The hook
One of the tallest lighthouses on the West Coast, with a hostel in the keepers' houses and a hot tub bolted to the edge of the cliff.
01Why it's worth it
Pigeon Point's 115-foot tower stands on a bluff where the coast feels remote. The old fog-signal and keepers' buildings are now a hostel, so you can sleep on the point cheaply, cook in a shared kitchen, and, best of all, reserve a private half-hour in the hot tub perched right on the cliff over the surf. Even if you don't stay, it earns a stop: tide pools below, whales offshore in season, and a lighthouse that photographs like the end of the world at sunset. It's the classic overnight on any Highway 1 bike trip down this coast, and the reason a lot of people ride out here at all.
02How to experience it
For the hostel, book ahead (summer weekends fill) and reserve a hot-tub slot when you check in; slots run in the evening. Day visitors can walk the grounds and the bluff for free. It sits midway between Pescadero and Año Nuevo, so time your arrival for sunset.
From the locals
Bay Area residents count this stretch among the coast's crown jewels. When the state moved to protect a run of shoreline nearby, one summed up the local regard for it in a line: "another jewel in the crown, with Pigeon Point and Bean Hollow."