{"id":324612,"date":"2023-05-17T08:50:30","date_gmt":"2023-05-17T15:50:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sdnews.com\/?p=324612"},"modified":"2023-05-17T18:52:55","modified_gmt":"2023-05-18T01:52:55","slug":"new-trail-to-tidepools-in-the-works-at-cabrillo-national-monument","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/test.sdnews.com\/es\/new-trail-to-tidepools-in-the-works-at-cabrillo-national-monument\/","title":{"rendered":"New trail to tidepools in the works at Cabrillo National Monument"},"content":{"rendered":"

Major improvements at Cabrillo National Monument in Point Loma include construction just started on a new trail linking it with its tidepools, and work scheduled soon on the monument\u2019s visitor center.<\/p>\n

A fundraising drive sponsored by the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation supporting the institution has also been launched to pay for the new trail. The trail will provide the first, safe pedestrian access from the upper part of the monument on the blufftop to its tidepools below.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe trail began construction on May 8. It is not currently open to the public while it\u2019s being constructed because anyone going on it could hurt the plants and animals,\u201d said Emily M. Moore, Cabrillo National Monument Foundation executive director. \u201cThey will work on the trail for several weeks before they pause and return in the fall. We do not have a date yet to complete the trail.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The View Building at the Visitor Center with people at the scenic overlook over San Diego Bay. COURTESY PHOTO<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Monument improvement plans will also include work planned on its visitor center. Of that work, Chris Symons, acting chief of interpretation for CNM said: \u201cThe goal is to bring the view building closer to its historical character, highlighting the historic appearance. Common techniques for this procedure we plan to emulate include removing the exterior paint to expose and stain the wood, re-tiling the roof, and replacing the floor to better match the original structure.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Symons, \u201cThe project is expected to begin in autumn, during which time the visitor center will be temporarily closed. It will likely take about two months to complete. Visitor center desk operations will be conducted in an adjacent building, during which time the park films may be unavailable, but otherwise without interruption to guest services.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a fundraising drive is being conducted by the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation, a nonprofit corporation that has supported the national park for 65-plus years. \u201cEach year, our annual fundraising event, Cabrillo Under the Stars, is typically in May and raises a substantial amount to fund our operations and mission,\u201d said foundation trustee Robert Tripp Jackson noting park improvements have caused that fundraiser to be postponed to next year. \u201cThe foundation needs your help to not only fund completion of the trail to the tidepools, but also to fund free ongoing youth, volunteer, and park discovery programs. All of this helps foster a connection to the park that can only be achieved with the help of donors.\u201d<\/p>\n

Added Tripp Jackson: \u201cIf you donate $250 or more, the foundation will invite you to an exclusive after-hours picnic on Saturday, June 24. This thank you picnic promises to be a special experience with picnic food and treats. Feel free to call our park office at 619-523-4256. Visit cnmf.org to learn more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Moore pointed out that the monument\u2019s foundation is \u201cfunding most of this project (trail) through contributions from donors, and we have a page at cnmf.org to keep them updated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cabrillo\u2019s new trail is the result of popular demand, noted Moore. \u201cIt is part of a 25-year trail management plan the National Park Service put together,\u201d she said adding, \u201cNPS moved this trail up in its lineup of projects for the park. It really came about from the community saying, \u2018We want this trail.\u2019 New trails just aren\u2019t built. So, for a brand new trail to be built \u2013 that\u2019s really a big deal.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cabrillo National Monument is at the southern tip of the Point Loma Peninsula and is a memorial to Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who in 1542 set out in search of the island of California. Known as the \u201cColumbus of California,\u201d Cabrillo landed at San Diego Bay on Sept. 28, 1542, becoming the first European to set foot on the western coast of the United States. He took possession of the entire coast for the King of Spain. In addition to telling the story of Cabrillo\u2019s 16th-century exploration, the park is home to a wealth of cultural and natural resources.<\/p>\n

Cabrillo National Monument at 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive is open 365 days a year including holidays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. The Bayside Trail closes at 4 p.m. and the tidepools close at 4:30 p.m. The main gate closes at 5 p.m., and all visitors must exit the park at 5 p.m. Public access after 5 p.m. and before 9 a.m. is not allowed. This includes walking, jogging and biking, any type of entry.<\/p>\n

CNM \u00a0FACTS<\/strong><\/p>\n