Cabrillo Coastal Trail
A bluffside dirt out-and-back between Cabrillo's tidepool lots with ocean views and historic structures.
- Distance
- 1.0 mi · Out & back
- Time
- 20 min
- Surface
- Dirt trail with rugged, uneven stair sections
- Grade / hills
- 50 ft change; steep slopes and stairs
Start
Tidepool Parking Lot 1, Gatchell Road, Cabrillo National Monument
Directions
Route
- Begin at the Coastal Trail entrance beside Tidepool Parking Lot 1 off Gatchell Road.
- Follow the dirt trail over the signed bluff route and its uneven stair sections to the entrance by Tidepool Parking Lot 2.
- Turn around at the Lot 2 entrance and retrace the same trail to Lot 1.
Good to know
This is not a rolling-friendly path: NPS documents steep slopes and rugged, uneven stairs caused by erosion, and specifically says strollers and similar equipment are unsuitable. Restrooms are at Lot 1, but there are no trash cans along the trail. The monument charges entry and the trail is normally open 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.; check alerts and posted conditions.