Cow Head Lighthouse

Cow Head Lighthouse is a two-storey, 18-foot steel tower on a grassy rise on the west side of Cow Head’s peninsula. Its white body, red arched door and gallery rail make it a distinctive little landmark among the trees. Come for the maritime history and the coastal setting, not a towering beacon isolated on a bare point.

Built in 1908 and first lit in 1909, the light guided vessels along this stretch of Newfoundland’s west coast until Transport Canada discontinued it in 1988. The tower was restored in 2002 and declared a municipal heritage building in 2003. The compact structure is easy to take in up close, from its riveted steel sides to the projecting gallery.

From Main Street, turn onto Veteran’s Drive and cross the narrow isthmus to The Head; Lighthouse Path leads to the structure. A short lighthouse loop is commonly listed at roughly 1.5 km, while longer routes continue toward Sandy Point and the peninsula’s tip. Those descriptions cover different walks, so check the route you plan to follow rather than assume every listing uses the same circuit. For photos, keep the grassy rise and some of the surrounding woodland in frame instead of filling the picture with white tower alone.