11 Puget Sound lighthouses to visit (free!) - Greater Seattle on the Cheap

Here’s our list of recommended lighthouses in the Puget Sound region. In the following list, they are arranged north to south.

All lighthouses are free to visit, though most will gladly accept donations. Lighthouses inside Washington State Parks require a Discover Pass ($10/day, $30/annual). A couple sites have other small fees under $10 per visit. We’ve listed the best days to go, usually when tours are offered or other facilities are open, including the lighthouses, museums, or gift shops. Either way, most lighthouse grounds are open year-round, except where stated otherwise.

Most of the lighthouses are historic sites with non-functioning lights. However, several are operating to aid maritime traffic in navigation of Puget Sound waterways.

Several of the lighthouses are in Seattle or a short drive away. Others would make more of a day trip with a picnic in fair weather. Find a Google map showing the location of each lighthouse at the end of the list.

Admiralty Head Lighthouse in Fort Casey State Park on Whidbey Island, about 60 miles north of Seattle

Lighthouses North of Seattle

Lime Kiln Lighthouse in Lime Kiln State Park, 1567 Westside Rd, Friday Harbor, WA 98250. (About 110 miles north of Seattle via Anacortes Ferry.) Historic lighthouse located on the western side of San Juan Island. The park features picnic areas, bird watching, and accessible beach. Possible whale sightings spring to fall. Self-guided trail. Guides available in summer. Requires Washington State Discover Pass.

Why go: beautiful park setting, possible wild orca viewing, visitor center provides history of lime mining and Salish Sea ecosystem.
When to go: self-guided tours year-round, guided tours from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

New Dungeness Lighthouse, Sequim, WA 98382. (About 75 miles northwest of Seattle via Seattle Bainbridge Ferry) Located northwest of Sequim inside the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge at the end of a long sandspit, a strenuous 2-hour, 6-mile walk (many trekkers give up, but 34,000+ have visited since 1994). Boaters must contact the Refuge office at 360-457-8451 before landing. The refuge is haven to dozens of species of birds, land mammals, and marine mammals. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A lighthouse keeper

Why go: Remote, serene location with museum of history, including Native Americans who lived in the area.
When to go: year-round in fair weather, plan to arrive at low tide, check their website for tide tables.

Admiralty Head Lighthouse in Fort Casey State Park, 1280 Engle Road, Coupeville, WA 98239. (About 55 miles northwest of Seattle via Mukilteo Ferry or 65 miles if driving through Mt. Vernon.) Historic lighthouse located within Fort Casey Historical Park on western Whidbey Island, perched on an 80-foot bluff where the Strait of San Juan de Fuca meets Admiralty Inlet. Deactivated in 1922 but open to the public. Requires Washington State Discover Pass.

Why go: learn history of the area, including Native American tribes and construction of Fort Casey.
When to go: Daily June-August, weekends Mar-May, Sep-Dec. Closed Jan-Feb.

Point Wilson Lighthouse in Fort Worden State Park, 200 Battery Way, Port Townsend, WA 98368. (About 60 miles northwest of Seattle via Seaatle-Bainbridge Ferry.) Functioning, fully automated lighthouse located within a 432-acre park with more than 2 miles of saltwater shoreline and a wide variety of services and facilities, including a full-service conference center and the Coast Artillery Museum with special emphasis on the harbor defenses of Puget Sound as they existed and functioned from the late 1800s to the end of World War II. Requires Washington State Discover Pass.

Why go: see an operative lighthouse and many other features at the park.
When to go: Saturdays May to September. Park open daily.

Mukilteo Lighthouse, 609 Front St, Mukilteo, WA 98275. (About 30 miles north of Seattle.) Functioning lighthouse with a range of 12 miles maintained by the USCG and a local non-profit.

Why go: photos and displays chronicle the 100-year history of the lighthouse.
When to go: Saturdays and Sundays, April to September. Grounds open daily.

Point No Point Lighthouse, 9009 Point No Point Rd NE, Hansville, WA 98340. (About 35 miles northwest of Seattle via Bainbridge Ferry.) Functioning, fully automated lighthouse and oldest of the Puget Sound lighthouses (operating since 1879). Located in a 3-acre park on the northern tip of Kitsap Peninsula. Named in 1841 by Charles Wilkes of the U.S. Exploring Expedition when he found the point much smaller than expected. Listed in the National Register of Historical Places.

Why go: see an operative lighthouse in a secluded location.
When to go: Saturdays and Sundays, April to October. Grounds open daily.

Lighthouses in Seattle

West Point Lighthouse in Discovery Park, 3801 Discovery Park Blvd, Seattle, WA 98199. Functioning, fully automated lighthouse at the base of Magnolia Bluff marks a hazardous shoal at the northern entrance to Elliott Bay. The beacon’s signal flashes every five seconds, alternating red and white. The white light is visible for 19 miles, the red for 16. Stop at the Discovery Park Visitor Center for information about trails to the beach and lighthouse; a shuttle is available on weekends. Parking at the lighthouse is only allowed by permit for families with children under 8, people over 62, and persons with disability that prevent them from walking 2 miles down (and back up).

Why go: see an operative lighthouse and save time to explore the 534-acre park.
When to go: Visitor Center open Tu-Su. Park open daily.

Alki Point Lighthouse, 3201 Alki Avenue SW, Seattle, WA 98116. Functioning, fully automated lighthouse on an active US Coast Guard site at the southern entrance to Elliott Bay. USCG Auxiliarists provide summer tours (subject to cancellation).

Why go: see an operative lighthouse.
When to go: Sunday afternoons in summer (Memorial Day to Labor Day), otherwise not open to the public.

Lighthouses South of Seattle

Point Robinson Lighthouse in Point Robinson Park, 3705 SW Pt Robinson Rd, Vashon, WA 98070. (About 25 miles southwest of Seattle via Vashon Ferry.) Functioning, fully automated lighthouse located on the eastern side of Maury Island (connected to Vashon) in a conservancy park with a sandy beach, natural areas, trails, and picnic area. Side trip: Bicycle embedded in a tree is off Vashon Highway and SW 204 Street, at the northeast corner, about 50-60 ft into the woods on the north side of Sound Food Cafe.

Why go: see an operative lighthouse in a beautiful, secluded, natural location.
When to go: Sundays May to September or by appt. Park open daily.

Browns Point Lighthouse, 201 Tulalip Street NE, Tacoma, WA 98422. (About 35 miles southwest of Seattle via Anacortes Ferry.) Historic lighthouse with a visitor center, boathouse, original bell and lightkeeper’s cottage. Located in a beautiful, dog-friendly waterfront public park.

Why go: learn about lighthouse history.
When to go: Saturdays from May to September, or by appointment.

Dofflemyer Point Lighthouse, Lighthouse Ln NE, Olympia, WA 98506. (About 65 miles southwest of Seattle.) Functioning, fully-automated lighthouse at the eastern entrance to Budd Inlet. It is the southernmost and historically the only unmanned lighthouse in Puget Sound, maintained by a contract keeper who visited the lighthouse once a week, from 1887-1987 until the lighthouse was finally automated Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Since it is llocated on a private beach in Boston Harbor, the lighthouse and grounds are not open to the public. However, you can see and photograph the lighthouse from the Boston Harbor marina docks or Jeal Point to the north.

Why go: southernmost and historically significant lighthouse in Puget Sound. Visit the Marina shop to buy souvenirs, food, or locally caught seafood in season. Stroll the docks, view wildlife, or lounge on the sandy beach.
When to go: year-round in fair weather.

We’ve created a convenient list of these Puget Sound Lighthouse locations in Google Maps.