Sunset near Point Arena Lighthouse

Mel Gibson made Point Arena Lighthouse and the Point Arena Headland famous with the tragic ending scene of the movie “Forever young”. The area is tremendously beautiful and should be on your list of places to visit along the North Coast. I often drove past the lighthouse and usually arrived after the early closing hour, until recently when I was lucky enough to gain entrance to the lighthouse grounds.

The steep entrance fee may be justifiable to most photographers who come this far, but the audacity of charging whatever they want and lack of interesting subjects near the lighthouse make it hard to justify. Since the entrance fee also includes a tour to the top of the lighthouse, you should just consider the fee your ticket to the top. Going through my notes from 2006/2007, I realized that the fee had been lower in those days.

The views from the tower are exceptional, but the so-called guide only delivered useless information about paint on the tower and the like. If you happen to come here during a foggy day, you should spare yourself the pain and just shoot a few interesting shots from outside the fence (image above).

Since I am absolutely in love with the rough coast of California, it is hard to stay objective. To me, every stretch of coast is different from another and no two places look alike. Friends and family often wonder about my strange obsession, but I must admit that I cannot imagine many things that are more fun than driving along the California Coast and watching it change with every mile. Point Arena Headland encompasses some of the most spectacular coastal landscapes in California.

How to get there

Turn left onto Lighthouse Road from Highway 1, about 1.7 miles north of the city of Point Arena. The city of Point Arena lies about 35 miles south of Mendocino and about 52 miles north of Jenner.

GPS position

• N38 57.284 W123 44.441

How to photograph Point Arena Lighthouse

Fence at Point Arena Lighthouse

Even if you decide not to pay the steep entrance fee, you can still take exceptional photographs here. Since the lighthouse area is only open between 10am -4:30pm (or 11-4:30 in winter), you need to photograph the sunset from outside the fenced area anyway, unless you stay in the hotel on the grounds of the lighthouse.

With a long lens, you can take exceptional shots of the lighthouse including the rocky coastline, you can photograph the sunset and explore other areas of the headlands. Even though the coast is fenced off from the street, you will find a hole near the entrance gate and a trampled path to a viewing area. Taking this path will put you in danger of falling from a cliff, especially since the ground is made of sandstone that is prone to sliding into the sea. Always obey warning signs and keep off other people’s property.

During my last visit, the operators had stripped the lighthouse of its white paint, much to my displeasure.

View from the top of the lighthouse

It is quite difficult to photograph the lighthouse from a close distance. You will need a wide-angle lens, but the distortions caused by pointing the lens up will make the lighthouse look whacky. In the shot above, I stepped back and used the fence to lead into the frame. I did not have to tilt the lens up as far, but I had to place the lighthouse in the upper left corner, which made it look elliptical. You can correct some of the distortion in Photoshop if you shoot digital. Using a Tilt and Shift lens is the best option in those situations, since those lenses can correct the projection.

The highlight is the climb to the top of the lighthouse where you can get a 360-degree view of the headlands. Take your time and shoot everything you like. Switch lenses or use your zoom lens to try out different focal lengths and use your polarizing filter. Include the handrails or some other elements of the lighthouse in your wide-angle shots to show your viewers where you are standing.

Gazebo from the Movie "Forever Young"

A trail leads to the Gazebo from Mel Gibson’s movie. Follow it only if you have plenty of time or if you are a diehard fan.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

If you arrive during the afternoon hours in winter, you can wait for the sunset outside the gate. I generally prefer the afternoon, the later the better. Do not arrive after 4pm if you want to go up to the tower. The area is good year round, but the most beautiful during spring.

Time required

You need about 45 minutes to one hour if you do not hike the trail. Plan to arrive at least 30 minutes before sunset and stay until 30 minutes after sunset if you want to shoot during that time. Unless there are some clouds, it will not be worth waiting around for.

