Point Aktinson Lighthouse - West Vancouver, BC, Canada
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 49° 19.879 W 123° 15.870
10U E 480782 N 5464321
Point Atkinson Lighthouse is one of three that guide ships along the route to the Port of Vancouver, and is set within a beautiful old growth forest in Lighthouse Park in West Vancouver.
Waymark Code: WM71A5
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 08/17/2009
Views: 24
The Port Atkinson is a beautiful lighthouse set on a beautiful rocky point, framed by old and beautiful trees. It stands guard on the westernmost point on the north side of the Burrard Inlet where the Port of Vancouver is located.
The lighthouse is a hexagonal structure that is painted white on the base and tower, and red at the level of the light. According to a plaque on a stone ledge nearby, the structure is 60 ft high and the light is 108 ft off high water. The light beam is powered by a 500 watt bulb and the foghorn has a range of 10 miles. Another site mentions that it is a third order light that flashes twice every 5 seconds.
According to the plaque, the present structure was built in 1912, and it replaced the previous structure that was built in 1874. There is a second plaque that lists all the lighthouse keepers that tended the light from 1875 to 1961.
To get to the light, you have to either pass by on boat, or drive to Lighthouse Park, park in the parking lot, then walk the half mile to a log cabin camp, then turn right and walk a short distance to an open rock outcrop where the plaques are located and a view of the lighthouse. The WM is located on the rock outlook. According to a web site listed below, there are other opportunities that may be closer to the light, but this is pretty close and is easy to get to. Feel free to provide coordinates for other vantage points!
Lighthouse Park is owned by the city of West Vancouver. While the lighthouse certainly is a 'must see', there are other beautiful vantage points all along the trails along the cliffs. What is special about the park, however, is the fact that it is a large old growth forest, with many trees that are hundreds or thousands of years old.
Web Site Sources:
Lorneslights.com (Point Atkinson Lighthouse):
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visit link)
Vancouvertrails.com (Lighthouse Park - with a map - doesn't show all trails)
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visit link)
Personal Site:
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visit link)