Cabrillo Beach
Cabrillo Beach is the easiest and most reliable spot to photograph Angels Gate Lighthouse from.
Cabrillo Beach on Point Fermin in San Pedro is split by a 1200-foot jetty into an ocean-facing side and a calmer inner beach. The coast offers the most reliable view of Angels Gate Lighthouse on the San Pedro Breakwater, with tide pools a quarter mile from the sand. Santa Catalina Island is visible offshore.
History of Cabrillo Beach and Lighthouse
Cabrillo Beach, managed by the City of Los Angeles, opened in 1928 after sand from harbor dredging was added to form the outer beach the year prior. The lighthouse features distinctive black stripes that were added to the originally all-white tower because it was nearly invisible in coastal fog. That same fog remains a regular condition worth accounting for when planning a visit.
Best Photo Spots
Six photo spots at Cabrillo Beach include coastal scenery, urban ruins, a working pier, and other maritime and recreational sites.
Cabrillo Beach
Photographs of This Location
Photographing Cabrillo Beach Jetty
The 1200-foot concrete Cabrillo Beach Jetty stretches out over the Pacific in San Pedro, offering an unobstructed vantage toward Angels Gate Light, one of only a handful of lighthouses in the country to emit an emerald green beam. Between the two strands of Cabrillo Beach, a picnic area and the historic Cabrillo Beach Bath House sit nearby, with a parking lot on the far side of the picnic area. Together, the long pier, the distinctive lighthouse, and the accessible beachfront structures give photographers multiple subject options within a short walk.
Common Questions
Yes, Cabrillo Beach is pet friendly.
History of Cabrillo Beach Boathouse
Archival images from April 8, 1934 captured ships of various sizes moored inside the breakwater at Cabrillo Beach, documenting the harbor's earlier character. The original Cabrillo Beach Boathouse that served this waterfront was demolished in the 1970s. Today, the park and its bathhouse still link the harbor, the open ocean, and the nearby Sunken City.
Practical Information
3720 Stephen M. White Drive, San Pedro, California; Pacific Ave south, left on Stephen White Dr, left on Oliver Vickery Way; 3091 Shoshonean Rd, Los Angeles, CA, 90731
$2.00/hr, max $15.00/day; $1.00/hr, max $9.00/day; Self Parking
Biking and fishing on the Cabrillo Beach Fishing Pier are allowed and neither requires a license.; 5:30 AM – 10:30 PM; daylight hours
Cabrillo Beach parking accepts credit or debit cards only; cash is not accepted.; Free entry, $1/hour parking; $0.00
Summer weekends; no dogs allowed; Cabrillo Beach has strict local regulations that kitesurfers must observe.
Photowalk
Walk the Cabrillo Beach Photo Trail
1 routes through the same vantage points, from a quick loop to a full afternoon.
The outer beach at Cabrillo Beach faces the open ocean and is suitable for seascape and open-water shots.
Tipps fürs Shooting
- The trail up to the Sunken City is steep and has a lot of broken glass, so caution is required.
- Bring a long telephoto lens when shooting from Cabrillo Beach because the lighthouse sits far out on the breakwater.
- Arrive early at Cabrillo Beach to secure a parking spot, especially on summer weekends when the lot fills quickly.
- Arrive 30 to 45 minutes early to scout your framing and let your eyes settle into the dark before an alignment shot.
- Access to the Sunken City from the beach is of unclear legality, so visitors should proceed at their own risk.
When to Shoot
Best Time to Photograph
1:24 PM - 1:49 PM
1:49 PM - 2:49 PM
12:34 AM - 1:34 AM
1:34 AM - 1:59 AM
Beste Jahreszeit
March to August
Vermeiden
summer
| Monat | Sonnenaufgang | Sonnenuntergang | Tageslicht |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 06:57 | 17:07 | 10h 10m |
| Feb | 06:37 | 17:37 | 11h 0m |
| Mar | 07:03 | 19:01 | 11h 57m |
| Apr | 06:22 | 19:24 | 13h 2m |
| May | 05:52 | 19:47 | 13h 55m |
| Jun | 05:42 | 20:05 | 14h 23m |
| Jul | 05:53 | 20:04 | 14h 10m |
| Aug | 06:15 | 19:39 | 13h 23m |
| Sep | 06:36 | 18:59 | 12h 22m |
| Oct | 06:58 | 18:19 | 11h 20m |
| Nov | 06:25 | 16:49 | 10h 24m |
| Dec | 06:50 | 16:46 | 9h 55m |
What to Expect During Your Session
At Cabrillo Beach, photographers should arrive 30 to 45 minutes early to scout their framing and let their eyes settle into the dark, and a long telephoto lens is essential since the lighthouse sits far out on the breakwater. Winter offers a backlit silhouette when the sun rises in line with the lighthouse from the SS Lane road, though strong westerly winds locally called Hurricane Gulch require preparation. Summer weekends fill the lot quickly, and anyone heading to the nearby tide pools should time their visit for low tide at 0 feet or below.
During part of the grunion season it is legal to catch them by hand, with crowds of people using flashlights to try to catch these slippery fish.
“Even when fog ruins the planned alignment, the session often still yields a few good frames and a sense of camaraderie with other photographers.”
Getting There
Access & Transit
- Barrierefrei
- Cabrillo Beach is ADA Accessible.
- Parken
- The paved boat launch ramp is best reached from Shoshonean Road off Via Cabrillo Marina.
- Öffentliche Verkehrsmittel
- 33.7093, -118.2819
- Fußläufig
- 3720 Steven M. White Dr., San Pedro 90731
- Fahrradfreundlich
- Cabrillo Beach Park has a paved bike path.