It is managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The footbridge to the islet is also closed to the public. Illuminated in 1934, the lighthouse replaced two others that were destroyed by weather. It remains active. Views of the lighthouse are available from a scenic wayside along the Cape Arago highway and from the Oregon Coast Trail south of Sunset Bay.
Good views require binoculars.
An unmaintained trail leds west along the north shore of Sunset Bay, then north along an ocean-side bluff to a view of the lighthouse. The one-mile hike passes through a tangle of coastal vegetation and comes dangerously close to several steep drops. State park officials do not advise visitors to approach the lighthouse this way. The eastern approach to the lighthouse is blocked by gated Coast Guard housing. Camping is at Sunset Bay State Park.