Entry visit ($2.50 per person) before they closed up at 5pm. I loved walking up the steep spiral staircase, imagining how they carried heavy containers of oil, to the top, to light the lamps. Lovely perspective from the top of the surrounding rugged coastline. Just around the corner in the same state park is the Cape Disappointment lighthouse.

North Head sits on cliff over the Pacific Ocean. Great views of ocean, coast line and lighthouse.Got there around 6pm and stayed till sunset to get pictures of lighthouse & sun setting in ocean. Easy to get to parking area and short walk to lighthouse.

I found very little about the head lighthouse keeper's house on-line before our stay, so thought I'd pass along some info for others who might be interested in staying there.I just got back from three nights in this lovely house (managed by staff at the Cape Disappointment WA State Park). My daughter-in-law and 2-1/2 year old granddaughter were with me. It was challenging to have a little one in the house, since it's not especially child-friendly--too much for her little hands to mess with. We took one baby gate, but two would have been better.The house has three bedrooms all upstairs, all of which are nicely furnished. Good mattresses and nice bedding. Two of the rooms have queen-sized beds and both have a view of the upper portion of the lighthouse. The third room has twin beds and the view is to the east and the assistant keepers' duplex house. Downstairs is a large dining room, and a large kitchen with a second table. The kitchen is fully stocked with dishes, flatware, pots and pans, oven/stove, large refrigerator, dishwasher, and a high-powered microwave oven. The only thing we didn't find was a pizza cutter. There were salt and pepper, cooking spray and cooking oil (which may have been left by a previous renter). The park provides bath towels, toilet paper, and paper towels. The staircase appears to be original and is quite lovely.Also on the ground floor is a small living area with nice sofa and loveseat. There is a TV and a DVD, but no TV service. Cell phone service is spotty. I found one spot on the front porch where I could stand still and make calls.There is only one bathroom (large shower, but no tub), and it is on the main floor off the back door mudroom. If you need to get up at night, it's a ways to traverse. There are flashlights in the house, but you may want to bring one or two along.The houses set on the top of the hill, and are higher than the base of the lighthouse (way above the tsunami zone). The lighthouse is about a 2 block walk. There are tall trees to the north, west, and east. This house does have great views of the mouth of the Columbia River to the south. You see the north and south jetties, and lots of river traffic. I lost count of the number of freighters and barges I saw. Many in-coming freighters stop in your view while waiting for another to exit the river. This time of year (September) there are lots of little specks to see racing out to the ocean and back in--recreational fisherpersons primarily fishing for fall chinook. Take binoculars or a good spotting scope.Two to three deer came out to feed on the grass every night at dusk (jumping the 5" chain link fence surrounding the house grounds to get at better grass). Rabbits are out in the early morning, and lots of robins. Ledger entries from other renters reported seeing eagles and raccoons, too.Some ledger entries talked about ghost activity, but all seemed to be benevolent. We did not feel “haunted” or creepy, and only had one strange occurrence when a door I thought was locked blew open after an odd sound. It was a little uncomfortable the first night being up there all by ourselves--three females and no one renting the assistant duplexes during our stay. Day visitors to the lighthouse are gone by dusk. But the serenity in the early morning more than made up for it.Sorry this is so long, but I hope there is some information of value to those who might want to stay at this lovely place.

This spot is definitely worth the 100 yard or so walk to get a panoramic view of the "graveyard of the pacific". Still a working lighthouse, with tours, just not fueled by oil anymore. A great experience climbing up to the top to see the Fresnel lens.

After three years of trying to tour the light, they were open! The lady inside was friendly and informative. Had a great time and it was cheap to tour!

Great view of the beach and ocean, with a super lighthouse you can go to the top in. Take shoes that they will let you climb the steps in, no flip flops or sandals.

the view was completely obscured by fog, but it was the first lighthouse i had ever been able to walk up. History is provided by volunteers.

The living quarters and the lighthouse are all in great condition and the information about the history is great and kept our attention.

It's well worth visiting. They do a tour of the lighthouse which is pretty interesting. You may drive there or hike (a very easy hike--we like to call it a tennis shoe hike). Great vistas and the hike takes you through a beautiful Douglas Fir forest. You may also rent the lighthouse keeper's cottages. We've visited multiple times with our children at many ages and stages in life and it's pretty entertaining for everyone. It's open during the summer and there is a $2.50 fee for adults. (Kids under 18 are free.)

Since 1898, at the mouth of the Columbia River, the 65-foot tall North Head Lighthouse stood attempting to protect the thousands of ships as they maneuvered into the river's most-treacherous waters. On this wind-swept 130-foot promontory, North Head Lighthouse is part of the Cape Disappointment State Park and is located off Highway 101 at Ilwaco, Washington. Just take highway 100 south to the state park entrance. In fact, North Head is one of the windiest lighthouse locations on the West Coast. Over one hundred miles an hour winds have been recorded here. For a very small fee, from the small gift-shop inside the tower's base, the knowledgeable and enthusiastic volunteers lead and guide you on a well-prepared and informative presentation about the history and life of the light-keeper and his family. Of recent interest is the exterior restoration work by students from the University of Oregon's Historic Preservation Field School. Extremely worth-while stop.