Desert Lighthouse is a full-size functioning lighthouse in the Mojave Desert near Hinkley, California.

Desert Lighthouse was conceived by Daniel Hawkins (“Keeper of the Hinkley Light”) during an agoraphobic panic attack while traveling through the Mojave Desert. After nearly 10 years of planning, construction on the Desert Lighthouse was completed in 2017 and operations began July 1st.

Since it’s inaugural lighting, the Desert Lighthouse has provided nearly uninterrupted illumination to a complex area of California’s High Desert. Located on the edge of the PG&E Hexavelant Chromium environmental disaster - not far from militarized airspace and the I-15 corridor to Las Vegas - Desert Lighthouse has become a beacon of hope for locals who have faced decades of turmoil. The location has become a gathering place for locals, art tourists, sightseers, wayward travelers, as well as a staging ground for rescue operations for individuals lost in the surrounding desert. Locals were inspired by the lighthouse’s unwavering beacon to build a makeshift memorial for their passed away loved ones at the site.

Every night the Desert Lighthouse keeps its beacon shining, and its internal lights on, for those who pass through that stretch of desert. A series of improvements and renovations called “Phase II” are underway and are expected to be completed in early 2024.