When we visited Cape Meares on the northern Oregon coast, we didn’t get much of a view. It was clear inland on that early August day, but the coast was blanketed with layers of fog.

When you enter the parking area at Cape Meares Scenic Viewpoint, you’re greeted by this beautiful sign. Colorful images of local wildlife sit atop rusted metal silhouettes of the landscape.

And then there’s the lighthouse. Can a lighthouse be cute? This one is shorter and squatter than the average lighthouse. It was active from 1890 to 1963. When it was put into service, its lens was “one of the most powerful and largest of its day.”

The lighthouse and a small gift shop are open from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm daily. There are guided tours of the lighthouse through September 30.

The map pictured below shows the nine lighthouses found along the Oregon coast. All of them were built in the late 1800s.

Though we didn’t see much wildlife on that foggy day, I appreciated the signage along the trail. It was well laid out, colorful, and didn’t have too much text.

I hope to visit this viewpoint again on a clearer day to catch glimpses of some of this area’s marine mammals and seabirds.

Lens-Artists Photo Challenge – Places shaped by water

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