St George Reef Lighthouse

I didn't appreciate this monument until I reached my 50th birthday and "woke up" (for lack of a better term). My first four years living in Del Norte County as a high school student found me totally taking for granted the sound of the tide horns, the weekly test of the tsunami warning broadcast, the roar of the surf and the light shining out over the sea from the St. George Reef Lighthouse.

To be honest, I didn't think a whole lot about it when the lighthouse was decommissioned in 1975; I was too embroiled in my own dramas to even imagine what that lighthouse had meant or had cost.

It's sad to me to think that such an important part of our history very nearly expired due to lack of interest. Thank goodness for people with vision and foresight -- thanks to a lot of hard work and dedication to a cause, the St. George Reef Lighthouse Preservation Society has ensured that this icon of American Ingenuity and Know-How will be cared for and will be there for future generations.

A local fellow by the name of Guy Towers was the founder who had the vision to form the St. George Reef Preservation Society in 1986. The Society's main goal has been to restore the lighthouse and provide public access to it.





In the spring of 1996, it finally happened: jurisdiction passed from the government to the Society. The first visit by helicopter was that same year; you can't get there by boat because the boom is broken, and because it's way too dangerous! Ya gotta FLY in a helicopter and land on that 43-foot landing pad!

I haven't taken the tour yet - but one of these days, I hope I can gather the courage to get into the helicopter and go. From the photos I've found, I think it's safe to say the view is incredible!

Amazing cover shot of the book -- the Amazon thumbnail didn't do this justice.

You can see the lighthouse. Due to an atmospheric condition that I don't know how to explain, there are days when the lighthouse appears MUCH CLOSER than the actual six miles out. Driving the coastal road between Crescent City (CA) and Brookings (OR) the lighthouse is easily visible, but there are days when you'd almost swear the rock it sits on has moved! It's quite uncanny, and can give you a spooky feeling if you're not expecting it.



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About 8 miles northwest of Crescent City, there is a collection of exposed rocks and covered ledges; it is upon one of these large exposed rocks that the St. George Reef Lighthouse sits.

The name dates back to 1792, when George Vancouver applied the name "Dragon Rocks" to this most treacherous area of sea. If you don't know the story of St. George and the Dragon, it probably won't mean anything to you that the nearest point of land was named Point Saint George in hopes that this dragon might one day be slain.

On July 30, in 1865, the Brother Jonathan went down on the reef and many lives were lost. It was that wreck that gave impetus for the building of this incredible feat of engineering.

Pt. St. George still carries the name, and has public beach access. Dress warmly -- the winds are quite brisk!