Perched atop 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 lighthouse keeper's housing was restored as a hostel by HI-AYH, the California Department of Parks and Recreation, and the Coast Guard. View the annual gray whale migration (Nov-April). Explore tide pools, 100 yards north. Hike through the amazing 1,000-year-old redwoods nearby. Explore close by Pescadero Marsh, the feeding and nesting place for more than 150 species of birds, and Ano Nuevo State Reserve, the breeding site of northern elephant seals (Dec-March).