The Point Bonita Lighthouse was built in 1855, near the end of the Gold Rush era in Northern California. It was placed on a long, narrow, and rocky hilltop, becoming only the third lighthouse on the Pacific Coast. In 1877, the Point Bonita Lighthouse was lowered from its original location to the bottom of a cliff, where it remains today. The lighthouse was lowered due to,“complaints that thick fog frequently obscured the light beam”. The function of the Point Bonita lighthouse was to provide light and an auditory warning to mariners to allow navigation through the dark night, the thick morning fog, and to avoid “submerged rocks or strong currents that could drive a ship into land, rocks, and [other ships]”. The Point Bonita Lighthouse had the first fog signal on the West Coast and uniquely, “the lighthouse is only one in America that can be reached by crossing a suspension bridge”. Also, interestingly enough, the bridge is a replica of the famous Golden Gate Bridge. To provide access to the bridge, a 40 yard tunnel was put in place by Chinese immigrants in 1876. In 1980, the lighthouse became automated, functioning fully on its own.
