Name and Location

The Port San Luis Lighthouse, also known locally as Point San Luis Light Station, stands at the entrance to Port San Luis Harbor in San Luis Obispo County, California. The official address is 1 Lighthouse Road, Avila Beach, CA 93424, USA.

2. Construction and History

Construction on the lighthouse began in 1890, with the first illuminated beam shining out on February 1 of that year. Although there is no single architect credited with the design, it follows late-19th-century U.S. Lighthouse Board standard plans for small wooden stations. The style is Stick/Eastlake Victorian, with an octagonal tower attached to a 1½-story keepers' dwelling.

3. Architecture and Materials

The lighthouse was built using wood-frame construction on a poured-concrete foundation, originally clad in board-and-batten siding. The tower stands at a height of 32 ft (approximately 10 m) from base to ventilator ball, with a focal plane of approximately 104 ft above mean high water.

4. Light and Navigation

The original optic was a Fourth-order Fresnel lens, which has since been removed. The characteristic light beam was one white flash every 15 seconds (Fl W 15 s), with a nominal range of ca. 16 nmi. Automation led to the conversion to an acetylene flasher in the 1920s, and formal discontinuation by the U.S. Coast Guard c. 1930s.

5. Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is open to the public under guided-tour format, staffed by volunteer docents of the Los Osos Valley Historical Society. Tours typically take place on Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm (hours vary seasonally; check the official website). Admission is a nominal donation.

6. Notable Views and Landscape

Perched on a windswept bluff overlooking San Luis Obispo Bay, the lighthouse commands sweeping panoramas of the Pacific coastline, the Five Cities region to the north, and—on clear days—Point Conception to the south. Coastal sage and buckwheat scrub frame the trail, with spring wildflowers often blanketing the hillside.

7. Anecdotes and Folklore

• In its early years, the station warned local shipping of the nearby Black Rock shoal, site of several undocumented small-boat wrecks.
• Local fishermen recall Keeper William G. "Bill" Moore using rockets to ward off poachers at night—although no formal records survive.
• Legend says a nocturnal "light beam" was once seen sweeping the surf after official deactivation; modern staff attribute this to a rotating private spotlight used during film shoots.

8. Technical and Operational Details

The lighthouse was originally manned by civilian keepers and assistants until decommissioning in the mid-20th century. It was deactivated in 1933, with formal discontinuation by the U.S. Coast Guard c. 1935. Restoration took place from 1998 to 2001 under the Port San Luis Harbor District.

9. Further Information

For more information, visit the official website at https://www.portsanluis.com/lighthouse or consult Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_San_Luis_Light