Point Montara Light Station District covers 73 acres containing three contributing buildings and one contributing structure.

The Light Station was established in 1875 as the Point Montara Fog Signal, and the house was built for the keepers. The first light was not installed until 1900, a simple lantern hung on a post. In 1912, a Fresnel lens was mounted on a skeleton tower, and in 1928, the existing cast-iron lighthouse was built to house the lens. The old-fashioned fog horn continued to be important because the fog on this part of the coast is often thick enough to restrict even the bravest beam.

The district is a California State Park, open to the public. As with many of California's lighthouses, the structures are operated as a reasonably-priced hostel. For more information about hours of access and about the hostel, see the California State Parks website.

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