At the southern tip of Point Loma in San Diego, Cabrillo National Monument preserves the place where Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo landed at San Diego Bay on September 28, 1542, in the first European expedition to reach what later became the West Coast of the United States. Established from a small memorial reserve in 1913, it expanded into a historic park shaped by later renovations, the Cabrillo statue, and the Old Point Loma Lighthouse, first lit in 1855. The site also preserves coastal defenses, glider aviation history, and natural features, and it is known for whale watching, tide pools, and sweeping views over San Diego and beyond.