In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo climbed out of his boat and onto shore, becoming the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Cabrillo National Monument not only tells the story of this 16th-century explorat...
Admits one single, private, non-commercial vehicle and all its passengers.
Entrance - Motorcycle
$15.00
Admits one single, private, non-commercial motorcycle and its passenger(s).
Entrance - Per Person
$10.00
Admits one individual when entering by foot or bicycle. Groups of up to 4 people walking in or on bicycles are capped at $20 total.
Individuals 15 years old and younger are admitted free of charge.
Commercial Entrance - Sedan
$30.00
1 to 6 / ($30)
Commercial Entrance - Van
$45.00
7 to 25 / ($45)
Commercial Entrance - Mini-bus
$45.00
7 to 25 / ($45)
Commercial Entrance - Motor Coach
$100.00
26 or more / ($100)
Entrance - Non-commercial Groups
$20.00
Organized Non-Commercial Groups include church groups, college/school groups, scouts, service organizations, military, etc.
Vehicles with a capacity of 16 or less are charged the $20.00 vehicle permit fee. Vehicles with 17 or more seats will instead be charged the $10 per person individual rate for any passengers that are not free. The total fee charged for an Organized Non-Commercial Group will not exceed $100 per vehicle.
This Bayside Trail is a 1.86 mile round-trip hike that takes you on a scenic journey through the natural landscape that overlooks San Diego.
An asphalt road runs to the south with a sidewalk along it’s eastern edge. The asphalt road crosses over the sidewalk and continues south down a hillside. The Bayside Trail starts as this asphalt road, while the sidewalk continues up the hillside towards the lighthouse area. A sign post at the junction describes this as the start of the Bayside Trail and provides information about the hike. The asphalt road continues past the sidewalk crossing and eventually dead-ends at a fence. Shortly before the asphalt road dead-end, a dirt path branches off from it to the left (when traveling down the path) and gradually drops down the eastern-ridge of Point Loma until it hits another fence. There is a 340 feet (104 meter) elevation change from the trail-head area to the lowest point of the trail, at its end. The whole hike is a down-and-back hike that is just shy of 2 miles, round-trip. The hike winds its way around natural coastal sage plant-life, which is either dry and brown, or green and flowering, depending on recent rainfall. Part-way down the trail visitor cross a closed, metal door to a searchlight bunker entrance and a pass a small, rectangular, olive-green generator building dating back to World War II.
A stop on the path where the trail bends closer to the cliffside, creating a view of the rock face at water level. This large, rectangular rock usually has seabirds such as seagulls and pelicans on it. Occasionally, Harbor Seals will lay on the rock to warm up. Further down the cliff, bird droppings line the sandstone under common resting sites. There is a thin strip, approximately 3 feet, of native plants between the path and the edge. On the right, there are native plants covering the landscape. The plants continue up the hillside in the distance.
A paved trail head approximately 3 feet wide and 200ft long with ropes along each side. The trail is surrounded by plants from the Coastal Sage Scrub community growing on either side. Immediately to the right of the trail entrance are two gender neutral bathrooms. In the distance, the road leading to the Coastal Trail winds up the hillside. At the top of the hill, the Whale Watch Overlook shade structures and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse can be seen. To the left of the entrance, a triangular structure has informational panels on all three sides with photos of animals in the tide pools. Behind, a trailer sits near the cliffside with a National Park Service logo and a list of donors. The Pacific Ocean can be seen past the cliffside and into the horizon.
The road into the park leads forks in two directions - to the right it leads to a round-about "traffic circle" and to the left it heads to the main parking lot area. In the center of the traffic circle is an island of native plants, a walkway, and a single, large tree. Sidewalk flanks the south and east sides of the traffic circle. A path diverges from the south part of this sidewalk and heads to the Cabrillo Statue. The east portion of the sidewalk has a breezeway covering that extends to the east towards the visitor center. The buildings visible here in the visitor center area are white with dark brown roofs. The visitor center itself is visible past the eastern end of the breezeway covering and is a light-brown, square wooden structure with a pointed roof. It is entirely walled with windows.
At the top of a set of stairs inserted into the natural sand found in the area. Ahead is a close-up view of a landscape covered in Chaparral and Coastal Sage Scrub plants. The bushes and flowering plants carry up onto the hillside. To the left, the path continues with wooden planks used to line the sides of the paths.
This historic radio station houses an exhibit about the World War II coastal defenses of San Diego.
