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Old Point Loma Lighthouse

In 1855, following California's admission into the United States, the government built this lighthouse on top of a 420' cliff on Point Loma to mark the entrance to San Diego Bay.

 

At the time, this was the highest elevation lighthouse in the U.S. inventory. Unfortunately, at that height, the fog and low clouds associated with the marine layer typically obscured the light from view by the mariners at sea, below. As a result, a new structure was built much lower (88' above sea level), and this light was extinguished in 1891.

 

Now a part of Cabrillo National Monument, the lighthouse is a museum operated by the National Park Service. This image captures the light in the mid-day under the higher clouds that occur along the coast, but typically don't appear inland this time of year.

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Uploaded on September 15, 2019
Taken on August 25, 2019