Heart of the Dunes 2009

A solitary beacon

Published: Thursday, June 4th, 2009 A solitary beacon The 65-foot tower is one of the oldest operational lighthouses on the West Coast.A 2-ton Fresnel lens, outfitted with more than 600 hand-cut prisms manufactured in 1890 by Barbier & Company of Paris, still rides atop a brass chariot of wheels revolving around a stationary lamp. The antique apparatus casts a warm, red glow ” the only one on the Oregon Coast ” over the Pacific Ocean. The light can be seen 19 miles from shore.

The lighthouse is located above Winchester Bay, just south of Reedsport. A parking area with a whale-watching site equipped with viewing scope is situated shoreside from the lighthouse.Tours of the Umpqua River Lighthouse and the adjacent museum are available.

For info: Umpqua River Lighthouse, 1020 Lighthouse Road; (541) 271-4631; www.umpqualighthouse.org.
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