This Coast Defense exhibit is held in a small, rectangular structure that is built into the hillside. It is painted olive green and is accessed by sidewalk, either via ramp or a small staircase. Inside are interpretive displays about the coastal defenses of San Diego during World War II.
The coastal trail at Cabrillo National Monument is a short one-mile round trip hike ranging from easy to moderate difficulty due to a few steep slopes. You can find this trail on the west side of the peninsula, which leads to the tidepool access area. This trail can be started from the entrances at Lot 1 or Lot 2 off of Gatchell Rd. Take Cabrillo Rd. from the main entrance of the park to Gatchell and park at either lot.
The coastal trail at Cabrillo National Monument is a short one-mile round trip hike ranging from easy to moderate difficulty due to a few steep slopes. You can find this trail on the west side of the peninsula, which leads to the tidepool access area. This trail can be started from the entrances at Lot 1 or Lot 2 off of Gatchell Rd. Take Cabrillo Rd. from the main entrance of the park to Gatchell and park at either lot.
A paved circle approximately 10ft in diameter with a 2ft tall border around the perimeter that does not block the pathway. Paved boundary creates opportunity for guests to sit and watch the ocean. To the right of the path, plants from the Coastal Sage Scrub community stretch up the hillside. To the left of the path there are native plants leading to the cliffside above the Pacific Ocean.
To the left of the trail, several feet away lies a patch of approximately a dozen dark green agave plants. Scattered in the patch are completely white agave plants that have died and dried out. Some of the plants have a tall stalk reaching towards the sky. A sign near the path says ‘AREA CLOSED FOR PLANT RESTORATION PLEASE STAY ON PATH’. Native plants fill the space between the path and the agave. To the right, more native plants line the outside of the trail and continue up the hillside.
A sandy path halfway between the paved, circular wheelchair accessible overlook and the stairs leading to the tidepools. The trail is surrounded by plants from the Coastal Sage Scrub community growing on either side. To the west, the land breaks off into a cliff face above the Pacific ocean. Towards the horizon, a streak of ocean reaching from North to South is lighter in color. This patch is composed of giant kelp that make up the Cabrillo State Marine Reserve Kelp Forest.
A large, flat bluff expanse is located at on the western-facing ridge of the park. It follows a short dirt trail that threads through vegetation and open clearings, connecting the lighthouse grounds area to the Coast Defense Exhibit. There are large open spaces interspersed along the trail. The path is relatively flat; however, the trail to the Coastal Defense Exhibit using this route has stairs. There are steep drop-offs along the edges of the bluff.
The Fire Control Station bunker for Battery Ashburn preserves a piece of San Diego's World War II history. Visit during an "open bunker" session to explore the inside of the bunker and learn about San Diego's coastal defenses.
The Fire Control Station for Battery Ashburn is a small, two-tiered structure camouflaged in the hillside. The exposed part of the structure is rounded and made from a mixture of concrete and rocky materials that help it blend into the hillside. A narrow slit on each level of the structure rounds the entire exposed portion of the building. Each layer can be differentiated by the narrow metal plates that cover up the viewport slits for each chamber. The entrance to the bunker lies just behind the exposed rounded portions, hidden within the hillside. A staircase is carved into the earth and descends a small flight of stairs to a door that is hidden beneath a concrete covering. The start of the entry steps lies flush with the ground level and then drops beneath it. At the bottom of the stairs is the main entry door. The entrance area is surrounded by a waist-high, metal pipe barrier that is open on the side where the stairs begin. During special programs, staff sometimes open up the inside of the bunker for viewing. Inside are three different rooms. The first room, immediately after entering, is a small yellow room with gray floors and yellow-painted walls and ceiling. When the bunker is open for demonstrations, it is furnished with reproduction World War II equipment that would been found in the battery commander’s office. A wooden barricade fences off a vertical metal ladder that descends into the bunk room below, which features World War II style bunks. Climbing a small, different flight of stairs at the other end of this room enters into a different room that is furnished with World War II era observation equipment.
The Fire Control Station for Battery Humphreys features an upper bunker for the battery commander an lower observation bunker. These two combined were used as part of a complex designed to aim and fire the two 6-inch coastal defense guns of Battery Humphreys.
