Cabrillo National Monument

Infobox_protected_area | name = Cabrillo National Monument
iucn_category = III

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caption =
locator_x = 24
locator_y = 110
location = San Diego, California, USA
nearest_city =
lat_degrees = 32
lat_minutes = 40
lat_seconds = 23
lat_direction = N
long_degrees = 117
long_minutes = 14
long_seconds = 19
long_direction = W
area = 160 acres (0.64 km²)
established = October 14, 1913
visitation_num = 826,615
visitation_year = 2005
governing_body = National Park Service "For the lighthouse in Mendocino County, California see Point Cabrillo Light."

The Cabrillo National Monument commemorates the landing of Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542. This event marked the first time that a European expedition had set foot on what later became the west coast of the United States. This monument was dedicated on October 14, 1913. The National Monument was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 15, 1966.

A heroic statue of Cabrillo looks out over the bay. The statue was executed by sculptor Alvaro de Bree for the Portuguese Government in 1939, who then donated it to the United States. The sandstone monument is 14 feet (4 m) tall and weighs 7 tons (6 tonnes). The adjacent museum screens a film about Cabrillo's voyage and has exhibits about the expedition.

The annual Cabrillo Festival Open House is held each October on Sunday. It commemorates Cabrillo with a reenactment of his landing at Ballast Point, in San Diego Bay.Other events are held above at the National Monument and include Kumeyaay, Portuguese, and Mexican singing and dancing, booths with period and regional food, 16th century encampment, and children's activities.

) are also visible.

At the highest point of the park stands the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, which has been a San Diego icon since 1854. The lighthouse was closed in 1891, and a new one opened at a lower elevation, because fog and low clouds often obscured the light at its location 129 meters (422 feet) above sea level.

s. Many of these installations can be seen while walking around the area. A former army building hosts an exhibit that tells the story of military history at Point Loma.

In the winter, migrating gray whales can be seen off the coast. Native coastal sage scrub habitat along the Bayside Trail offers a quiet place to reflect and relax. On the west side of the park is a small but beautiful stretch of rocky-intertidal coastline, where tide pools are accessible at low tide.

External links

* [http://www.nps.gov/cabr/ Cabrillo National Monument] - Official National Park Service website
* [http://www.researchlearningcenter.com/webcams/index.html real-time web cameras ]
* [http://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/upload/CABR%20Map.pdf Cabrillo National Monument Map ]
* [http://www.cnmf.org/ Cabrillo National Monument Foundation]
* [http://www.cr.nps.gov/history/online_books/cabr1/origin.htm The Origin and Development of Cabrillo National Monument] 1981 NPS administrative history [http://www.nps.gov/history/nr/travel/ca/ Early History of the California Coast, a National Park Service "Discover Our Shared Heritage" Travel Itinerary]