Equipment

• Telephoto lens (200mm)
• Wide-angle lens
• Circular Polarizer
• Tripod and Cable Release (for sunset and small aperture shots)
• Perspective Correction Lens (Tilt and Shift)
• Split Neutral Density Filter (sunset)
• Warming Filter
• Wind jacket and hat

Fees

You need to pay $7/person to enter the grounds, which includes the tour to the top of the tower.

Close Locations

• Manchester State Beach
• Russian Gulch SP
• Point Cabrillo Light Station
• Jug Handle Creek
• Van Damme State Park and Beach
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park
• Bowling Ball Beach
• Fish Rock Beach, Bourns Landing, Collins Landing
• Salt Point State Park
• Fort Ross SHP
• Jenner and Russian River

Useful Resources

• Point Arena Lighthouse Website

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Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

The dramatic headlands north of Mendocino encompass Point Cabrillo SHP with its photogenic light station and historic light keepers’ residences. After the clipper “Frolic” ran aground at Pt. Cabrillo, the salvage team soon found the ship looted by local Indians. The rich logging prospects caused the men to construct the first sawmill here and soon the wood industry flourished. Construction of the lighthouse started after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the subsequent surge in demand for Redwoods.

The lighthouse, a combination of light station and foghorn, is open to the public and should be on your list of things to see along the Mendocino Coast.

Point Cabrillo Light Station will be one of the most pleasant stops on your trip along Highway 1. Shooting subjects are predictable; except for days with exceptional weather, during stormy sunsets or other defining factors, the images you can take here will look predictable too. You can expect a pleasant stroll and a visual record of your presence at Point Cabrillo, which is still worth getting out of the car for. However, if you are a lighthouse fan, you should not miss Point Cabrillo light station. I would also prefer it to Point Arena Lighthouse if you want to visit just one of the two.

How to get there

Take Pt. Cabrillo Dr., about two miles north of Mendocino. Follow the signs toward the lighthouse visitor center where you must park your car. From here, it is one half mile to the lighthouse along a pleasant paved road. If you are walking impaired and have a special permit, you can drive almost all the way to the lighthouse and park in front of the lighthouse keepers’ houses.

GPS position

• N39 20.914 W123 49.567

How to photograph Point Cabrillo Light Station

Pt Cabrillo Light Station

I noticed that the Fresnel lens focuses the light beam so that it is barely visible when you are standing close to the lighthouse. I took the photograph at the top of this page in front of the lighthouse keepers’ dwellings with a telephoto zoom lens, to get the glowing light beam. I took the picture below just minutes earlier, but this one gives the impression that the light is off.

Walk around the lighthouse and look for interesting foregrounds. During my visit at the height of summer, the options were limited, but if you come here during spring, wildflowers will bloom in abundance and the grass will be green instead.

Include a few people in your photographs, but make sure they are far away to keep the center of attention on the lighthouse. Although it is hard to pick people, if you are patient, you can wait for the right group to stroll in front of your lens. A couple of lovers or children are among my favorite subjects.

Though interesting looking, the lighthouse keepers’ buildings with their beautifully landscaped gardens are just average subjects for photography. I found the birdfeeder outside one of the houses more interesting.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Birdfeeder

Morning to early afternoon and sunset are the best times to shoot here. I took these photographs in summer, but spring should give you green grass and wildflower carpets, making it the preferred time for a visit. Foggy summer days can give you good shooting conditions, especially for black and white photography or conversion.

Time required

You need at least one hour, preferably two to walk the distance and take a few good shots.

What you need

• Telephoto Lens (about 200mm)
• Normal Lens (50mm)
• Wind Jacket and a hat
• Patience

Fees

The suggested donation is $2 per person, which is not enforced.

Difficulty Photographing

Pt. Cabrillo Lighthouse can be a test of your patience and that of your fellow travelers. It may take quite some time until people move out of your frame to open up a clear view of the lighthouse. At times, it can be frustrating, especially since everyone is completely oblivious to your purpose most of the time. Stay calm and explain to your group why you need to hang out here for a while.

