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Cabrillo Tide Pools

Cabrillo Tide Pools, San Diego: Hours, Address, Cabrillo Tide Pools Reviews: 4.5/5

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Cabrillo Tide Pools

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See all things to do
Cabrillo Tide Pools
4.5
394
#19 of 469 things to do in San Diego
Bodies of Water • Hiking Trails • Geologic Formations
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12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Friday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Saturday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Sunday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
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About
A short, one mile hike that offers one the opportunity to observe sea life along the shore.
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Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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4.5
394 reviews
Excellent
258
Very good
100
Average
25
Poor
8
Terrible
3
TIMB0
Litchfield Park, AZ207 contributions
Must do in San Diego
Jul 2020
Take the time to go to Point Loma (right by the airport) and visit Cabrillo. You pay $20 per car to enter and it's well worth it. The tide pools are so cool to explore and the erosion makes it look like an alien planet.
Written July 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Emily R
North Ridgeville, OH6 contributions
AWESOME way to spend an afternoon!
Mar 2022
We hiked along the upper rocks and then spent about four hours (the two hours leading up to low tide and then the two hours after) exploring the tide pools below ... But we could have kept going! We saw crabs, hermit crabs, a sea star, a couple of sea slugs, a nudibranch, and an octopus! The volunteers roaming around are happy to share their stories/experiences and direct you to areas where you are likely to see something interesting.

Make sure you have a walking stick and water shoes with a good grip!
Written May 4, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Stephanie P
Kuwait City, Kuwait51 contributions
Lots of fun for the kids (and parents!)
Nov 2020
We spent a lot of time at the tide pools looking for small animals and understanding the different types of fauna that lived there. The kids had fun trying to catch crabs and the setting is particularly beautiful. Such a peaceful place!
Written December 1, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Donald B
Manvel, TX139 contributions
Great Experience! Add To Your List Now!
Oct 2020 • Couples
We have visited the Cabrillo monument a couple of times but this was our first visit to the tide pools. Great trip place to get the family moving around and see a great sight. You should probably bring some good sneakers or hiking shoes and your selfie stick (you know you still have one). Bring a few folding chairs if you want to just sit on the rocks and take in the nature. A small ice chest with bottled water and snacks is also a good idea.

Note: There is a charge to access the Cabrillo National Park. We went on a Sunday and the cost was $20 per car.
Written October 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
MapletonMay
Mapleton, UT40 contributions
A million hermit crabs!
Feb 2020 • Couples
Cabrillo tide pools are fun to visit. We looked at a tide chart, and found out that on the day we were going to visit that the low tide was at 2:00pm. We had seen a very long line into the park a couple of years ago, so we decided to get there about 2 hours before the lowest tide. It was a great decision- as there was no line to enter the park and we could easily park near the tide pools! (I see that parking could be extremely difficult during low tide.)
The pools were fun to walk around and explore. We could easily find hundreds of little hermit crabs and a few anemone. I was a bit disappointed that we only saw two starfish, and not much else. The volunteers were wonderful and knowledgeable! They were the ones that found the two star fish we did see - a beautiful Knobby Star and a very rare Soft Star. Definitely the highlight of the stop!
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Jola O
Las Vegas, NV476 contributions
Fantastic experience during low tide
Feb 2022 • Couples
We visited the tide pools before, but this time we read an article that talked about visiting the tide pools during low tide. Critters get caught in the crevices and it’s fascinating. You can also walk so much further.

The park closes at 4:30 so review the website tide pool schedule on the Cabrillo website. We only had one opportunity to visit before closing time the week we were in San Diego.

Such a fun experience. Loved it! A must do while in San Diego,
Written March 5, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Chris R
216 contributions
Beautiful Views!
Mar 2022 • Family
Beautiful Views!

Visited this location with small children. The employees were very friendly and helpful. Some of the reviews mentioned limited parking. I can see where this might be an issue but we visited just before closing time so there was lots of good parking available.

We visited during high tide so there weren’t as many pools to look at but it was still fun!

Great experience for all ages.
Written March 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Libbie64
Colorado Springs, CO45 contributions
One of our favorite places
May 2021
We love Cabrillo Tide Pools. When my husband was stationed in San Diego with the Navy in the early 80s, it was one of our favorite places. We returned for a visit to celebrate our 40th wedding anniversary and could not wait to see the tide pools again. We spent an entire morning walking throughout the area, taking pictures, and enjoying a relaxing time together.
Written July 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Tourist312273
14 contributions
Awesome place to hike
Feb 2020 • Family
Cabrillo National Monument and the tide pool are our favorite place to walk around. Visits this serene place at least once a month using our access pass from National Park Service. Every armed services veterans can get access pass for free if they have service Donny disability

Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
Melinda R
20 contributions
Great place to take kids!
Mar 2022
We spent hours here looking for all the creatures we could find. There were park rangers (?) around while we were there as well and they answered any questions we had and pointed out interesting things to anyone near by them. This was my girls (ages 11 and 13) favorite thing that we did in San Diego!
Written April 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Cabrillo Tide Pools
Cabrillo Tide Pools is open:
  • Sun - Sat 12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Buy tickets in advance on Tripadvisor. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel at least 24 hours before the start date of your tour for a full refund.
We recommend booking Cabrillo Tide Pools tours ahead of time to secure your spot. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. See all 1 Cabrillo Tide Pools tours on Tripadvisor
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