Lighthouses of California -  Table Bluff Lighthouse
Table Bluff
Near Loleta, CA 95551
Humboldt County, California
Table Bluff Lighthouse (first lit in 1856) was an early Humboldt Bay navigation aid that operated only a few years before being abandoned due to poor visibility and difficult conditions.

Prints & Downloads

Map

Humboldt Bay Lighthouse  Keepers (Partial list)
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Location


Originally located atop Table Bluff overlooking the south entrance to Humboldt Bay, near present-day Loleta — south of Eureka.​  

​This is the active lighthouse that replaced earlier lights like Table Bluff and the South Spit Light to better guide ships into Humboldt Bay — historically one of California’s most dangerous harbor entrances.​​

History

Key Milestones
  • 1856 – Lighthouse first lit to guide ships into Humboldt Bay
  • Late 1850s – Frequent fog and poor sightlines limit effectiveness
  • 1867 – Light discontinued after only about a decade of service
  • Post-closure – Structure deteriorated and was eventually dismantled
  • There is no current lighthouse structure at Table Bluff.
Interesting Historical Facts
  • The bluff location seemed ideal on paper but proved too foggy in practice.
  • Mariners often could not see the light when they needed it most.
  • It was effectively replaced by the more strategically positioned Humboldt Harbor Light (North Spit) lighthouse.
  • Today, little remains of the original structure.
  • The site overlooks one of the most historically dangerous harbor entrances on the California coast.

Photography

You can easily shoot this location with a cell phone.