Route 1 - Big Sur Coast Highway
Point Sur State Historic Park, CA

Historic Point Sur

Point Sur State Historic Park is the home of the historic Point Sur Light Station and an active US Coast Guard lightstation. The park is located 19 miles south of Monterey on Highway 1, and sits 361 feet above the surf on a large volcanic rock. Point Sur has been a navigational landmark throughout history, and the nearby coastline has been the site of several notable shipwrecks, both before and after the installation of the lighthouse. Point Sur is on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a California State Historic Landmark.

The Point Sur Light Station

From the highway you can see the majestic stone buildings of the Point Sur Light Station that have been part of the Big Sur coast for almost 100 years. Lighthouses and lightships were an important part of coastal navigation. The facilities were established for the safety of seagoing vessels moving up and down the Big Sur coast. First lit on August 1, 1889, it has remained in continuous operation. Four lighthouse keepers and their families lived at the site until 1974, when the light station was automated.