Best Time to Visit Cabrillo National Monument
SeptemberBest month to visit
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Visit Cabrillo in September
September offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). For comparison, July is the most crowded month (~1.3× the average month) and September is the quietest.
Annual visits
846K
2024
Busiest month
Jul
1.3× avg
Quietest month
Sep
0.9× avg
10-yr trend
falling
-17.2%
More photos of Cabrillo
Photos courtesy of the National Park Service (public domain).
How crowded is Cabrillo by month?
Relative crowd level by month (1.0 = the park's average month), from NPS visitation records 1979–2025.
Month-by-month crowd, weather & daylight
| Month | Crowd level | Best-time score | Avg high / low | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Average | 74 Good | 66°F / 49°F | 10.1 h |
| February | Average | 72 Good | 66°F / 51°F | 10.8 h |
| March | Average | 64 Good | 67°F / 53°F | 11.8 h |
| April | Average | 72 Good | 68°F / 55°F | 12.8 h |
| May | Average | 82 Excellent | 69°F / 59°F | 13.7 h |
| June | Average | 80 Excellent | 71°F / 62°F | 14.1 h |
| July | Busy | 54 Fair | 74°F / 65°F | 14.0 h |
| August | Average | 69 Good | 77°F / 67°F | 13.2 h |
| September★ best | Average | 89 Excellent | 77°F / 65°F | 12.2 h |
| October | Average | 89 Excellent | 75°F / 60°F | 11.2 h |
| November | Average | 76 Excellent | 71°F / 54°F | 10.3 h |
| December | Average | 72 Good | 66°F / 49°F | 9.9 h |
Climate normals (1991–2020) from the nearest NOAA station (USW00093112, ~2.3 mi away).
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About visiting Cabrillo
Cabrillo National Monument is a National Monument in CA and a moderately visited park, drawing about 846,000 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has eased over the past decade, down about 17.2%. Crowds concentrate sharply by season: July is the busiest month at about 1.3× the park's average month, while September is the calmest at roughly 0.9× — a 2-to-1 swing between high and low season. Roughly 29% of the year's visitors arrive in the three summer months of June, July and August alone, so timing a trip outside that window is the single biggest lever on how crowded the park feels. Weather swings from an average high-season warmth near 72°F in August down to about 57°F in December, with the wettest stretch in February. About 12 months a year see comfortable average temperatures in the 50–80°F range, which is part of why crowd timing and weather timing don't always line up. The sweet spot is September: pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season). Visit then and you trade a little peak-season certainty for noticeably shorter lines and easier parking than the July rush. Daylight ranges from about 9.9 hours in midwinter to 14.1 hours near the summer solstice, which shapes how much ground you can cover in a day. A standard private-vehicle entrance pass runs about $20, valid for several days, so a shoulder-season trip stretches that fee across quieter, more comfortable days. These crowd figures are drawn from 1979–2025 of National Park Service visitor-use records, paired with 1991–2020 NOAA climate normals, and are updated as new monthly data is released.
Park overview
In 1542, Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo climbed out of his boat and onto shore, becoming the first European to set foot on what is now the West Coast of the United States. Cabrillo National Monument not only tells the story of this 16th-century exploration but also houses a wealth of cultural and natural resources. Join us and embark on your own Voyage of Exploration.
Weather & conditions
Check the current weather from the National Weather Service at https://www.weather.gov/. San Diego's climate is characterized by warm, dry summers and mild winters, with most of the annual precipitation falling between December and March. The city has a mild climate year-round, with an average of 201 days above 70 °F (21 °C) and low rainfall (9–13 inches [230–330 mm] annually).
Park overview text courtesy of the National Park Service — official park site.
Where to stay near Cabrillo
Hotels, cabins, lodges and vacation rentals near Cabrillo National Monument — live availability and prices to plan your trip. September is our pick for the best balance of light crowds and good weather.
Top-rated places to stay near Cabrillo
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Getting to Cabrillo
The nearest airport is San Diego International Airport (SAN), about 7 mi (14 min drive) away. Most visitors reach Cabrillo by car.
Entrance fees
A standard private-vehicle entrance pass is about $20, typically valid for several days.
Frequently Asked Questions
September offers pleasant weather with noticeably thinner crowds (shoulder season) at Cabrillo National Monument. The park is busiest in July (about 1.3× the average month) and quietest in September.
July is the busiest month at Cabrillo National Monument, running roughly 1.3 times the park's average monthly visitation.
September is the quietest month at Cabrillo National Monument, at about 0.9× the average month — a good choice if you want to avoid crowds.
Cabrillo National Monument recorded about 845,912 recreation visits in 2024. Visitation has been falling over the past decade (-17.2%).
Based on 1991–2020 climate normals, the warmest month at Cabrillo National Monument averages about 72°F (August). See the month-by-month table above for the full picture.
San Diego International Airport (SAN) is the closest airport to Cabrillo National Monument, about 7 mi (14 min drive) away.
Nearby parks to visit
Keep exploring
Beach water quality near Cabrillo
Beaches within a 40-mile drive, graded on multi-year bacteria sampling from EPA BEACON — worth checking before you plan a swim day.
- Pl-050 water qualityGrade A · 0 mi · CA
- Sunset Cliffs Park - Pl-070 water qualityGrade A · 4 mi · CA
- Mission Bay, Santa Barbara Cove - Mb-151 water qualityGrade A · 7 mi · CA
- Mission Beach - Pl-120 water qualityGrade A · 8 mi · CA
- Windansea Beach - Fm-050 water qualityGrade A · 11 mi · CA
Sources: National Park Service Visitor Use Statistics (1979–2025), NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020. Crowd index = a month's visits ÷ the park's average month.