piedras blancas light station

So glad we checked this out this tour. Only $10 a person for a 2 hour tour of the lighthouse and the surrounding grounds. Learned a lot of the history of the lighthouse operations and the volunteers efforts to restore the natural habitat in the area. Breathtaking views and we were able to see whales.

Took the walking tour this past Valentine's Day weekend...The docent was very knowledgeable and made it interactive for small children on the tour as well.Saw gray whales migrating buy, the elephant seals, wildflowers and the coastline is just outstanding...The volunteers have done so much work on this lighthouse and are excited about future plans for the grounds...i will definitely return.

This place is just wonderful. I love taking pictures next to 140 year old light house. This place is run by volunteers only. I went there on Valentine's Day and there were so many people waiting to go on a tour that they ran out of volunteer tour guides. Get there early! The meeting area is located next to the lighthouse at the old closed motel. Fee is 10$ cash per person, children under 5 get in for free. You will learn a lot about nature, birds, different flowers, sea lions... Seeing whales was pretty amazing! We got to experience 1895, everyone was dressed back in time. Great acting by volunteers and thanks for delicious cookies!! Easy trailed walk around lighthouse. We have learned a lot. We also got a nice long poster gift from them and post cards. What a great job you guys are doing to preserve the area and caring for native flowers and restoring old lighthouse! Big thanks to Abel Martinez he did an outstanding job explaining everything and including my 4 year old. We will definitely be back. Thank you guys!!!!

The work done there by volunteers is astounding! We were givien a tour highlighting the buildings, the large garden area, where they have removed about twenty acres of ice plant to let the native plants return. It is automated now, with the first order Fresnel lens on display downtown, where everyone can see it. Wonderful tour, and worth every cent.

Worth a drive down to this Light Station (Lighthouse) if you are love the lighthouses of America this is certainly one to visit.

I had a very different reason for wanting to take this tour.Over the years, my best friend and I would visit the coast numerous times, especially the San Simeon area. We really enjoyed it. I lost him to cancer about 2 years ago. I always remember us sitting out at the fire pits at the Best Western Cavalier in San Simeon. We would look up and see this flashing light (through the fog) and knew it was the Piedras Blancas Lighthouse. We tried to stop for tours at this one and others at different times, but we were always at the coast during the off season and they were closed. Well, after visiting the website for the light station, I read where you could make a donation and get a brick engraved and installed in a walkway next to the lighthouse. What a great idea to honor the times that my friend and I visited the area. I sent them a check and they replied with a very nice letter saying that they received it and that the brick would be done soon. A few weeks later I received another letter saying it was installed, and also included a photo. Amazing. As hard as it was for me, I returned to the area and took the tour on Tues Jan 13th. The tour was $10, a little over 2hrs long, and very organized. The docent was Harry Thorpe, and he has a great voice and knew everything about the place. At the end when we made our way up to the lighthouse, I got to see the brick. It made me feel good and also it helps to fund the restoration of the property. These folks are really organized and care so much about taking care of it. Buy a brick. If not, at least take a tour. Buy some things at the gift shop. It all goes to a great cause. The light station turns 140 this year. All lighthouses/stations need to be preserved !

The California coast is often beautiful. Piedras Blancas (White Stones) is really such a place. You can take nice photographies.

Public tours cost $10 each and are conducted by very knowledgeable local guides. Tour dates and times vary with the season and you can only access this site on a guided tour. Well worth the time and cost.

This is a great tour of the Lighthouse with lots of info on the history of Lighthouses and Cambria. There's a lot of walking and even more opportunities for great pictures.

It was an atypical day with great weather and we enjoyed the tour. It probably lasted about 2 hours. The docent spoke to us about what life would have been like for the people living there as well as the local flora & fauna. We were able to spot some whales out to see by their blowspots and there were sea elephants & seals nearby as well.

You have to make reservations and be able to meet a 'motel' parking lot so the Ranger can take you to the protected area. Excellent docents/rangers, super sites of the CA coast; lots of wildlife and bring binoculars and a windbreaker!

This Light Station is a few miles north of San Simeon, on it's own little peninsula. Viewed from the Highway One, it is quite a sight (and site). They provide guided tours, which we were unable to do, but the views of the Pacific Ocean were fabulous. This is an historic place with its own history, so try to do this if you can.

Very interest place to visit set in a wonderful location. Once you have been round the lighthouse I thoroughly recommend a walk along the coast line to take in the views and the wildlife. Some great photo opportunities!

i never would have included this visit in my trip if it had not been for the enthusiastic TA reviews. It was a wonderful time, so thanks! My 2-hour tour was on a sunny morning following an overnight storm, which meant beautiful pounding surf and lovely cloud formations. The walking tour was conducted by an excellent volunteer guide, a retired science teacher. About half focused on the natural life in the area. We saw elephant seals, sea lions, sea otters, zebras, peregrine falcons, pelicans and turkey vultures with HUGE wingspans when open to take in the sun. Well, the zebras were actually a few miles away, on the Hearst Ranch property. The second half of the tour dealt with the development and functioning of the lighthouse and related out-buildings, over many years. Overall, a wonderful way to spend a morning in the Cambria area.

I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the Piedras Blancas Light Station. Our volunteer guide, Nancy, was knowledgeable and provided the right amount of detail. The tour is as much about the natural beauty of the coast as it is about the light station itself. There's a half mile walk around the light station and an opportunity to see magnificent views along the trail. The walk is not difficult or strenuous. A definite must-see when in the area.