Top 10 things to do in Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park protects five islands off the coast of Southern California and the ocean around them, a short boat ride from Ventura yet a world away from the mainland. Cut off from it for thousands of years, the islands have plants and animals found nowhere else, among them the island fox, a cat-sized fox that lives on six of the Channel Islands and nowhere else on Earth, and the waters around them hold kelp forests, sea caves, sea lions and some of the richest whale watching on the West Coast. There are no services on the islands, and you reach them only by boat or small plane. These are the ten outings we would put first. The order starts with what the park is known for, then goes by what an outing gives back for the time and effort it takes. Distances are approximate; times are our estimates and do not include stops.

Bring all the food and water you need, and dress in layers for wind, sun and fog. Boat landings can be cancelled at short notice when the sea is rough, and the crossing can be choppy, so take seasickness remedies if you need them. The cliffs are high and crumbly: stay back from the edges. Foxes and ravens steal unattended food, so keep it in the storage boxes at the campgrounds. In sea caves and along the cliffs, swells can surge without warning, so kayak with a guide unless you are experienced.

1. Take the boat to Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island

The most popular trip in the park is the boat ride from Ventura to Scorpion Anchorage, on the east end of Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in California. On the crossing you may see dolphins, sea lions and whales. Scorpion has a cobble beach, a sheltered cove for kayaking and snorkelling, the restored buildings of an old sheep ranch, and the park’s largest campground, with the island’s best day hikes starting nearby. Island foxes trot through the campground, unafraid.

Allow: a full day, or a night or two camping
Start: Ventura Harbor, by the park’s boat concessioner, about 90 minutes each way
When: all year; spring for wildflowers, late summer and fall for calm, clear water
Suits: everyone

2. Hike to Cavern Point and Potato Harbor

From Scorpion Anchorage, a trail climbs onto the grassy bluffs to Cavern Point, a headland high above the sea with views along the island’s cliffs and out to the mainland, where you may see whales spouting offshore. The North Bluff Trail carries on along the cliff tops to Potato Harbor, a perfectly rounded cove far below. Together they make the best day hike on the island.

Distance: 2 miles (3.2 km) loop for Cavern Point; about 5 miles (8 km) loop with Potato Harbor
Climb: about 300 feet (90 m) up to the bluffs
Allow: 1.5 hours; 3 hours with Potato Harbor
Start: Scorpion Anchorage
When: all year
Suits: most walkers

3. Kayak among the sea caves

The cliffs of Santa Cruz Island are riddled with sea caves, arches and rock gardens, and kayaking among them is one of the great experiences of the park. Guided trips from Scorpion Anchorage paddle along the coast, into caves where the water glows green and blue, past sea lions on the rocks and over kelp beds. Go with a guide: swells surge into the caves and the conditions change quickly.

Allow: half a day
Start: Scorpion Anchorage, with a guided kayak trip
When: all year, on calm days
Suits: beginners with a guide

4. See Painted Cave by boat

On the northwest coast of Santa Cruz Island, Painted Cave is one of the longest and deepest sea caves known, reaching about a quarter mile (400 m) into the island, with a high entrance streaked with coloured rock, lichens and algae. In spring a waterfall pours over its mouth. It is seen on boat tours and by experienced kayakers on calm days.

Allow: a day on a boat tour
Start: Ventura or Santa Barbara, on a boat tour
When: calm days, mostly summer and fall
Suits: everyone by boat

5. Walk to Inspiration Point on Anacapa Island

Anacapa, the closest island to the mainland, is a chain of three narrow volcanic islets. From the boat landing on East Anacapa, you climb a long flight of stairs onto the island and walk a loop past the lighthouse to Inspiration Point, which looks along the knife-edge of the Middle and West islets. In spring the island is covered in yellow coreopsis and nesting western gulls, and offshore lies Arch Rock, the symbol of the park.

Distance: about 2 miles (3.2 km) of trails on East Anacapa
Allow: a day, including the boat crossing
Start: East Anacapa landing, by boat from Ventura
When: all year; February to April for wildflowers, April to July for nesting gulls
Suits: anyone who can manage a long flight of stairs

6. Watch for whales on the crossing

The waters around the islands are some of the best whale watching on the West Coast. Gray whales pass close by on their migration from December to April, and in summer and early fall humpback whales and blue whales, the largest animals ever to have lived, feed in the channel. Large pods of common dolphins often race alongside the boats. Whale-watching trips run from Ventura and Santa Barbara, and you may see whales on any island crossing.

Allow: half a day
Start: Ventura or Santa Barbara harbours
When: December to April for gray whales; June to September for blue and humpback whales
Suits: everyone

7. Snorkel the kelp forest

Under the surface off Scorpion Anchorage, giant kelp rises in tall golden forests from the sea floor, sheltering bright orange garibaldi, the state marine fish of California, along with sea stars, urchins, lobsters and harbor seals. Snorkelling from the beach is easy in calm conditions, and the water is clearest in late summer and fall. Bring a wetsuit: the water is cool all year.

Allow: 1 to 2 hours
Start: the beach at Scorpion Anchorage
When: late summer and fall, on calm days
Suits: confident swimmers

8. Hike to Smugglers Cove

From Scorpion Anchorage, an old ranch road climbs over the hills of the east end of Santa Cruz Island and drops to Smugglers Cove, a quiet cobble beach with an old olive grove planted by ranchers, far from the boat crowds. It is a long, hot, exposed walk, but the cove is a fine place for a picnic and a swim.

Distance: about 7.5 miles (12 km) round trip
Climb: about 1,000 feet (300 m) each way
Allow: 4 to 5 hours
Start: Scorpion Anchorage
When: fall to spring; carry plenty of water
Suits: fit walkers

9. Explore Santa Rosa Island

Santa Rosa, further out, is wilder and windier than Santa Cruz, with white-sand beaches, rolling grasslands, deep canyons and one of only two natural groves of the rare Torrey pine in the world. Most people come for a few days, camping at the campground near the landing and walking to the beaches and the pines. The crossing takes longer, and landings depend on the weather.

Allow: 2 to 3 days
Start: Ventura, by boat or small plane
When: spring to fall
Suits: experienced campers comfortable with wind and remoteness

10. Join the hike to Point Bennett on San Miguel Island

San Miguel, the westernmost and wildest of the islands, takes the full force of the Pacific winds. At its western tip, Point Bennett, thousands of seals and sea lions of several species haul out on the beaches, one of the largest gatherings of them in the world. It can be visited only on a long ranger-guided hike, and getting to the island takes a long boat crossing. It is the trip of a lifetime for those who love wild places.

Distance: about 16 miles (26 km) round trip to Point Bennett
Allow: 2 to 3 days, camping on the island
Start: Cuyler Harbor, San Miguel Island, by boat from Ventura
When: spring to fall, on the days guided hikes are offered
Suits: fit, experienced hikers

Before you go

This list covers what stays the same from year to year. Closures, boat schedules, landing conditions and camping reservations change, and the National Park Service posts them on its own site. The link is on our Channel Islands National Park guide, with the map and how to get there.