Crescent City · Battery Point · Historic lighthouse and museum
Battery Point Lighthouse
Wait for low tide, walk the sandbar to a lighthouse first lit in 1856, and tour the keepers’ house and tower, a short hop from Crescent City’s RV parks.
Opens the Del Norte County Historical Society’s lighthouse page. Tours run only at low tide, so check the tide before you go.
Details checked October 2026
Type
Historic lighthouse
Museum tours by the Historical Society
Admission
Donation tour
Suggested $10 adults, $1 ages 5–17
Hours
10 am–4 pm
Year-round, tide permitting
Time needed
Low-tide window
The crossing is about 200 feet
Parking
Limited lot
Shared with beach and pier visitors
First lit
1856
Oil lamps first lit December 10, 1856
What you’ll see
A working light you can reach only at low tide
Time your visit to the tide, cross the sandbar, and tour the keepers’ house and tower.
Photo: JLRPHOTO on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Start here
The low-tide crossing and tour
The Del Norte County Historical Society says visits to the lighthouse and its island are only possible at low tide, across a crossing of about 200 feet. Tours show the keepers’ living quarters with the furniture and artifacts left behind, maritime photographs and documents, and include a climb into the light tower.
RV tip: the Society says posted tour times come from the tide log but aren’t always exact, so check the tide yourself and leave a buffer before the water comes back in.
More to see
- The keepers’ quartersRooms kept as the keepers and their families left them, with maritime artifacts, photographs and documents.
- The tower climbTours include a climb into the light tower. The light was reactivated as a private aid to navigation in 1982.
- Tide pools on the pointAt low tide the rocks around the point are fun to explore. Watch the water: the Society warns that sneaker waves threaten visitors on and near the rocks.
- The 1964 tsunami storyThe resident keepers were stranded on the island during the 1964 tsunami and watched it strike Crescent City through the night. The lighthouse was not damaged.
Why go
Lit in 1856 and back in service since 1982
Battery Point Lighthouse sits on a small islet at the foot of Lighthouse Way. Its oil lamps were first lit on December 10, 1856. The U.S. Lighthouse Service ran it until 1936, when the Coast Guard took over; it was automated in 1953, decommissioned in 1965 and relit as a private aid to navigation in 1982. Today the Del Norte County Historical Society runs it as a museum.
For RVers it’s an easy outing from town. Lighthouse Cove RV Park is about a 1-mile walk away, and several Crescent City parks are within 12 minutes by car. The catch is the tide: tours run only when the crossing is dry, so check the tide and the posted tour times before you unhook.
The lighthouse also has a place in local history. During the 1964 tsunami the resident keepers were stranded on the island and watched the destruction in Crescent City through the night, while the lighthouse itself came through undamaged.
Photo: unknown photographer on Wikimedia Commons (public domain)
Why it made our list
- First lit December 10, 1856
- Tours of the keepers’ house and light tower
- Reached on foot across the sandbar at low tide
- About a 6-minute drive from Lighthouse Cove RV Park
- Rated 4.7 on Google from 1,700+ reviews
For RVers
Visiting Battery Point from camp
The practical stuff we wished someone had told us before we pulled in.
Plan around the tide
Visits are only possible at low tide, and the Society says posted tour times come from the tide log but aren’t always accurate. Check the NOAA tide predictions for Crescent City before you go, and head back while the crossing is still dry.
Leave the big rig at camp
The lot at Battery Point is small and shared with beach and pier visitors. Drive over in the tow vehicle, or walk from Lighthouse Cove RV Park, about a mile away. On October 24, 2026, Google Maps was routing around road closures on Front Street.
Watch for sneaker waves
The Society warns that sneaker waves threaten anyone on or near the rocks and the island’s shore. Keep kids close, don’t turn your back on the ocean, and use extreme care if waves start washing over the crossing.
Bring small bills for the tour
Tours are by donation. Lighthouse Circuit, which checked in August 2026, lists a suggested $10 for adults, $1 for ages 5 to 17 and free under 5; some visitors report paying less. Confirm with the Historical Society at (707) 464-3922.
