Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint

Easily one of the Oregon coast's most iconic viewpoints, the pullout off of Highway 101 11 miles north of Florence provides the first glimpse and the most-pictured view of Heceta Head and the 1894-built Heceta Head Lighthouse when looking north.​ The headland and lighthouse are named after Bruno de Heceta, who explored the Pacific Northwest on behalf of Spain in the 1770s.

​Beyond the view of Heceta Head, the pulloff (roughly 280 feet above the ocean) is also an incredible vantage point for wildlife viewing, including California sea lions, Brandt's cormorants, and numerous other shorebirds such as common murre, pigeon guillemot, and western gulls.

​If you are on a tour of Oregon lighthouses, be sure to catch them all. From north to south, lighthouses include:

1. ​Tillamook Rock Lighthouse or "Terrible Tilly"
2. Cape Meares Lighthouse
3. Yaquina Head Lighthouse
4. Heceta Head Lighthouse
5. Umpqua River Lighthouse
6. Cape Arago Lighthouse
7. Coquille River Lighthouse
8. Cape Blanco Lighthouse
9. Port of Brookings/Pelican Bay Lighthouse

Among many incredible viewpoints along Oregon's rugged shoreline, other notable viewpoints include:

• ​Columbia River from the Astoria Column.
• Cannon Beach from Ecola State Park.
• Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor

Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint is part of the Cape Perpetua Marine Reserve and Marine Protected Areas. This means that there are specific prohibitions against fishing and the harvesting of fish, invertebrates, and seaweed. Check here for specific clarifications on regulations, exemptions, and a detailed representation of the area's boundaries.