Point Cabrillo Lighthouse

Point Cabrillo may look peaceful today, but its postcard-perfect coastline once had a habit of collecting wayward ships. The most famous, the Frolic, wrecked offshore in 1850, drawing entrepreneur Henry Meiggs to the scene in search of salvage. Instead of treasure, he found something even more valuable: towering redwood forests. That discovery helped launch Mendocino’s lumber industry and inspired the community that would become the town of Mendocino. A few decades later, the charming Point Cabrillo Light Station arrived to keep future captains from making the same unintended stop.