Cabrillo National Monument

Wildflowers at Cabrillo with the Old Point Loma Lighthouse as  a backdrop

Cabrillo National Monument is one of my favorite places to photograph. The park might very well be one of the smallest in the National Parks system (this is a guess... please no fact checking), but offers a wide range of opportunities from the views of the bay and downtown San Diego, to the Old Point Loma Lighthouse (circa 1855), whale watching or the tidal plains on the Pacific Ocean side of the park.

I spent this past Sunday there enjoying the warm sunshine and super low tide. The extreme low tide is the lowest I've ever see there and awarded me with and almost alien landscape to stumble across and explore. Before I made my way down to the tidal areas, I took a quick run up to the old lighthouse, mainly to test a new lens and how it could be used to capture one of my favorite subjects, the spiral staircase leading up the inside of the lighthouse tower. I found the lighthouse too popular and crowded to capture anything of real value on the inside, but found some of the seasons first wildflowers blooming just outside.

More of these can be found in my Cabrillo National Monument gallery, here.

Low Tide

The time to visit Cabrillo and make the most of your trip there is durring a low tide. When the tide goes out, you can access a huge area of tide pools complete with tiny crabs, sea urchins and all manner of coastal creatures.

It's especially nice when the tide is out near sunset. Since the park is only open until 5p.m. through out the year, I've found it best to visit in the winter months when the sun is setting and you're still allowed to be in the park. The image was taken in Februrary and the low angled sunlight really lit up the sandstone cliffs and allowed for a slight reflection in one of the tide pools.