Name and Location

The Farallon Island Lighthouse, also known as the Southeast Farallon Island Light, is located at 37°41���56.4″ N, 123°00′05.9″ W (decimal 37.6989996, –123.0016501). It is situated on the southeast point of Southeast Farallon Island, approximately 30 nautical miles west of San Francisco, San Francisco County, California, USA.

Construction and History

The Farallon Island Lighthouse was authorized by the U.S. Congress in 1852 and completed in September 1855. The light station has been keeper-staffed until 1972, when it was automated by the United States Coast Guard. Although no longer staffed by keepers, maintenance visits continue seasonally. The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places (Ref. #73000407) as “Farallon Island Light Station” and designated California Historical Landmark No. 735.

Architecture and Materials

The tower is a conical, prefabricated cast-iron structure lined with brick, standing approximately 17 m (55 ft) from base to lantern gallery. The focal height of the light is an impressive 109 m (358 ft) above mean sea level, making it one of the highest focal plane navigational aids in the continental United States.

Light and Navigation

The Farallon Island Lighthouse has a characteristic flashing white every 15 seconds (Fl W 15 s). The original fourth-order Fresnel lens has been replaced with a modern rotating beacon under Coast Guard care. The nominal range of the light is 18 nautical miles, serving as an important aid to navigation for mariners.

Accessibility and Visiting

Due to its remote location and status as a wildlife refuge, the lighthouse is not open to general public visitation. Special-permit tours by boat in summer are available on a limited basis, weather- and wildlife-dependent. Accessible only by chartered research or refuge vessels, with no dock available; landing via skiff when sea conditions permit.

Notable Views and Landscape

The lighthouse is situated amidst a dramatic landscape of sheer granite cliffs, windswept grasses, and rocky outcrops. On clear days, the San Francisco skyline and Golden Gate strait are visible from the island, approximately 30 miles east. The surrounding environment supports over a million seabirds of 13 species, including common murres and Brandt’s cormorants.

Anecdotes and Folklore

Isolation-born folklore tells of keepers reporting seabird “blizzards,” salt-spray storms, and nightly needle-sharp fog. Local legend claims that a ghostly lantern has been seen drifting in heavy fog (unverified). Shipwrecks have occurred nearby, prompting the establishment of the light.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is maintained by the United States Coast Guard under automation since 1972. The managing authority is the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which oversees the island as part of the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Logistics are handled by chartered research or refuge vessels, with no dock available.

Further Information

For further reading and references, please visit:

• - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farallon_Island_Light
• - National Register nomination: National Park Service, Ref. #73000407
• - U.S. Coast Guard Light List, Vol. IV (Pacific Coast)
• - NOAA Nautical Chart 18646
• - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service—Farallon Islands Refuge: fws.gov/refuge/farallones