New Dungeness

Set against the backdrop of the spectacular Olympic Mountains, New Dungeness is a large shingle spit on the northern coastline of Washington, on the southern shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. New Dungeness was named after Dungeness in the United Kingdom; In 1792 George Vancouver wrote "The low sandy point of land, which from its great resemblance to Dungeness in the English Channel, It is called New Dungeness."

Built in 1857, the lighthouse was originally 30 metres in height, with the top half painted black and the lower half white. The original lantern room housed a 3rd order fresnel lens, although structual deficiencies caused over the years by earthquakes and weather errosion lead to the tower being at risk of collapse. In 1927 the tower was reduced in height as a preventative measure, leaving it at just 19 metres. The lantern room seen atop the tower today is not the original, having been relocated here in 1927 from Admiralty Head lighthouse, which had been deactivated in 1922. This replacement lantern was better suited to housing the smaller revolving 4th order lens that was installed with these works.

In May 1976 a DCB-24 beacon was installed, replacing the 4th order lens of 1927 - this itself was replaced by an FA-251 rotating beacon that was in use from 1989 till 1998. Since 1998 the lamp has been a VRB-25, which is now very common in other lighthouses in Washington. The lamp exhibits a white light with equally spaced flashes, visible for 22 miles.

If you intend to reach the lighthouse, park at Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, and follow the path North towards the start of the spit. The lighthouse can be seen distantly from the start of the spit, or reached by an arduous walk of just over 5 miles each way, mostly on shingle and uneven ground scattered with felled trees and driftwood that washes ashore here. Since 1994 the light station has been staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by volunteers, and is maintained to an incredibly high standard as a result. In 2009 a three year project to replace all of the windows and doors with historically accurate replicas was completed. Part of the main keeper's accomodation at the base of the tower now forms a small museum. As part of their duties, the volunteers often give guided tours of the lighthouse.