Close Locations

• Jug Handle Creek
• Historic Fort Bragg and Noyo Harbor
• Fort Bragg Skunk Train
• Ten Mile Beach and Dunes, Ten Mile River
• Russian Gulch SP
• Mendocino
• Van Damme State Park and Beach
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park
• Manchester Beach SP
• Point Arena Lighthouse
• Bowling Ball Beach

Useful Resources

• Pt. Cabrillo on Lighthousefriends
• Main Website

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Russian Gulch State Park

Unlike other parks, Russian Gulch State Park offers many amenities that make it attractive to casual tourists, but less interesting for photographers. You will not find many hidden jewels here, yet photographers can always discover unique perspectives and interesting views.

The park itself offers picnic areas, restrooms, several campgrounds (one wheelchair accessible) and a recreation hall. Miles of trails, equestrian campsites and a pleasant beach make this park attractive with the crowds.

How to get there

Russian Gulch State Park Map (click to enlarge)

Russian Gulch State Park is located about 2 Miles North of Mendocino.

GPS position

• N39 19.743 W123 48.247

How to photograph Russian Gulch SP

The high-arching graceful bridge spanning Russian gulch is the most interesting photographic subject. You need a wide-angle lens, even from a short distance, to capture the entire arch. It is tough to find a pleasing angle including the bridge and the beach without including the cars behind the bridge. The most obvious shot is from the parking lot out to the ocean, but if you want to include a nicer foreground, you need to photograph the bridge from the beach side.

Use Heavenly Opportunity to determine when the sun will set below the arch of the bridge to photograph its silhouette against the setting sun. During very foggy days, completely clear days or very cloudy days I would not spend the energy. On days with light fog or just enough clouds to create atmosphere in your shot without entirely blocking the sun it should be worth sticking around for the sunset.

The park features miles of trails through lush coastal vegetation, culminating in a serene but small waterfall. Although photogenic, you can find more impressive falls elsewhere. Take the trail only if you have time.

The parks most prominent geological feature is Devil’s Punchbowl, a blowhole about 100 feet across and 60 feet deep. During high tide, the crashing waves produce sounds, but water does not eject through the hole and there is no good way to photograph it.

All those fantastic amenities that make the park so attractive for casual tourists make it much less attractive for photographers. I found other parks to be much more interesting, but if you have time and you are on a mission to see as much of California’s coast as you possibly can, then you should consider visiting Russian Gulch SP.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Afternoon and sunset affords you better light, but you can shoot here through most parts of the day. The park headlands will bloom with wildflowers during the spring and early summer.

Time required

A quick visit by the bridge will take no longer than 30 minutes, a short hike to the blowhole another 30 minutes. Hiking the waterfall trail will take significantly longer.

Equipment

• CP Filter
• Wide-angle lens
• Towel (you need to cross some shallow water to get to the beach)
• Sun cream
• Straw Hat (to keep ticks off during a hike).
• Picnic basket

Fees

The $7 entrance fee also covers nearby parks, which makes it well worth spending the money if you have the time to see other parks.

Close Locations

• Point Cabrillo Light Station
• Jug Handle Creek
• Historic Fort Bragg and Noyo Harbor
• Fort Bragg Skunk Train
• Ten Mile Beach and Dunes, Ten Mile River
• Mendocino
• Van Damme State Park and Beach
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park
• Manchester Beach SP
• Bowling Ball Beach
• Point Arena Lighthouse
• Fish Rock Beach, Bourns Landing, Collins Landing
• Salt Point State Park

Useful Resources

• Official Page
• Russian Gulch Waterfall Trail description

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Kelp at Jug Handle SNR beach

Although Jug Handle State Reserve is famous for its ecological staircase, the mouth of Jug Handle Creek that opens into an incredible beach cove is the real star of the park. The park includes about one mile of spectacular coast that is worth stopping for and it harbors one of North California’s finest beaches. Drivers on Highway 1 only get a very brief glimpse of this beach, but many completely miss the park. Take the short hike along the coast or follow the trail and steps right down to the beach to discover this amazing hidden jewel.

