Point Bonito

Point Bonita Lighthouse is so cool. It’s a wonderful walk out to it through a hand carved tunnel and across a new wood suspension bridge to the old light house that started in the 1870’s. Plus, there’s wonderful views of Bonita Cove and the Golden Gate  Bridge with San Francisco in the background. Beautiful place.

The Point Bonito location required the builders to overcome many challenges to build the lighthouse, including the need for the hand carved, 118-foot (36 m) long hard rock tunnel and the wooden suspension bridge.

Tunnel Entrance to Lighthouse

Point Bonita isn’t the standard tall, thin lighthouse we associate with lighthouses. Since this lighthouse was built right on a tall cliff, the lighthouse itself is only two stories high. Getting there, we saw a lot of birds and seals on the rocky beaches.

View of Llightkeepers House

Open on Saturdays, Sundays & Mondays from 12:30 - 3:30pm. The trail is paved for a short portion as you go downhill and as you approach the tunnel, steady yourself on the dirt road. You'll need to walk slowly since the winds can be very strong. 

Inside the lighthouse are many interesting and informative displays and artifacts about the lighthouse's past and the importance of the Golden Gate to shipping and defense.

1000 Watt Bulb Example

• Point Bonita Light Station had the first fog signal on the West Coast, an Army surplus 24-pounder siege gun.

• This light is the only one in America that can be reached only by crossing a suspension bridge.

• In 1877 the lighthouse was moved to its current location because the original location was often too obscured by fog for     the light to be visible from the bay.

It can get really cold and windy on there so it’s a good idea to dress in layers. It’s a very rewarding place to go. 

Highly recommended!

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