1949-1980: Monument Expands and Grows
After World War II, visitation to the monument increased dramatically. At this period, the Cabrillo National Monument was considered the most visited national monument in the United States. Additionally, at only one half-acre in size in this period, the monument was the smallest area under the purview of the National Park Service. [1]
1956- The Army releases control of its landholdings on Point Loma allowing the monument to expand to a size of eighty acres. Due to this expansion, the National Park Service established a separate office for Cabrillo National Monument as it had previously been linked with Sequoia National Park. Donald M. Robertson is appointed as superintendent of the new office.
1963-1967 - The Cabrillo National Monument Visitor Center was constructed in 1963 -1967. [2] This was an effort to revitalize the National Parks after WWII, slowly the park attracted visitors who enjoyed the newly built visitor center and a new parking structure with access to the historic lighthouse.
1970- The park experienced another expansion in 1970, growing to a total size of 144 acres. This expansion included the land stretching down to the coast, providing public access to the tide pools below. With this expansion, the scope of the National Monument expanded beyond historical information on the voyages of Cabrillo to include information about the ecological landscape of Southern California.
This period witnessed a growth in popularity, with locals and tourists flocking to Cabrillo National Monument for its stunning views and historical past, these three decades witnessed Cabrillo National Monument reach its zenith for the time being.
[1] Holland, F. Ross. 1980. “The Origin and Development of Cabrillo National Monument.” Npshistory.com. 1980. http://npshistory.com/publications/cabr/origin/index.htm.
[2] "Visitor Center," Cabrillo, National Park Service Agust 24, 2022. https://www.nps.gov/cabr/planyourvisit/visitorcenter.htm