Things to do |

Explore tide pools on San Diego’s coastline at Cabrillo National Monument

Cabrillo National Monument is a place hikers and outdoor enthusiasts can return to time and again and never get bored.

This is largely thanks to its sheer beauty and variety of vegetation, wildlife and things to do. For example, last week, this guide took readers along the monument’s Bayside Trail, which follows the southeastern side of the peninsula and offers views of Ballast Point, Coronado and beyond.

This week, consider a stroll along the monument’s Coastal Trail, a roughly 1-mile out-and-back hike on the western side. Along the way, hikers can stop to investigate tide pools, sit on the rocks and enjoy the view and take in native Mediterranean coastal sage scrub and maritime chaparral plants.

The Coastal Trail is not very difficult, though it does have some rugged sections and stairs to climb. The trail is not accessible for strollers, wheelchairs or other wheeled transportation.

There are many great aspects of this hike, but the highlight was exploring the tide pools, where I saw sea anemone, small crabs and uniquely shaped rocks. Though the National Park Service says that the best time to visit the tide pools is in the late fall and early winter due to the low tide, my springtime visit — on a perfectly temperate day — made me excited to spend more time at the coast in the coming months.

Visitors can start the hike from one of two parking lots on the western side of the national monument; the trail goes from one parking lot to the other, so it doesn’t matter where hikers start. Driving in from the entrance of the monument, take a right to head down Cabrillo Road, a scenic route that heads south toward the trailheads.

I parked in the first lot on the left, at the southern trailhead. The path heads out from the lot in a northward direction.

The dirt path is lined with vegetation and immediately presents gorgeous views of the ocean. Hikers will walk for a few minutes along the path before heading down stairs that take them to the tide pool access area and bluffs.

Once on the bluffs, assess the tides before heading to get a closer look. If the tide is low enough, hikers can carefully climb down to the tide pools, admiring the life they hold.

After enjoying the water, continue on the trail as it heads up toward the second, northern trailhead and parking lot, called the Sea Cove lot.

The stairs are steep, so take breaks as needed while being mindful of other hikers on the path. At the top of the stairs, hikers will pass by a World War II-era underground searchlight shelter. They’ll only be able to see the roof, and the National Park Service advises to not stand on it since it’s unstable.

The trail flattens out for the final section and becomes a gentle stroll.

Once you reach the second parking lot, simply retrace your steps back, admiring the ocean and the Coronado Islands off the coast of Mexico as you head south.