Heceta Head State Park (which includes Devils Elbow State Park) is located in a cove at the mouth of Cape Creek. The light at top of 56-foot tower was illuminated in 1894. ..... Heceta Head Light is a lighthouse located on the Oregon Coast 13 miles north of Florence, Oregon and 13 miles south of Yachats, Oregon, United States. It is located at Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint (a state park) midway up a 205-foot tall headland. Built in 1894, the 56-foot tall lighthouse shines a beam visible for 21 miles, making it the strongest light on the Oregon Coast. The light is maintained by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, while the assistant lighthouse keepers' house, operated as a bed and breakfast, is maintained by the U.S. Forest Service. The lighthouse is 2 miles away from Sea Lion Caves.Heceta Head is named after the Spanish explorer Bruno de Heceta, who explored the Pacific Northwest during the late 18th century. Before him, Heceta Head was a spot of frequent fishing and hunting by the Native American tribes that populated the area. In 1888, white settlers moved into the area and claimed 164 acres of the surrounding land. That same year U.S. Lighthouse Service approved the building of the lighthouse, and the government bought 19 acres (out of the 164 previously purchased) for the lighthouse structures.