Lighter Wharf

Lighter Wharf was a pier-wharf in Bolinas, California in Marin County built in the 1850s. Lumber was loaded onto barges (lighters), then towed through Bolinas Lagoon to deeper water in the Bolinas Bay's, Pacific Ocean and loaded onto ships. Most of the Lumber was taken to the growing city of San Francisco, due to the California Gold Rush. Most of the lumber was logged from West Marin. Bolinas Port also serviced as a port for travelers to Marin County. In the summer the lighters had to time travel through the Bolinas Lagoon with the high tide. In addition to cargo and passenger piers, Bolinas Lagoon also had a few shipyards. There are no remains of the piers and wharves in Bolinas Lagoon. The Lighter Wharf was at the northern point of Bolinas Lagoon on the western bank. The site of Lighter Wharf is a California Historical Landmark No. 221. The Lagoon is now the 1,077-acre Bolinas Lagoon Nature Preserve with millions of shorebirds, Pacific Flyway birds, harbor seals, and other wildlife.