Chaparral View Between Coastal Trail Staircases

Chaparral View Between Coastal Trail Staircases

NPS Photo/M. O'Barr

Quick Facts

Location:

32°40.239’, 117°14.697’

Amenities

1 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot

California’s Incredible Chaparral Biome

The space just past the two Coastal Trail staircases provides an excellent opportunity to look east and take in our native Chaparral landscape. From above the trail you should be able to see the plants lining the cliffside where the Visitor Center sits. These plants predominantly look like bushes and shrubs. Depending on the season in which you visit, it may also falsely appear as if many of the plants are dead!

Cabrillo National Monument is home to a wide variety of plants that fall into the plant communities of Coastal Sage Scrub and Chaparral. Although these communities are made up by vast numbers of species, they have all adapted to thrive in this Mediterranean climate.

Common traits for these plants include having small, waxy leaves, and blooming only when rainfall occurs. Keep an eye out for these traits as you walk through the native plants.

Resources:
‘Understanding the Life of Point Loma’ by the Cabrillo National Monument Foundation
https://www.nps.gov/cabr/learn/nature/terrestrial-plants.htm