Tag: New Dungeness Light Station

At various times of the year, many visitors walk out to the New Dungeness Light Station. The resident volunteers welcome them and answer questions. But weather and tides can keep the light station isolated and remote, making the experience unique in its disconnect from the typical buzz of daily life. There is cell phone reception, a television, and typical conveniences. But it’s also an opportunity to unplug and breathe in fresh air.

Reality calls but by the time a visit ends it really is pretty hard to go home.

For me the most exciting part of being a volunteer lighthouse keeper at the New Dungeness Light Station in 2011 was — no surprises here — going inside to explore the lighthouse. As you can see, the building is well maintained by the volunteers of the New Dungeness Light Station Association who took over operation and maintenance of the station after the U.S. Coast Guard recalled its last keeper in 1994.

It’s a long climb to the top of the lighthouse but it’s worth the exercise. This is the rotating beacon. Click here for photos and information about lighthouse history.

This view from the top looks west, back down the spit that connects to the Dungeness area bluffs off in the misty distance.

The lighthouse stairs are eye candy.

Yesterday’s post about the New Dungeness Light Station prompted me to look at some of the photos I took while I spent a week as a volunteer lighthouse keeper in 2011. I’ll share a few shots with you so you can explore this beautiful spot without the long walk. Volunteers are driven here via 4-wheel drive vehicles, bringing along all food and provisions for their week’s stay.

The two story residence has three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, and a basement that includes a clothes washer and drier, extra beds, games, and basic supplies. Linens are provided and keepers launder those they’ve used before leaving.

Unless a larger group reserves the entire house those sharing the dwelling will typically collaborate and share cooking and meals. It’s a good way to get to know the other keepers. The kitchen is stocked with most things cooks might need.

There’s a small but cozy reading room on the top floor with a selection of books. Although volunteers are expected to perform a variety of tasks around the property, there’s time to curl up with a good book, walk around the area, watch the abundant wildlife or marine traffic, and unwind.

I recently showed you the Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the U.S. here. The New Dungeness Light Station, shown above, is at the end of the spit, about a 6 mile (9.65 km) walk. I took this shot across Dungeness Bay (which is formed by the Spit) with a long lens. To the right of the lighthouse is the keeper’s residence where guest lighthouse keepers stay for one week stints.

For today’s City Daily Photo theme day, “Look down,” I went back to a photo I took during a stint as a volunteer lighthouse keeper at the New Dungeness Light Station. This shot was taken from the top of the lighthouse looking down its narrow stairwell.

The light station is located at the end of Dungeness Spit, a five mile natural sand spit that arches into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It is remote, windswept, and beautiful.

Click here to see other interpretations of today’s theme from City Daily Photo participants around the world.

On clear days you can easily see Dungeness Light Station from the edge of Dungeness Bay. Getting a good shot of it is trickier without a powerful zoom lens. I can thank Photoshop enhancements for helping with this one.

You may see partially submerged logs in the Bay. Winter storms and currents carry these through the waterways. Some are downed trees that are washed down our rivers. Occasionally some are escapees from log booms.