At A Glance

Things To Know Before You Come

A visit to any National Park is always more enjoyable with a little pre-planning. Prior to your visit to Cabrillo National Monument, you may wish to find out about:

• Entrance fees. Click here for current park entrance fees.

• Hours that park facilities are open. Click here for more information.

• The low tide time if you wish to explore the tidepools. You can telephone the park at (619) 557-5450, extension "0", or search the Web for online tide charts for the Point Loma area.

• The weather. Click here to go to Weather.com for an up-to-date forecast.

• The visibility. Many park visitors come for the outstanding view from Cabrillo National Monument. Telephone the park at (619) 557-5450, extension "0" for current visibility conditions.

• Special events. Click here to go to our Schedule of Events page.

Facts and Figures

Cabrillo National Monument
"San Diego's Hometown National Park"

Cabrillo National Monument is the only unit of the National Park System in San Diego County.

Cabrillo National Monument
1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive
San Diego, CA 92106-3601

TEL (619) 557-5450
FAX (619) 226-6311
TTY (619) 222-8211
Internet: www.nps.gov/cabr/

Superintendent: Terry M. DiMattio

Cabrillo National Monument Foundation
Executive Director: Karen Eccles
1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive
San Diego, CA 92106-3601

TEL (619) 222-4747

Operating Hours
9:00 AM to 5:00 PM daily

Administrative Office open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday (closed weekends and holidays).

2004 Recreation Visits
(January 1 - December 31, 2004): 914,392

Size
159.94 acres

Entrance Fees

• Private automobiles: $5.00 per vehicle. Allows unlimited visitation for seven days.
• Pedestrians, motorcyclists and bicyclists: $3.00 per person. Allows unlimited visitation for seven days.
• Minors (16 years or under): Free, when accompanied by a paying adult.

Passes

• Cabrillo National Monument Annual Pass: $15.00. Non-transferable pass. Allows unlimited visitation to Cabrillo National Monument for 12 months from date of purchase.
• Interagency Annual Pass: $80.00. Non-transferable pass. Allows unlimited visitation to all units of the National Park System for 12 months from date of purchase. Also covers entrance fees at Fish and Wildlife Refuges and standard amenity fees at Bureau of Land Management areas, Bureau of Reclamation sites, and US Forest Service areas.
• Interagency Senior Pass: $10.00. Non-transferable, lifetime pass for United States citizens or permanent residents 62 years or older. Allows unlimited visitation to any unit of the National Park System, and other participating federal recreational areas.
• Interagency Access Pass: Free. Non-transferable, lifetime pass for United States citizens or permanent residents with permanent disabilities. Restrictions apply.

There is no entrance fee for educational groups studying the resources within the park. Educational groups can contact the park prior to their visit for a fee-waiver permit to exempt fees.

Commercial vehicle and tour operators can contact the park at (619) 557-5450, extension 0, for a current commercial use fee schedule.

Staff in 2005

• 1 Manager
• 8 Park Rangers
• 2 Visitor Use Assistants (Fee Collectors)
• 1 Historian
• 1 Museum Technician
• 1 Supervisory Ecologist
• 1 Marine Biologist
• 1 Biological Technician
• 2 Administration
• 1 Historic Preservationist
• 5 Maintenance

Fiscal Year 2004 Appropriation
(October 1, 2004 through September 30, 2005): $1,330,000.

Plan Your Visit

ACTIVITIES

Activities at Cabrillo National Monument are as varied as the resources:

• Who was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo? Find out more about the 16th century explorer that the park is named for.

• Hiking: The two-mile Bayside Trail affords spectacular views of San Diego Bay and the city beyond, and takes you through one of the last remaining remnants of coastal sage scrub habitat in the world.

• Tidepooling: The rocky intertidal area at Cabrillo National Monument is one of the best protected examples of these unique ecosystems in Southern California.

• Visiting the Lighthouse: Be sure to see the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, one of the original eight lighthouses on the West Coast, restored and refurnished to reflect what life was like in the 1800s. In the adjacent Assistant Keeper's Quarters, interactive exhibits tell the story of the Lighthouses of Point Loma.

• Military History: In an historic radio station building, the exhibit "They Stood the Watch" presents the military history of Fort Rosecrans.

• Whale Watching: Experience the annual migration of the Pacific Gray Whale as these majestic mammals pass by the park from December through February.

VISITOR CENTER

The Visitor Center is a good place to start your day at Cabrillo National Monument. The "Age of Exploration" exhibit, films, and ranger-guided programs present interesting insights into the history of Cabrillo, and rangers and volunteers are available to offer suggestions on what to see. Films and slide shows are scheduled on the hour:

Note: From December 15 through April 1, the film, "First Breath: Gray Whales" will be shown at 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM.

Your Dollars At Work

Your Dollars Make a Big Difference

Did you know that when you come to Cabrillo National Monument, 80% of your entrance fee stays right here to fund projects to improve visitor use and enjoyment, education, safety, and preservation of the park?

We've done a lot with your entrance fees - take a look at some recent and upcoming projects that show your dollars at work.

The park's existing Whale Overlook was built in the 1950s and was among the first interpretive facilities on the West Coast dedicated to watching the annual migration of the Pacific gray whales. Its presence established Cabrillo National Monument as the premier location for land-based whale watching in Southern California. Visitors from around the U.S. and the world vacation in San Diego during the winter months, and over 300,000 people come to the park between December and February to watch migrating whales.

The years have taken a toll on the Whale Overlook, however, and it's time for the existing inadequate and deteriorating structure to be replaced. The new Whale Overlook will include sheltered viewing spaces from which to watch the whale migration and offshore activities. It will also provide improved access for disabled visitors, an area for rangers to conduct programs for school groups and adult visitors, and replace interpretive exhibits.

A major portion (87%) of the $1.3 million project will be funded through entrance fees collected here at the park. We thank you for your support of Cabrillo National Monument, and for making visitor enhancements such as the new Whale Overlook a reality.