courtesy of National Park Service
One of the first lighthouses on the West Coast, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse at Cabrillo National Monument stood watch over the entrance to San Diego Bay for 36 years (1855-1891). What seemed to be a good location, 422 feet above sea level, had a serious flaw: fog and low clouds often obscured the light. On March 23, 1891, the light was extinguished and the keeper moved to a new lighthouse location closer to the water at the tip of the Point. The National Park Service has refurbished the interior of the original lighthouse to its historic 1880s appearance, a reminder of a bygone era.