# Heceta Head

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**Heceta Head** (/həˈsiːtə/ hə-SEE-tə) is a headland that stands 1,000 feet (300 m) above the [Pacific Ocean](/source/Pacific_Ocean) in [Lane County](/source/Lane_County,_Oregon), [Oregon](/source/Oregon), [United States](/source/United_States). The [Heceta Head Light](/source/Heceta_Head_Light) is located on its south side. Heceta Head is named after a [Basque](/source/Basque_people) explorer under Spanish commission, [Bruno de Heceta](/source/Bruno_de_Heceta), who explored the [Pacific Northwest](/source/Pacific_Northwest) in the 1770s.[1] The headland marks the end of a lower-lying stretch of the coastline to the south dominated by sand dunes; the coastline to the north is more varied.[2] Devils Elbow is the [bay](/source/Bay) south of the headland at the mouth of Cape Creek, and with the headland formed **Devils Elbow State Park**, which is now part of [Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint](/source/Heceta_Head_Lighthouse_State_Scenic_Viewpoint).[3][4]

## Historic structures

Heceta Head Light, the assistant lightkeepers’ house, and two bridges located near the headland are listed on the [National Register of Historic Places](/source/National_Register_of_Historic_Places). [Big Creek Bridge](/source/Big_Creek_Bridge_(Oregon)) brings [U.S. Route 101](/source/U.S._Route_101_in_Oregon) across [Big Creek](/source/Big_Creek_(Lane_County,_Oregon)), about 2 miles (3 km) north of the headland. [Cape Creek Bridge](/source/Cape_Creek_Bridge) carries U.S. 101 across [Cape Creek](/source/Cape_Creek), just south of the headland.

Heceta Head Light, a [lighthouse](/source/Lighthouse), is 205 feet (62 m) up the headland. Built in 1894, the 56-foot (17-metre) lighthouse shines a beam visible for 21 miles (34 km) out to sea, making it the strongest light on the [Oregon Coast](/source/Oregon_Coast).[4]

## Geology

Heceta Head is the ending point of an ancient lava flow from the [Columbia River Basalt Group](/source/Columbia_River_Basalt_Group).

## References

1. Bannan, Jan Gumprecht (2002). [*Oregon State Parks*](https://books.google.com/books?id=boFO8l8R7BsC). [The Mountaineers Books](/source/The_Mountaineers_Books). p. 58. ISBN 0-89886-794-0.

1. Byrne, John V. (September 1964). "An Erosional Classification for the Northern Oregon Coast". *Annals of the Association of American Geographers*. **54** (3): 144–145. Blackwell Publishing. [doi:10.2307/323856](https://doi.org/10.2307/323856). [ISSN 0004-5608](https://www.worldcat.org/issn/0004-5608). [JSTOR 323856](https://www.jstor.org/stable/323856)

1. ["Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint"](https://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_124.php). [Oregon Parks and Recreation Department](/source/Oregon_Parks_and_Recreation_Department). Retrieved March 18, 2009.

## External links

- [Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint](https://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_124.php), at Oregon Parks and Recreation Department

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Heceta Head](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heceta_Head) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heceta_Head?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.