The Best Times for Visiting the Tidepools

Late fall and winter are the optimum times for a visit to the tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument: unlike the summer months, when low tides occur in the middle of the night, the good low tides - including the outstanding negative low tides - in fall and winter occur during daylight hours when the park is open.

Tide Calendars

To see a graphic representation of tide activity, check out the following tide calendars, provided courtesy of Divebums:

January 2009 (pdf)
February 2009 (pdf)
March 2009 (pdf)
April 2009 (pdf)
May 2009 (pdf)
June 2009 (pdf)
July 2009 (pdf)
August 2009 (pdf)
September 2009 (pdf)
October 2009 (pdf)
November 2009 (pdf)
December 2009 (pdf)

Nature's Windows of Opportunity

Of course, the best time to visit the tidepools is as close to the low tide time as possible, but Mother Nature has built in a four-hour window of opportunity for you. A general rule of thumb is that the tidepools can be visited approximately two hours before low tide time (when the tide is receding) and two hours after (when the tide is coming back in). Please keep in mind that the tidepool area closes at 4:30 PM. Be sure to read Tidepooling Tips and Rules to Protect the Tidepools to ensure a safe visit for both you and this fragile ecosystem.