The Fire Control Station for Battery Humphreys is a small, two-tiered structure camouflaged in the hillside. The exposed part of the structure is rounded and made from a mixture of concrete and rocky materials that help it blend into the hillside. A narrow slit on each level of the structure rounds the entire exposed portion of the building. Each layer can be differentiated by the narrow metal plates that cover up the viewport slits for each chamber. There is a square metal hatch on the roof of the building. A paved walking path passes behind it and a spur from this walking path curves alongside the structure and stops right in front of it, offering a clear view of the front of the bunker.
This statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo Cabrillo commemorates his voyage of exploration. He was the first European to lead an expedition charting the west coast of what would become the United States of America.
A lone sidewalk path leads to a circular plaza floored with brick. The plaza is surrounded by a waist-high 1-foot thick fence made out of a textured concrete and rock material. The plaza is surrounded on the outside by native vegetation. Looking to the south, east, and west, the plaza offers an expansive view of San Diego Bay, the city of San Diego, and the hillsides of Cabrillo National Monument. In the center of the plaza stands a sandy-white stone statue of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo. The statue depicts a bearded man with well-groomed shoulder-length hair wearing plate armor and a cloak. His left hand holds navigational instruments while his right props up a sword, with it’s blade-side touching the ground and its hilt-side up. Beneath Cabrillo, his name is written in Portuguese. Behind him is a pillar that extends above his height by roughly half- his statue’s height. At the top is a crowned heraldry crest and above that is a cross. The statue stands approximately fourteen feet tall.
The Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook provides sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and contains exhibits about coastal wildlife. It is also a good spot for Whale Watching during the gray whale migration season!
The Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook area consists of a ¼-mile loop trail that passes an observation area with interpretive exhibits and the Fire Control Station bunker for Battery Humphreys. The primary point of interest is the overlook area and its exhibits. Starting down the western-facing side of the loop, you follow a concrete sidewalk and pass an example cast of life-size whale vertebrae and a miniature metal sculpture of a gray whale. Feel free to touch the small relief sculpture or the vertebrae to feel the shape of the whale. The sidewalk in this portion of the path is also decorated with a life-size etching of a gray whale. Containing down the path past these items, the sidewalk becomes decorated with a life-size a kelp etching, shortly before the path gives way to the observation area itself. The Kelp Forest and Whale Overlook area consists of a several shaded areas that line the western-ridge along the walking path. Transparent barriers long the fence-line help provide shelter from the elements under a covered areas that has exhibits on the Cabrillo tidepools, kelp forests, and gray whales. There are concrete benches along the sidewalk in this area to stop and rest on. This area offers sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean and gray whales can be spotted here during migrating season. The new Point Loma Lighthouse, tidepool area, and western slopes of Point Loma are all visible below the lookout point. A waist-high 1-foot thick, rocky concrete barrier lines the western-facing side of the lookout area. Continuing along the path past the shaded observation areas, is the Fire Control Station for Battery Humphreys. You can see a bit of its back-side from the main path, however, a spur from the main path diverts to the west and drops down a little bit to offer a close-up view of the front side of the bunker. The exposed part of the structure is rounded and made from a mixture of concrete and rocky materials that help it blend into the hillside. A narrow slit on each level of the structure rounds the entire exposed portion of the building. Each layer can be differentiated by the narrow metal plates that cover up the viewport slits for each chamber. The walking path continues along, and turns back to the north. This portion of the path has few points of intertest, but offers sweeping views of San Diego Bay. The trail loop ends near where it started as it begins to meet the lighthouse grounds.
On the ground right next to the path is a square, flat, green, metal roof approximately 14ft x 14ft. This roof has a small wooden platform in the middle. Just past the roofing on the ground is a concrete platform that has a track so that the roof can slide away to the side. Inside is a large spotlight that was used to illuminate the ocean. Next to the metal roofing is a sign saying ‘DANGER UNSTABLE ROOF PLEASE KEEP OFF’. The area surrounding the military artifact is covered in native plants. Ahead, the path continues.
The Old Point Loma Lighthouse illuminated the San Diego coastline from 1855 to 1891. Today, the lighthouse grounds and its exhibits provide a window to the past.
