Gray’s Harbor Lighthouse

We didn’t climb the lighthouse, but we did get a chance to go inside the base and look around. The man working there was incredibly nice and friendly. He knew so much about the history and seemed so passionate about it. He took our photo and chatted with us for several minutes. Such a nice experience!

Disappointed
1) no kids allowed under 40″. What???
2) 5 $ per adult. pshhh
3) infested with mosquitos– we got attacked on the short walk from our car to the front door.
We ran out of this place. Wish I could have seen the top.

Fascinating site! The ground is well maintained, and the docents are helpful and informative. I didn’t go up the observation deck as I didn’t feel like climbing at that time so I can’t say anything about the views.

Nice lighthouse. Kinda weird that it’s not on the actual beach, but I guess since it’s the tallest lighthouse in WA it doesn’t need to be. Unfortunately we weren’t able to go up the lighthouse since we got there after they closed up, but still pretty cool to see from the outside.

I stopped past here on my travels and it’s a super cute place to stop. The signs leading up the trail to the lighthouse are informational and the lighthouse itself is really a piece of work. I didn’t get to go in as it was closed, but it’s only $ 5 which is a super cheap way to get a little exercise and get a great view. There is also a great viewing bench near the street so you can take in the big picture of the lighthouse. I will go back to go up and get my workout on, plus it’s near the beach so that’s even better. The lighthouse is right next to the US Coast guard resident homes which has signs posted that it’s off limits but it doesn’t really seem to be as highly protected (no barbed wire, electric fences, high fences, snarling guard dogs, etc) Really cool piece of architecture.

Today it cost $ 5 per person to go up the still working lighthouse. An interesting bit for me, though the mechanism for the light has changed. The original crystal lens is huge and an amazing work of art on top of a white tower. The tour guide was full of info, but did talk a lot. He did know more about the area and the background of the area and the lighthouse, both past and present than I expected though.
They do restoration as they get funding, while still maintaining the old building. Note: the lighthouse is not on the water as would normally be expected, but their is a reason why. It is tall enough to see over the surrounding trees.

Make sure to call ahead to confirm hours. We toured the lighthouse in 2007 and at that time they were only open Friday-​Sunday until 1pm. The lighthouse tour is worth the price of admission. Next time we go we are going to purchase the membership which includes admission to the Maritime Museum in the Marina district of Westport.
Due to the fact that you have to climb a tight, spiral staircase to the top of the lighthouse as part of the tour they don’t allow small children or people in flip flops on the tour. But if you are able to go on the tour I highly recommend it especially if it’s a clear day because it’s worth it for the view alone and couple that with the information from the tour guide it’s now priceless. The four of us that took the tour spent almost 15 minutes up at the top with our guide giving us information about the lighthouse, the beach and grounds surrounding the lighthouse.
If you are an active duty, retired or military reservist you can apparently camp on the grounds surrounding the lighthouse. Contact MWR for more information. There are about 6 sites on the grounds but no hook ups for trailers/RV’s.

The Grays Harbor Lighthouse (aka the Westport Lighthouse) is a fascinating site. Some of its details are listed below, but I highly recommend it for anyone visiting the coast. The Westport-​South Beach historical society is in charge of it, and they give tours throughout the week. 360−268−0078 is the number to call to make sure it will be open when you get there (or to plan your trip around it). It’s only a few dollars donation to enter and climb to the top, and well worth it. Small children are not allowed (I think under 8), for safety reasons, but even if you have to tag team it, its a great site to see.
Standing 107 feet tall, it is the tallest lighthouse in Washington, and the third tallest on the West Coast. The base of the lighthouse rests on a 12-​foot-​thick foundation of sandstone. The lighthouse walls, which are four feet thick at the base, are made of brick with a coating of cement on the exterior. 135 metal stairs bolted to the wall lead to the lantern room. Originally windows lit the interior of the tower, but to cut down on maintenance they were cemented over when electricity was added to the station.
In 1898, the lighthouse stood just 400 feet from high tide. Massive amounts of accretion, due in large part to the jetty system at the entrance to Garys Harbor, have since built up, and the lighthouse currently stands approximately 3000 feet from high tide.