Lighting the way!Published: Monday, May 5th, 2008
The Umpqua River Lighthouse has guided sailors safely to shore for more than 100 years.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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