California Coastal National Monument
The California Coastal National Monument is located along the entire coastline of the U.S. state of California. This monument ensures the protection of all islets, reefs and rock outcroppings along the coast of California within 12 nautical miles (22 km) of shore along the entire 840-mile (1,350 km) long coastline. Conservative estimates are for at least 20,000 such outcroppings. The monument was created by Bill Clinton via presidential proclamation on January 11, 2000, with the authority in section two of the Antiquities Act of 1906. As of 2014, the monument has expanded to 2,272 acres (919 ha). The Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages the monument, has developed gateways in cooperation with other agencies along the California coast to introduce the monument to the public. These include the Trinidad, Point Arena, Fort Bragg-Mendocino, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Piedras Blancas State Marine Reserve and Marine Conservation Area, and the Palos Verdes Peninsula. Although being the most-viewed national monument in California, people are usually unaware that the entire coastline is a national monument.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Designation | National Monument |
| Managed by | Bureau of Land Management |
| State | California |
| Size | 8,664 acres (computed from the boundary polygon) |
| National Conservation Lands id | NLCS000317 |
| Center point | 37.0174, -122.1596 |
| Night sky | About as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 12) |
Boundary map
Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground
The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.
Where to camp
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 29 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.
Show 4 moreHide
17 more within ten miles are not listed here.
Fire nearby
- PrescribedLocatelli Rx
9 mi from the center point
Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge, and is measured from the center of a boundary that may be many miles across. Check the agency page for closures.
Explore
Nearby on the other atlases
- 0 miCondominium 1 ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.1 miJeffers, Robinson, House ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.5 miWayfarers Chapel ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.7 miLane Victory ↗National Historic Landmark
- 0.7 miFirst Theater of California ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.6 miPresidio Chapel ↗National Historic Landmark
- 1.9 miRalph J. Scott ↗National Historic Landmark
- 3.4 miSs Jeremiah O'brien National Historic Landmark ↗National Historic Landmark
Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.
Reference
Questions people ask
How big is California Coastal National Monument?
8,664 acres, measured from the published boundary polygon. The agency’s own figure can differ where the boundary includes water or inholdings.
Source: How acreage is computed
Who manages California Coastal National Monument?
The Bureau of Land Management.
Source: Bureau of Land Management
What state is California Coastal National Monument in?
California.
Source: How states are assigned
Can I camp at California Coastal National Monument?
No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Kirk Creek Campground, 0.2 miles out. 29 in all are within ten miles. Rules vary by unit; the BLM page has the current camping rules.
Source: Where to camp
How do I get to California Coastal National Monument?
A point inside the boundary is at 37.017, -122.160. Cabrillo National Monument is adjacent. The official page carries directions and the office address.
Source: Bureau of Land Management
Is there a fire near California Coastal National Monument right now?
1 active incident within 50 miles as of 2026-09-17, the nearest Locatelli Rx at 9 miles. Distance is to the reported incident point, not the fire edge.
Source: Fire nearby
How dark is the night sky at California Coastal National Monument?
NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 12 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.
Source: NASA Black Marble
Which national parks are near California Coastal National Monument?
Cabrillo National Monument (adjacent), Golden Gate National Recreation Area (1 mi) and Presidio of San Francisco (1 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.
Source: Nearby on the other atlases
Are there historic places near California Coastal National Monument?
903 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Condominium 1 and Jeffers, Robinson, House.
Source: Register Atlas
Sources
- Boundary, name: the BLM National Conservation Lands layer.
- States: computed by intersecting the boundary with Census state polygons; a state is listed when it holds at least one percent of the area.
- Acreage: geodesic area of the published polygon. The agency’s official acreage can differ where the boundary includes water, easements or inholdings.
- Description: California Coastal National Monument on Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. The article was accepted because its title contains this unit’s name.
- Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
- Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
- Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.