• Things to Do: Area Lighthouses: Crooked River Lighthouse





    History: The Crooked River Lighthouse was built in 1895 to replace the Dog Island lighthouse that was destroyed in a hurricane in 1873. The Crooked River Lighthouse is a 103-foot cast iron skeletal tower with 138 steps from the ground to the lantern room. The lighthouse was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1995. Although the structure was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Coast Guard planned to surplus the lighthouse and auction it off to the highest bidder. The Carrabelle Lighthouse Association was formed in 1999 to preserve and restore the lighthouse. Assistance from the Florida Lighthouse Association and the Florida Communities Trust, and appropriations from the Florida legislature have made it possible to restore the lighthouse tower and to create a visitors park at the site. On December 8, 2007, the Fresnel lens replica in the lantern room was lit in a public dedication ceremony. The CLA and the City of Carrabelle are in the process of building a replica of the Light Keeper's House to be located in the park. The structure will include a museum featuring lighthouse artifacts and period furnishings.

    Directions: The lighthouse is located at 1975 Hwy 98 West, approximately 2 miles west of downtown Carrabelle. Watch for a Historical Marker sign and Barb Revell Lane, on the north side of the highway.

    Amenities: The lighthouse grounds contain a covered picnic pavilion, playground equipment that includes a 70 ft replica of a pirate ship, the Carrabella, and a wooded conservation site. Construction of a Keeper's House is expected to be completed in early 2009. The Keeper's House will include a museum, gift shop, and meeting space. Please access the website listed below to determine open status of the lighthouse.

    Hours: The park is open dawn to dusk.

    Contact:
    Carrabelle Area Chamber of Commerce
    850-697-2585

    Website: www.crookedriverlighthouse.com
    Email: sea_lght@yahoo.com