Only 14 miles from the Museum, the two-mile Bayside Trail takes you through windswept chaparral and coastal sage scrub clinging to the cliffs. Offering amazing views of the San Diego harbor and the city’s skyline, the trail starts at Cabrillo National Monument and the land where Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo became the first European to set foot on the west coast of the United States in 1542.

Operated by the National Park Service, the Visitor Center at Cabrillo National Monument is a good place to familiarize yourself with the natural and cultural history of the park. Ranger-guided walks allow you to explore the park’s many features like coastal tidepools, the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, or even 16th century navigation and armaments.

Explore on your own or join theNAT’s Canyoneers for this and other guided hikes in southern California.

Did you know? More than 200 different species of land, shore, and sea birds have been recorded at Cabrillo National Monument.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Varnell, Canyoneers