Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch

California Coastal National Monument

After poking around Ocean Ranch, I headed up the hill to Lighthouse Ranch, one of the 6 pieces of California Coastal National Monument that can be visited along the mainland. There's a loop trail, interpretive signs, picnic tables, and a toilet. If you are trying to get a stamp for your National Parks passport, you probably have to go to the Arcata BLM Field Office. Other nearby pieces of the National Monument are the Trinidad Head Lighthouse to the north, which is only open during certain hours on certain days; Lost Coast Headlands to the south, which has a little more trail but the road in can suffer winter damage; and of course most the rocks and islands you can still see at high tide. This is the easiest to visit.

69: paths and signs — The pathway entry from the unpaved parking at Waluplh-Lighthouse Ranch.

70: dried grasses — The path is well established and the edges get mowed.

Taking the right side of the loop, the trail comes quickly to the edge of the bluff where there's a bench and sign about the Marine Protected Areas. Below is vast beach and the start of Sand Road. In spite of appearances, it is absolutely not legal to drive on the beach or around the gate when it is closed, but the extra road scars persist.

71: beach and a bit of dunes — Parking for Table Bluff County Park below.

72: purple flowers — The greater periwinkle persists from when it was planted in the garden.

74: road behind low dunes — South along the coast, Sand Road on its way behind the low dunes into Ocean Ranch.

75: bench with planted cypress beyond — A rest with a view.

76: yellow flowers — Some west coast Canada goldenrod for some native color.

Following the path south along the coast comes to the last remnant of old building and a sign about the lighthouse that stood here 1892-1971. It was the second of three lighthouses with the first on the North Spit and the last still on Woodley Island.

77: sign and tower base — Coming upon the once 35 foot lighthouse and information.

78: small square of bricks — A better look at the lighthouse base.

Wind through the Monterey cypress, which were probably planted although this is their range, and there's another lookout point.

79: flat lands with water split by dunes from the ocean — Another bench with a view, this time of the full expanse of Ocean Ranch. The fire by the mouth of the Eel River still burns.

80: fire burning in the distance — I tried for a better look at the fire, but it wasn't helpful. It may not actually be at Crab County Park.

81: water in the flats — The somewhat restored wetlands of Ocean Ranch.

From here, the trail turns back and wanders across the flat past one more sign that seems like an introduction. I guess I went the wrong way.

82: path back — Along the path back to the parking lot.

83: purple flowers — Common comfrey, probably descended from a garden plant.

The whole loop is only half a mile. Before leaving, I decided to see if I could photograph some of the swallows that were nesting under the eave of the toilet.