You can also hike the trail leading through the ecological staircase, which illustrates five sequences in geological time. The trail starts at the coast and ascends steeply as you hike inland. Take a brochure at the picnic area next to the parking lot. The staircase leads to a Pygmy Forest that is common to this area of California.

How to get there

You can find the entrance to the park about 1 mile north of Caspar Creek or just under 5 miles north of Mendocino and just south of the Jug Handle Creek Bridge along Highway 1. The entrance is on the seaside of the highway. It leads to a small parking lot.

GPS position

Parking:

• N39 22.520 W123 49.000

How to photograph Jug Handle Creek State Reserve

The staircase hike is not worth the trouble for photography alone. If you need the workout or if you are a hobby botanist, you may find it interesting, otherwise you can skip it entirely.

Beach Flowers

Stick to the coast area instead. Many photographers miss this unassuming small park. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the countless pullout options along the Pacific Coast Highway 1, but this one is worth looking for.

Add some interesting foreground elements like the three flower bushes or the kelp (picture at the top of this article) into your composition. I included three bushes, since the number creates tension and thus arouses interest. Asymmetry in numbers and in the division of the frame often results in better images. Three is also a Fibonacci number and a prime number, which our mind perceives as aesthetic.

Crashing waves

I found the kelp curled up in its location. I took the end and threw it roughly toward the beach, using the kelp to visually lead the viewers into the picture and toward the nicely curving beach. The curve of the kelp also mirrors the curve of the beach, which makes it look less out of place. The rocks in the foreground invite you to step on them to get closer into the picture and the kelp leads the way. Make use of the visual elements in your picture to enhance your composition.

Sunrays

Stepping on the stones in the kelp picture, I made it close to the area where the waves break on the stones. I had to crouch down and got my lens and camera splashed, but it was worth the trouble. I like how the splashing water adds drama to the picture and makes the cost look violent.

As the wind creates ripples on the water, the sunrays create interesting shapes in the sand below the water. Take off your CP filter or turn it to enhance the reflections. You need to take off your shoes and step into the ice-cold water of the Pacific Ocean, but as photographers we are all used to doing worse things. Use a very short focal length to get a wide field of view to include the ripples and the sky.

Flowers Bridge and Beach

Take a hike along the beach trail for excellent coastal photography and a good overview of the cove. From here, you can see the arching bridge carrying Highway 1 and the blue waters of the beach. Always use a polarizing filter when you photograph water during the day and watch your step as the cliff drops off steeply. You can dramatize the drop by including a portion of the foreground.

Best Time of the Day and Best Season

Arrive early if you can, before the beach tourists with enormous water coolers, beach umbrellas and obnoxious behaviors litter the sands of this tranquil cove (not kidding). During the week and in the off-season it should be sufficient to arrive before noon, otherwise arrive no later than 10am.

Time required

You will not need a lot of time to shoot the beach. One hour should be sufficient.

Equipment

• All your camera gear (the hike is short)
• CP filter to enhance the color of the water and the plants
• Towel for your feet
• Towel to wipe the camera and lens clean
• Lens cleaning cloth and solution

Fees

The park was still free during my last visit in July 2009.

Close Locations

• Historic Fort Bragg and Noyo Harbor
• Fort Bragg Skunk Train
• Ten Mile Beach and Dunes, Ten Mile River
• Sinkyone Wilderness State Park
• Point Cabrillo Light House
• Russian Gulch SP
• Mendocino
• Van Damme State Park and Beach
• Navarro River Redwoods State Park
• Manchester Beach SP
• Bowling Ball Beach
• Point Arena Lighthouse

Useful Resources

• Jug Handle SNR Official Page

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