Name and Location

Cape Flattery Lighthouse stands at the northwestern tip of the continental United States, marking the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the boundary of the Makah Reservation in Clallam County, Washington. Its address is Plus code 97R7+J8 Classet, WA 98357, USA.

Construction and History

Authorized by Congress in 1856 and lit in 1857, Cape Flattery was among the first lighthouses built to guide vessels through the hazardous bar at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It remains an active aid to navigation. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places since March 16, 1972 (NRHP Ref# 72001267) under criteria A and C for its maritime history and 19th-century engineering.

Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse is a mid-19th century structure consisting of a cylindrical tower rising from a single-story keeper's house foundation. The original wooden buildings are no longer extant, but the masonry and timber framing typical of 1850s U.S. lighthouse design remain. The tower height is 62 ft (19 m) above its base, with a focal height of 34.14 m (112 ft) above sea level.

Light and Navigation

The light characteristic is Group flashing white, four flashes every 20 seconds – Fl.(4) W 20s. Originally equipped with a fourth-order Fresnel lens, the range is 14 nautical miles. The lighthouse continues to serve as an active minor light with an emergency beacon maintained by the U.S. Coast Guard.

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse itself is on tribal land and is not generally open to the public. Visitors may view the tower from designated viewpoints near the Makah Cultural and Research Center. To reach the lighthouse, follow State Route 112 west from Neah Bay to the turnaround near Cape Flattery Trailhead; final access via a short—but rugged—footpath.

Notable Views and Landscape

Perched on basalt cliffs above pounding surf, the light commands panoramic vistas of the Pacific, Tatoosh Island to the southwest, and whale-rich offshore waters. The shoreline is rugged and windswept, with dense Sitka spruce and shore pines reclaiming abandoned quarters.

Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse is listed as a seamark type "light_minor" under U.S. Coast Guard operation. It has been converted to automatic operation, with no resident keepers remaining (exact automation date not in available records).

Further Information

(Note: No further information available.)