Cabrillo Pier, San Pedro 1,200 feet long. Built: 1969, renovated: 1988
Cabrillo Beach
3730 Stephen White Dr., San Pedro, CA 90731
Phone: (310) 548-2909

Pier hours: 5 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

Not the first pier built in San Pedro, the current concrete structure certainly is the finest pier that has ever been built at Cabrillo Beach. Overlooking the Port of Los Angeles, it's interesting to note that over a dozen piers fill the port area--though none of the other piers with names such as Pier J are open to the public. They are primarily commercial piers for the nation's busiest port area.

This San Pedro pier extends out 1,200 feet into San Pedro Harbor. It is just inside the north end of the Los Angeles Harbor breakwater.

Facilities at Cabrillo Beach include BBQ pits, children's play area, picnic tables, aquarium behind beach, east-facing beach, docking facility, fishing w/permit only, jet ski area, launch rap at north end of beach, no dogs allowed on beach, non-motorized vehicle area, outside beach (belongs to county), posts for volleyball, roped-off swim area, trailer parking.

Cabrillo Pier, on the other hand, is the region's pleasure pier to be used for strolling and ever popular free pier fishing activities. Located in an area where water quality issues have been the point of focus, the White Croaker caught commonly from this pier isn't recommended for eating. The bottom feeder fish gathers and eats things that others won't and sorely, this croaker could make you sick. Among the various reasons are the DDT and PCB contamination on the ocean floor at nearby White Point, a situation created by years of pesticide dumping. It is outlawed now, but that doesn't mean the contamination has gone away. While school kids are brought to Cabrillo Pier for summer fishing clinics, they are also taught what fish are OK to each and which fish their families should avoid.

A recent study was performed to consider building an artificial reef at Cabrillo Pier but the conditions were not quite right to make it work. Interestingly, an artificial reef was constructed in 1973, comprised of car tires. A new reef proposed would have been made of natural materials and be more environmentally friendly.

A boat pier built during the depression as a government work project existed in the harbor for approx. 40 years. City of Los Angeles in 1987 took control of pier operations from the County of Los Angeles and infused capital to fix the popular structure. New railings, a resurfacing, drinking fountains, and fish cleaning basins enhanced the functionality of the public attraction.