The grounds of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse include the Old Point Loma Lighthouse itself, the Assistant Keeper's Quarters, a rain catchment, garden, and flagpole. Standing in the courtyard between buildings, to the west is the Old Point Loma Lighthouse. To the south is the Assistant Keeper's Quarters. To the East is the rain catchment and an unobstructed view of the city of San Diego. To the north, a cement path winds its way down the hill that houses the lighthouse grounds. The lighthouse is a small 2-story white structure with a pointed, dark brown roof. There are four rectangular windows on both the east and west facing sides of the first floor. On top of the roof is a short, white tower. The upper portion of the tower is comprised of a cylindrical metal chamber that houses a lamp. The lamp is surrounded by a lens, and glass windows allow surround the light and lens on all sides of the room. The top of this tower comes to a shallow, conical tip. The assistant keepers quarters is a square 1-story building with a pointed dark-brown roof. The north and south facing walls each have a single green-trim door with windows built into it, and each door is flanked by a single rectangular window on either side of it. Inside are museum exhibits about the lighthouse and a large lighthouse lens on display. A restroom is located on the southern side of the building, from an exterior doorway. The rain catchment is a large, rectangular cement area (comparable to the footprint of the lighthouse itself, of not larger) that gently slopes towards a metal grate for a drain in one of its corners. It is surrounded by a 3' high white picket fence.
The trail opens onto a paved sidewalk with a single row of parking spots. To the left, the path provides space to stand and look over the ocean. Ahead, past the parking lot, is a one lane road with a stop light to control the direction of traffic. A sign says ‘road closed’, blocking it from the public. To the right of the parking lot is the road that leads back past lot 1 and to the Visitor Center.
Located in a clearing to the left of the trail path. The area is sandy and empty. Ahead, a steep path opens leading to the spur trail. The trail does not have many steps and is eroding. To the left of the opening there is a view of the cliffside showing the badlands of erosion in the sandstone. While walking down the path, the cliffside becomes condensed and a banding pattern is visible from layers of sediment deposition when the area formed. To the right, there is a similar view of the cliffside. When looking back inland, the hiking trail continues ahead.
A sandy landscape uneven due to erosion. To the left are three signs with information about the area and a ‘stay back’ sign in front of a steep cliff. Ahead is another portion of cliff face above the ocean. The path to the tidepools is ahead, at a slightly lower elevation made of exposed stone that leads to the left. To the right, the uneven sandy area continues towards a staircase.
The rocky intertidal area, also known as the tidepools, is a favorite spot at Cabrillo National Monument. Each year over 200,000 people visit the tidepools, one of the best protected rocky intertidal areas in California. The best time to visit the tidepools is during the fall and winter months, when we get our great low tides during park hours. During spring and summer, the tide is usually covering the tidepools when the park is open.
The Visitor Center at Cabrillo National Monument is the perfect place to get oriented to the park. Rangers and volunteers are always available to answer questions and provide suggestions on what to do. Here you can: • Find the day’s schedule of auditorium programs and ranger talks • Get your National Parks Passport book stamped • Chat with a ranger • Pick up a Junior Ranger activity for kids • Find out when low tide is • Visit the park store • Many other things!
Learn about visiting the tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument!
Oceanside Trail
The Oceanside Trail significantly increases recreational opportunities by providing an entirely new trail that increases the park’s trail network by over 20% while also offering a car-free mode of access to the tidepool area.
Earn Your Cabrillo Junior Ranger Badge
How to earn your Cabrillo National Monument Junior Ranger badge
Bayside Trail
Learn about what you can see and do while hiking the Bayside Trail at Cabrillo National Monument.
Coastal Trail
Learn about hiking the Coastal Trail at Cabrillo National Monument!
Whale Watching at Cabrillo
Learn about Whale Watching at Cabrillo National Monument!
Tours
Count: 3
In-Depth Lighthouse Tour
Tour the interior of the Old Point Loma Lighthouse and learn about life and work in a lighthouse. Then visit the Assistant Keeper's Quarters and learn about the lighthouse's Fresnel lens and how it worked! Each of the map points represents a space inside of the lighthouse, but unfortunately are not completely accurate. Please follow the written/verbal directions within the tour itself.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Cabrillo National Monument Hilltop
This tour takes you through a short walking loop around the "upper" portion of Cabrillo National Monument - that is, the portion of the park that sits on the crest of Point Loma. Along the way you will learn about many of the major things to see at the park and be given a chance to find a greater personal meaning in them.
Walking Tour of Cabrillo National Monument Coastal Trail
This tour takes you on a 1 mile walk on the Coastal Trail. This self-guided tour offers a view of many of Cabrillo National Monument’s resources. Explore the unique ecosystem the peninsula has to offer.