What visitors say about Battery Point Lighthouse
The visitor report card
We don’t copy other sites’ reviews, but the published scores are worth reading together. Scores checked October 24, 2026.
Visits to the Battery Point Lighthouse and island are only possible at low tide.
Del Norte County Historical Society · delnortehistory.org
What visitors often mention
Recurring topics in Google reviews
The lighthouseLighthouse tourSunset viewsOcean view
Google’s review topics point to the lighthouse itself (377 reviews), the lighthouse tour (46), sunset views (33) and the ocean view (17). Checked October 24, 2026.
Minutes from camp to the lighthouse
Google Maps car drive times, checked October 24, 2026, while Front Street had road closures. From Lighthouse Cove it’s also about a 21-minute walk.
Good to know
Lighthouse tour$10 suggested, adults
Ages 5–17$1 under 5 free
Hours10–4 tide permitting
Tour includesKeepers’ quartersTower climbMaritime artifacts
Hours and tour details from the Del Norte County Historical Society; suggested donations from Lighthouse Circuit (verified August 18, 2026). Some visitors report paying $3 to $5, so ask at the door. Checked October 24, 2026.
Know before you go
Plan your visit
Battery Point Lighthouse
- Address235 Lighthouse Way, Crescent City, CA 95531
- Hours10 am–4 pm
Year-round, tide permitting - Phone(707) 464-3922 (Del Norte County Historical Society)
- TidesNOAA tide predictions for Crescent City
- Getting thereThe lighthouse sits on an islet at the foot of Lighthouse Way in Crescent City, just off the waterfront.
- ParkingA small lot at Battery Point, shared with beach and pier visitors. Bring the tow vehicle rather than the rig.
Tour times change with the tide and the season. If you’re unsure, call the Historical Society at (707) 464-3922 before you head out.
Where to stay nearby
RV parks near Battery Point Lighthouse
These are the Crescent City parks we have written up, closest first. Times are Google Maps car drive times to the lighthouse, checked October 24, 2026.
Lighthouse Cove RV Park
City-run oceanfront full-hookup sites by Battery Point Lighthouse, from $50 a night, a walk to downtown.
Sunset Harbor RV Park
Budget full hookups across US-101 from the harbor, from $35.70 a night or $153 a week; mostly long-term.
Village Camper Inn RV Park
135 full-hookup sites with free cable TV on 22 wooded acres, from $57 a night, two miles from downtown.
Helpful answers
Frequently asked questions
The questions RVers ask most before pulling in.
10 am–4 pm · Tide permitting
Ready to catch the low tide?
Check the tide, bring small bills for the donation, and leave time to cross back while it’s dry.
Thank you to the people behind these photos and this video. Please support them by giving their work a look. Photos: JLRPHOTO (2023; CC BY-SA 4.0), m01229 (low-tide path; CC BY-SA 2.0), Frank Schulenburg (tower; CC BY-SA 3.0), Zandcee (islet; CC BY-SA 3.0), Jenni Sheets (cypress; CC BY-SA 4.0), T meltzer (islet view; CC BY-SA 4.0) and an unknown photographer (postcard, about 1920; public domain), via Wikimedia Commons; the images were resized. Video: Ask For Adventure on YouTube. RV park photos: Acroterion on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) and CampgroundViews on YouTube. Review-site logos are trademarks of their owners.
Disclaimer
RV-Roundup is an independent, community-based resource created to help RV travelers and to support and promote the places we feature. RV-Roundup is not owned by, operated by, or officially affiliated with Battery Point Lighthouse unless otherwise stated.
The information on this page was prepared using the most current details available at the time of publication, including the Historical Society’s published materials and other public sources. Hours, tour times, donations and other details are set by the Del Norte County Historical Society and may change at any time without notice. Before you travel, please confirm details at delnortehistory.org or (707) 464-3922. RV-Roundup is not responsible for errors, omissions, or changes made after publication.
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