Perched on a cliff on the central California coast, 50 miles south of San Francisco, the 115-foot Pigeon Point Lighthouse, one of the tallest lighthouses in America, has been guiding mariners since 1872.

The nearby lighthouse keepers' housing was restored as a hostel by HI-AYH, California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the U.S. Coast Guard.

From the boardwalk behind the fog signal building, watch for gray whales on their annual migration between January and April. Walk through the tidepool area, 100 yards north of Pigeon Point, or through the amazing 1,000-year-old Redwoods nearby. Explore Pescadero Marsh, the feeding and nesting place for more than 150 species of birds, and Año Nuevo State Reserve, the breeding site of northern elephant seals.