# Cabrillo National Monument: Winter Low-Tide Tidepooling & Point Loma Lighthouse

> Place to go for families in the San Diego–Chula Vista–Carlsbad area (CA). Times are Pacific Time.

- When: Open daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Best tidepooling during winter afternoon negative low…
- Dates: Tue, Dec 1 – Sun, Feb 28
- Where: Cabrillo National Monument, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Dr, San Diego, CA 92106
- Ages: All ages; sturdy closed-toe shoes recommended for tide pools; paved visitor center paths suitable for strollers
- Price: $20 per vehicle (valid for 7 days); free with America the Beautiful National Parks Pass
- Schedule: Open daily 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Best tidepooling during winter afternoon negative low tides (tide pool area closes 4:30 PM)
- Organizer: National Park Service
- Official page: https://www.nps.gov/cabr/
- Last checked: Wed, Nov 4

Source: Grassy Knees is a directory of real family events, places and programs for kids across major U.S. metro areas, where every listing is researched from the organizer’s own page and shows the date we last checked it. https://grassyknees.com covers 42 metro areas as of Nov 11, 2026, with more added regularly. About: https://grassyknees.com/about
Freshness: listings are re-checked on a daily research run (latest check 2026-11-10), and new events are added as organizers post them. Sell-outs, weather cancellations and time changes show up on the live page first: https://grassyknees.com/san-diego/activities/cabrillo-national-monument-winter-low-tide-tidepooling-and-point-loma--listing-8422cea0f3072573801591a8

## About

Perched at the southern tip of the Point Loma peninsula, Cabrillo National Monument offers some of Southern California's finest rocky intertidal tidepooling during winter negative low tides. Children can carefully peer into crystal-clear sandstone tide pools to discover purple sea urchins, giant green sea anemones, hermit crabs, and octopuses.

After exploring the tide pools, families can head up to the historic 1855 Old Point Loma Lighthouse, walk the barrier-free whale overlook trail to scan for gray whale spouts through free telescopes, and browse the interactive visitor center exhibits. Park roads and visitor center paths are fully paved and stroller accessible.

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