Washington - New Dungeness Lighthouse

New Dungeness Lighthouse is very unique. Not because of its structure, but because of its location. It was built in 1857 on the Dungeness Spit which is 5 miles long. This spit is the largest natural sand hook in the nation. The lighthouse is the oldest beacon north of the Columbia River. In 1927 the Fresnel lens from the Admiralty Light was given to New Dungeness. At the time of my visit here in 1999, the light was automated and volunteers operated the lighthouse daily and gave tours. They volunteered for a month at a time, and were transported to the lighthouse via four wheel drive vehicles. Visitors to this lighthouse have to truly want to see it because of its location. The morning of my visit, there was a heavy fog, so visibility was down to about 200 feet. Due to the sand of the spit being so deep and soft it was a hard walk, so fatigue set in before arriving at the lighthouse. After the 5 mile walk in the fog and mist, our hair and clothing were wet. Although the fog had lifted some by the time my wife and I arrived, it was still visible as you can see in the top picture. Although the same 5 miles seemed like 10 miles walking back to the truck, I have never regretted my visit to this lighthouse.