In California, as in other areas, the lonely nature of lighthouses makes them a magnet for apparitions. Make your way north to Humboldt County, where a small lighthouse regularly makes the top ten lists of haunted coastal structures in the country.

Battery Point Lighthouse, in Crescent City, is not one of the original eight lighthouses first planned for California. However, it boasts a venerable history. A series of nautical accidents resulted in both financial backing for this edifice as well as quick construction; the lighthouse’s Fresnel lens was first operational in 1856. Humboldt Harbor Lighthouse, which was part of the first set commissioned by Congress, would not be "lit" until six months later. As such, Battery Point is one of the oldest working lighthouses on the West Coast.

Perhaps the location of the structure has contributed to the stories regarding the resident ghost. Perched on a tiny isthmus partially covered by the ocean during high tide, the building is often only accessible by boat or by swimming through cold and dangerously rocky water. In 1964, as a tsunami destroyed much of downtown Crescent City, the endangered lighthouse managed to survive nature’s wrath. Maybe this was due to the resident ghosts?

Lighthouse keepers no longer live at Battery Point; the lens was automated in 1953. However, the building has never been completely abandoned. Today, paranormal researchers believe that there are three presences inhabiting the building. Visitors have reported a sense of being “joined” while touring the facility, of nudging and other forms of physical contact. During storms, the apparitions are more active, perhaps to protect their living brethren. Not much is known about who these spirits are, or why they stay at the lighthouse, but stories of contact with these beings continue to circulate through the community of those interested supernatural phenomena.

The Battery Point Lighthouse is open daily during the summer season, April through September, but only on weekends during the rest of the year, from 10 am to 4 pm. There is a small fee to take the tour of the building, but you can walk around the structure for free. Wear warm clothing and sturdy shoes for your visit, and be sure to use the bathroom before you traverse the isthmus – there are no facilities at the lighthouse. Keep your wits about you, and see if you can connect with those who have gone beyond.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the Battery Point Lighthouse, and have paid for my visits with my own money.

Battery Point Lighthouse, 577 H Street, Crescent City, California. (707) 464-3089 or (707) 464-3922.