Washington Lights | Lime Kiln Lighthouse

Lime Kiln Lighthouse • San Juan Island, WA

Lime Kiln Lighthouse adorns the rocky shore on the west side of San Juan Island in northwestern Washington state, overlooking the waters of the Haro Strait. The location affords a magnificent view of the Olypmic mountains and Canada's Vancouver Island.

• H I S T O R Y •

Built in 1914, the lighthouse was named for the nearby lime kilns and intended as a service to the ships that frequently came to collect the produced by the kilns. The structure was expanded in 1919 and a fourth-order Fresnel lens was added. Two identical keeper's houses were built just yards from the light, also in 1914. Electricity came to the lighthouse in 1960 and the light was automated in 1962. Washington state acquired the lighthouse and surrounding 11 acres from the federal government in 1984. It was then developed as a day use park and opened to the public in 1985. The Fresnel lens was replaced with a modern optic in 1998.

• A T T R I B U T E S •

Location:	On the west side of San Juan Island, overlooking the Haro Strait.
Year built:	1914 (tower added 1919)
Form:	octoganal tower
Composition:	Concrete
Markings:	White w/ a red roof
Height:	38 feet
Present Optic:	VRB 25
Original Optic:	Fourth Order Fresnel
Focal Plane:	55 feet above sea level

• S T A T U S •

The light still serves as an active navigational aid, but the structure is used primarily for whale sanctuary staff who conduct orca whale research. Interpretation and lighthouse tours are also provided by volunteers. The 36-acre Lime Kiln Park is surrounded by another 200 acres of county land, all of which is accessible to the public. One of the nearby lime kilns has been restored to it's original condition.

• D I R E C T I O N S •

From Seattle, take I-5 to Highway 20; follow the signs to the ferry landing. Ride the ferry to Friday Harbor, on San Juan Island. When you depart the ferry, follow Spring Street to the Friday Harbor Airport. Shortly past the Friday Harbor Airport, Spring Street becomes San Juan Valley road. Turn left on Douglas Road and follow it for about 2 miles. Then trun right on Bailer Hill Road. Bailer Hill Road will eventually become West Side Road. Follow West Side Road until you see the signs for Lime Kiln State Park.

• W A L L P A P E R •

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