Heceta Head Lighthouse, located on the Heceta headland at an elevation of 205 feet (62 m), is approximately 13 miles (21 km) north of Florence and 13 miles (21 km) south of Yachats, Oregon. The site, now known as the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint, was built in 1894 and serves as an important aid to navigation. Positioned between the Yaquina Head Lighthouse to the north and the Cape Arago Lighthouse to the south, it emits a beam visible for 21 nautical miles (39 km). This makes it the most powerful light on the Oregon Coast.

Heceta Head was named in 1862 by George Davidson of the Coast Survey after Bruno de Heceta, a Spanish explorer who navigated the Pacific Northwest in the late 18th century. Before Euro-American contact, the area was a frequent fishing and hunting ground for Native American tribes. The headland is part of the traditional lands of the Siuslaw, and known in their language as ɫtúwɪs. Historically, the Siuslaw lived along the Siuslaw River in western Oregon. In the 1880s, they had 34 distinct villages and hunted sea lions and gathered seabird eggs from offshore rocks.

In 1888, white settlers moved into the area, claiming 164 acres (66 ha) of surrounding land. In 1891, the U.S. Lighthouse Service purchased a 19-acre (7.7 ha) parcel from the homesteaders. That same year, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated 239 acres (97 ha) of public land as a lighthouse reservation to allow for potential expansion and prevent encroachment on the lighthouse area. In 1891, the Lighthouse Service approved the construction of a lighthouse. A pioneer road to Florence was completed in 1892. The 56-foot (17 m) lighthouse tower was completed in 1893. The following year, a first-order Fresnel lens, built by the Chance Brothers of Birmingham, England, arrived on the vessel Manzanita, and the light was activated. Read more here and here. Explore more of Heceta Head Lighthouse and Heceta Head here: