Cabrillo National Monument

About 30 minutes from downtown San Diego lies Cabrillo National Monument — a gem of a national park named for Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, the first European to set foot on the California coast. Cabrillo left Europe and and spent time in Mexico before exploring San Diego Bay, traveling as far north as the Channel Islands. A museum exhibit chronicles Cabrillo’s life and explorations, as well as early California native peoples and industries.

Located at the tip of the Point Loma Peninsula, Cabrillo is the region’s only national park featuring views of San Diego’s coastline from 400 feet above the ocean. Steps from the visitors center, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse presents life as it was for the light keepers and their families in the 19th century. Built in 1855, it is one of the first of eight on the West Coast.

In a nearby historic military building, the exhibit “They Stood the Watch” presents the history of Fort Rosecrans. It delves into the role Point Loma played in World Wars I and II.

On the eastern side of the park, the two-mile Bayside Trail offers breathtaking views of the harbor and the city of San Diego. On the western side lies the delicate Rocky Intertidal Zone, where leopard sharks dart just below the water’s surface and where tiny hermit crabs cling to the rocks. Also don’t miss the Whale Overlook, one of the best places on land anywhere to observe migrating gray whales in the winter months.

Memberships:
Guests interested in memberships can join the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation.
Annual memberships include:
• Annual Cabrillo National Monument pass (a $15 value)
• After-hours park events
• A Cabrillo National Monument Foundation decal
• 15 percent off at the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation bookstore
For  more details, visit http://www.cnmf.org/mm5/merchant.mvc, e-mail CabrilloNMF@aol.com or call (619) 222-4747.

Operating Hours:
Cabrillo National Monument is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and closed on Christmas Day, Dec. 25. The park is at 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive in San Diego. Call (619) 557-5450 or visit http://www.nps.gov/cabr/index.htm.

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