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If you’ve spent any time up in Trinidad, you’ve surely noticed the Trinidad Memorial Lighthouse overlooking the parking lot at State Beach. But have you ever explored its predecessor – the original Trinidad Head Lighthouse?

In today’s episode of Humboldt Outdoors, local documentarian Ray Olson meets with volunteers from the Trinidad Museum Society for a tour of the historic Trinidad Head Lighthouse, which has been in continuous operation since it was built on the southern tip of the rocky outcropping in 1871. 

“In the 1800s, dozens of ships wrecked on Humboldt County’s rocky coast, and scores of lives were lost,” Olson explains in the video above. “So, the U.S. government allocated funds to build a series of lighthouses along the coast to guide ships away from hazardous rocks and into [the] safe harbor. … This lighthouse was built over 150 years ago, and yet it still serves as a beacon for ships entering Trinidad Harbor.”

Click “play” on the video above to learn more about the historic landmark and former lighthouse keeper Captain Fred Harrington, who witnessed the highest wave ever recorded in Trinidad while performing his lighthouse duties on Dec. 31, 1913.

Want to see the lighthouse for yourself? The good folks at the Trinidad Museum Society offer free tours on the first Saturday of every month between 10 a.m. and noon. More information can be found here.

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