The new lighthouse was designed by Carl Leick, with a 65-foot (20 m) tower set on a 130-foot (40 m) cliff directly facing the ocean and clearly visible to ships traveling from the north.

A Crous-Hinds aero marine beacon was put into use at the lighthouse August 1, 1961, and the light was automated in December of that year.

[8] The original first-order lens is on display at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Cape Disappointment State Park.

Repair and restoration efforts are being undertaken by the state and an independent preservation group, Keepers of the North Head Lighthouse,[8] which is an arm of the non-profit Friends of the Columbia River Gateway.

North Head Light was featured on an episode of Ghost Adventures entitled "Graveyard of the Pacific: Cape Disappointment" that aired in 2018 on the Travel Channel.