California never ceases to amaze with the diversity of landscapes it offers. In fact, in addition to visiting its desert vistas, like Death Valley and Joshua Tree, mountain vistas, such as Yosemite, or the endless forests such as those of Redwood, it also has almost pristine islands off of the coast. These are known as the Channel Islands.
At Channel Islands National Park, visitors have the opportunity to spend a relaxing day away from the hustle and bustle on the mainland and be surrounded by nature.
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Where is the Channel Islands National Park?
Channel Islands National Park was established to protect and preserve 5 of the islands off of the coast of California. These islands are:
- Anacapa Island
- Santa Cruz Island
- San Miguel Island
- Santa Barbara Island
- Santa Rosa Island
As you can see from this list, only a portion of the islands known as the Channel Islands are part of the national park and, most importantly, that the most famous one, namely Santa Catalina Island, is not included among them. Santa Catalina Island is the only one with a significant town and population.
Therefore, we should not confuse the Channel Island archipelago with the Channel Islands National Park, as they are two distinct entities.
How to Get to the Channel Islands National Park
Visiting the Channel Islands is not something to be taken lightly. Rather, it requires careful planning and choosing the islands you want to see and the activities you want to undertake once you arrive.
This is because it takes a long time to reach the islands and because you will not find equipment rental businesses or grocery stores there. Therefore, without the necessary planning, you can run into significant problems.
The two visitor centers on the mainland are in Santa Barbara, which is smaller, and in Ventura, which is larger and better equipped.
- Outdoor Santa Barbara Visitor Center (113 Harbor Way 4th Floor, Santa Barbara). Open every day from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except on Wednesdays and major holidays.
- Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center (1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura). Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. except for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The islands can only be reached by boat, and there are private companies that provide this service. The most notable one is Island Packers based at Ventura Harbor, which will give you access to all five islands in the national park. Information about reservations and schedules can be found on the company’s official website.
In general, Santa Cruz Island and Anacapa Island are easier to visit because of the higher frequency of trips, while the trips to Santa Rosa Island and San Miguel Island are less frequent and only at certain times of the year. The schedule of departures also varies greatly from island to island. Again, I remind you to plan your excursion to Channel Islands National Park in advance.
This will give you an idea of the frequency of the trips to the various islands (however, I still recommend going to the official Island Packers website for the most updated information):
- Santa Cruz Island: During the summer season there are trips even several times a day, while in the winter there are only 4 to 5 trips per week.
- Anacapa Island: During the summer, boats head out to Anacapa Island 5 to 6 times weekly while during the winter they go 2 to 3 per week.
- Santa Rosa Island: Transportation service to and from Santa Rosa Island is available only from March to November every two to three days.
- San Miguel Island: Transportation service to and from San Miguel Island is only from July to October between 4 to 6 times a month.
- Santa Barbara Island: There are no trips to Santa Barbara Island scheduled at this time due to weather damage to the dock.
Channel Islands National Park is open every day of the year 24 hours a day. Visitors are not required to have an entrance pass to visit the park. They only need to pay for the boat ride.
Channel Islands National Park: Things to Do
The fairly high cost of the boat ride is repaid not only by the beauty of the islands you are going to visit, but also by the fact that you will most likely be able to spot whales and dolphins. In this sense, the trip to the islands can be somewhat compared to one of the many tours/cruises one can take in California to view these beautiful marine specimens.
Here is what awaits you on the islands.
Anacapa Island
Anacapa Island is most famous for being home to the famous Inspiration Point, the most famous and most photographed viewpoint in the park. To get to Inspiration Point, you will need to walk just under 1.5 miles from the dock.
Beyond that, there is a small visitor center that houses the original lamp used in the island’s lighthouse and some additional information about the history and local flora and fauna.
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Speaking of the lighthouse, unfortunately you cannot get that close to it for safety reasons and you cannot enter it. You spend much more time on the island (4 hours) than you would need to visit it since, aside from walking to Inspiration Point there is not much else to do.
The beautiful natural arch that is near the island can be seen and photographed during the boat ride, especially if the weather conditions allow the boat to get close.
Santa Rosa Island
It will take about 3 hours one way to reach this island (although it may be a little less if the weather conditions are favorable), and you will have 4 hours to visit it.
There are fascinating historic ranches that were operational at one time. It is worth visiting the old barn, with tools still inside, and the very small school building where the children on the island would study and learn.
