| Area: 145 Acres | ||
| Lat: 32.670879 | ||
| Lon: 117.242626 | ||
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Pam Starr
Alyn Robert Brereton
Julie MacKinnon
Linda Pittman
Parham Pourahmad
Larry Whiting
Randall Finley
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| Cabrillo National Monument - Site # 42 | |||
| A windswept place that offers some of southern California's best views of endangered California gray whales from December through February. | |||
 | Premium - the most significant sites, worth visiting if you have limited time. Premium sites have high wildlife values year-round, staff on site, interpretive programs and/or displays, and well-developed facilities. | ||
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| Background: | Coastal sage scrub covers bluffs above the coast's rocky shoreline, a windswept place that offers some of southern California's best views of endangered California gray whales. Rock-bound tidepools teem with sea hares, starfish, sand castle worms, and other marine life. Wandering tattlers, marbled godwits, ruddy turnstones, and other shorebird species follow the tides, each using a specialized bill to probe beneath the sand. The Bayside Trail meanders along bluffs patrolled by prairie falcons, great-horned owls, and other birds of prey. The offshore skies and water are the domain of cormorants, terns, gulls, and brown pelicans. Wooded thickets near the visitor center hide warblers, towhees, hummingbirds, and many accidentals. Watch here for gray foxes in the mornings and evenings. | ||
| The park overlooks the entrance to San Diego Harbor and spectacular vistas of the coast and greater San Diego. The park interprets Portuguese and Spanish coastal exploration, Native American exploration and Lighthouse keepers. | |||
| The Experience: | This is a significant remnant of the rare Mediterranean Ecosytem and provides access to ocean tidepools. | ||
| Wildlife and Where to Find It: | Car, trails and overlooks | ||
| Viewing Tips: | More than 375 bird species. High probability of seeing shorebirds and wading birds in fall and winter, birds of prey and songbirds from fall through spring. Tidepools are best at low tide from October through April. Watch for gray whales from December through February. PLEASE DO NOT DISTURB OR COLLECT FROM TIDEPOOLS. | ||
| Festivals & Events: | Cabrillo Whale Festival to celebrate the southward winter migration of California Gray Whales. | ||
| Visitor Information: | San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau - (619) 236-1212 - http://www.sandiego.org | ||
| Viewing Site Hours of Operation are: | |||
| Staff On-site: | Yes | ||
| Open: | Everday | ||
| Hours: | |||
| Year Round: | Yes | ||
| Road Information: |  Paved. | ||
| Roads available year-round. | |||
| Road Hazards: No | |||
 Number of Parking Spaces: 0 | |||
| Parking Fee: Yes | |||
| Proximity to viewing area: | |||
 Pull-Through Parking: | |||
| Parking Notes: | |||
| How to Get There: | In San Diego, from Interstate 5 or 8, take Highway 209 exit south about 6 miles and follow park signs to entrance. | ||
| Contact Information | |||
| Managing Agency: | National Park Service | ||
| Agency Site URL: | http://www.nps.gov/cabr | ||
| Physical Address: | 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive San Diego, CA 92106-3601 |
Agency 2: | 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive San Diego, CA 92106-3601 |
| Manager Phone: | (619) 557-5450 | Contact Us: | by Email |
| Site Phone: | (619) 557-5450 | ||
| County: | San Diego | ||
| Addition Website: | |||