WALK Historical 👣- Cabrillo National Monument - FREE Entry Day + 2.5mile hike

Wednesday November 11, 2026 Cabrillo National Monument (National Park) San Diego’s only national parks site is Cabrillo National Monument, with its 1913 statue commemorating Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s exploration of the coast of California and its network of trails featuring coastal sage scrub habitat, bird watching and tide pools. What we will do: 1\. Stop In At The Visitors Center 2\. Our Walk - The Center Bayside Trail This trail (2.5 miles roundtrip) descends about 300 feet through native coastal sage scrub, passing remnants of the defense system that protected the harbor during World Wars I and II. No restrooms, drinking water, or beach access. It takes about 1 hour to complete. 3\. See The “Kidnapped” Cabrillo National Monument Statue The original 14-foot tall sandstone statue was commissioned by the Portuguese government for display at the 1939 San Francisco Golden Gate International Exposition. The artist Alvaro de Bree created it. But it arrived too late to display at the fair. A smaller 6-foot replica was featured instead. How it got to San Diego in 1940 is a long story involving legislative shenanigans and a recent widow who just wanted the 7-ton statue out of her garage. (Can you really blame her?) Once it got to San Diego, the sandstone material did not weather well, especially after it was moved twice. It also suffered “visitor abuse”.