One of the most interesting trails is definitely the Cherry Canyon Trail (about 3.5 miles), which starts at the campground area and will take you up a ridge of Black Mountain where you can admire the surrounding landscape. To descend back to the beach you can also walk along the Coastal Trail. Fun fact: on Coastal Road you will walk parallel to the airstrip used by small planes to land on the island.
Then take a walk along the shore of Water Canyon Beach and, if time allows, consider visiting Lobo Canyon.
If the weather is good on the return trip, the boat will make a stop at the striking Painted Cave.
Santa Cruz Island
This is the largest island, not only in Channel Islands National Park, but in all of California!
There are two docks: Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoner Harbor. The boat ride to Scorpion Anchorage takes just over an hour, if the weather is favorable, and to Prisoner Harbor it takes about an hour and a half. Most of the time, however, boats first dock at Scorpion Anchorage and only then make their way to Prisoner Harbor, which has fewer direct trips.
The shorter travel time will give you more time to spend exploring the island. You will generally have 6 to 7 hours of free time between arrival and departure.
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On the island, there is the Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center built where there was once the island’s ranch, where a series of exhibits on the history and nature of Santa Cruz Island are housed.
In case you land in Scorpion Anchorage here are some of the most popular trails in the area:
- Potato Harbor: This is an approximately 5-mile round-trip trail that starts at the Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center. You will reach the viewpoint overlooking Potato Harbor by walking along the mountain ridge. The elevated location and proximity to the water make it a great place to see beautiful views of the ocean.
- Smugglers Cove: To reach the quaint beach you will have to travel more than 7 miles round trip. If you want to make the return trip less monotonous and take a slightly different route, you might consider returning to the starting point using the Scorpion Canyon Loop Trail. where you may encounter the remains of old machinery used to extract oil that, despite exposure to the elements, have been fairly well preserved.
On the other hand, if you have opted to disembark at Prisoner Harbor here are some trails to choose from:
- Pelican Bay Trail: This 4-mile round trip is quite challenging, and hikers must be accompanied by Island Packers staff. This is because to reach the bay you will have to enter protected Nature Conservancy Land that would be precluded to normal visitors.
- Del Norte Overlook: This is a trail of just under 3 miles round trip that arrives at a promontory where you can observe the view around you.
The other trails that depart from Prisoner Harbor are all very long and strenuous and require a fair amount of athleticism because of the considerable elevation gain to be covered.
If you are wondering if it is possible to hike from Scorpion Anchorage to Prisoner Harbor (or vice versa) the answer is yes but it is a 12+ mile trail that will require more than 6 hours of walking.
Santa Barbara Island
Of all the islands that make up Channel Islands National Park, Santa Barbara Island is the smallest and farthest from the coast. The boat trip takes about three hours each way, but at this time it cannot be visited via the Island Packers, due to weather damage to the dock that has not yet been repaired.
San Miguel Island
Perhaps the most complicated island to get to in part because it is the windiest of the five, which can make not only the trip more eventful but also create some discomfort during the visit.
On the way you will also have to fill out a form that includes a liability waiver. This is because the island was once a former military firing range, and it cannot be ruled out that, outside the marked paths, you may still run into some unexploded ordnance. For this very reason, it is strictly forbidden to leave the official trails.
The boat trip will range from 3.5 to 4 hours depending on the weather. Landing will also be something of an adventure. In fact, since there is no pier, disembarkation on the island will entail boarding a small speedboat that will take visitors in turn to the beach at Cuyler Harbor.
Once there, only Cuyler Harbor’s beach, Nidever Canyon, Cabrillo Monument, and the trail to Lester Ranch can be explored independently. For all other excursions you will need to be accompanied by one of the rangers, who usually arrange guided tours close to where the tourist boats arrive.
Accommodations and Places to Eat
There are no hotels on the islands, but each has a rather primitive campground. Check the availability at the campgrounds and book in advance on the official website. The cost is $15 per night. Keep in mind that the camping areas are not in close proximity to the ship docking area, so you will have to personally bring everything you need for your stay. To check the list of available campsites and the services they can offer, look on the official website.
Otherwise, if you are interested in knowing about more convenient options in Ventura (before or after your trip), you can click on the link below.
Search for accommodations in Ventura
There are also no restaurants on the islands, or places where you can buy food. Unless there is the possibility to purchase food and beverages on the boat you are traveling on, you will need to have both enough food and water with you for the time you stay on the islands. The only sources of drinking water available are at the Water Canyon and Scorpion Canyon campgrounds on Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island, respectively.
