Iconic lighthouse undergoes major changes

Major changes are happening with the iconic 50-year-old lighthouse on the lake. Crews have been refurbishing the lighthouse by replacing the aged top with a new blue top that matches the main gate entry lighthouses. There are also other aesthetic repairs being made to the structure to restore its prestige. The restoration is expected to be complete this week.

Fifty years ago, in the 1968 fall issue (Volume 1, Number 2) of the Canyon Lake News, a publication distributed periodically by the Corona Land Company, readers were told “Riverside County’s first lighthouse will be making its debut shortly in picturesque Holiday Bay. The lighthouse, created more for atmosphere than a warning and guide for Canyon Lake boat navigators, soars skyward from a man-made island of Santa Ana slate 40 ft. in diameter. Enclosed at the pinnacle of the lighthouse will be a 360-degree circulating beacon that will be visible between the hours of dusk and dawn. The tower is a scale replica of the famed Nantucket Island lighthouse . . .”

Since the beginning of construction, the lighthouse has been a much-photographed landmark. It has been photographed from every angle in many types of weather and water levels.