Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse: history, views and tours

A lighthouse with a long reach

The Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse stands on the north side of Hillsboro Inlet, the channel that links the Intracoastal Waterway to the Atlantic at the top of Pompano Beach. Its iron skeleton tower was fabricated by Russell Wheel and Foundry of Detroit and assembled on site, and the light was first lit in March 1907. The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society gives its height as 136 feet to the lens room and 147 feet at the highest point.

The light was fully automated in 1973. Coast Guard keepers served at the station until 2002, and in 2013 the Coast Guard handed maintenance duties to the preservation society. The nearby city of Lighthouse Point takes its name from it.

The Barefoot Mailman

The station is also tied to the story of the Barefoot Mailman, the carriers who walked the beach to deliver mail along this coast in the late 1800s before there were roads. A bronze statue of the mailman stands at the station today.

Where to see the lighthouse

The tower sits on private land on the Hillsboro Beach side of the inlet, so you cannot simply drive up to it. The easiest public view is from the Pompano Beach side. Hillsboro Inlet Park, at 2700 N Ocean Blvd, sits along the south side of the inlet and looks straight across at the tower. The preservation society also runs its museum at the inlet park.

You can also see it from the water. Charter fishing boats run out through the inlet right past the tower. Our guide to fishing charters from Hillsboro Inlet covers the boats that leave from here.

Best time for photos

Late afternoon light falls on the tower from the west and makes it glow against the sky. After dark you can watch the beam sweep over the water from the beach to the south.

How the lighthouse tours work

The Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society runs the only regular way inside the grounds: boat tours on a limited number of dates each year. A few things to know before you plan around one:

• Membership is required. To take a tour you join the society. You can join online or in person at the dock on tour day.
• Seats are first come, first served. The society does not take individual seat reservations, and it suggests arriving 15 to 20 minutes early, especially in peak season.
• Boats run in a loop. Boats leave the departure dock on the hour and leave the lighthouse docks on the half hour, so you can choose how long to stay.
• The tour includes the boat ride both ways, a tour of the grounds and the option to climb the tower.

Leave the beach gear at home. The society asks visitors not to bring beach chairs, umbrellas, towels, toys, coolers, glass bottles, alcohol or water sports gear such as snorkels or fishing equipment. The climb has its own rules about footwear and age or height for children, so read them on the tours page before you go.

Tour dates, departure point, membership dues and climbing rules are set by the Hillsboro Lighthouse Preservation Society and change from year to year. Check hillsborolighthouse.org before you go.

Make a morning of it

Tour days pair well with a slow start on the beach and lunch near the water. If you are not on a tour date, combine a look at the lighthouse with a drive up to Lighthouse Point, or spend the morning on the Pompano Beach Pier and the afternoon at the inlet park. More ideas are in our Pompano Beach, FL guide.

Why the light matters

For more than a century the Hillsboro light has marked this stretch of coast for ships and fishing boats. It still shines over the inlet every night, and since 2013 the preservation society has looked after the tower and grounds, a job the Coast Guard handed over after keepers left the station in 2002.

For boaters today, the inlet is one of the busiest in the area, used by charter fleets, private boats and dive operators heading out to the reef. Watching boats run the inlet from the park is a pastime for locals, especially on weekend mornings.

Tips for tour day

• Arrive early. Seating is first come, first served.
• Wear comfortable closed shoes if you plan to climb.
• Bring water and sun protection for the grounds.
• Leave coolers, chairs and beach gear behind.

If a tour date does not fit your stay, the view from the inlet park is still worth the short drive, especially near sunset.

Stay near the beach

Pompano Breeze is a 2-minute walk from the beach in Pompano Beach, with free parking for the drive up to the inlet. Studios sleep 2 to 3 and suites sleep 4 to 5. Check availability and book direct with no platform fees.