Photo By: Ben Herndon
Touted as the “Galapagos of North America,” these eight islands off the coast of California are a beautiful archipelago home to 2,000+ plants and animals, many of which can only be found here. Five of the islands make up Channel Islands National Park: Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island, Anacapa Island, San Miguel Island and Santa Barbara Island. Whether you enjoy watching wildlife, kayaking, scuba diving, camping or hiking, there are many things to do and ways to explore the Channel Islands.
Channel Islands National Park
This national park near Santa Barbara sits 22 miles off the coast, offering access to a unique ocean environment. The main Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center is in Ventura, but you’ll find smaller sites in Santa Barbara and on three of the islands. There’s no entrance fee required, so you won’t need to worry about getting a pass or tickets. Check out this Channel Islands map to see where you can go within the park.
How to Get to Channel Islands National Park
There are several ways to get to the Channel Islands, including by ferry, tour, private charter and boat.
Channel Islands Ferry
One of the islands’ most convenient transportation methods is via the Island Packers Ferry. As the official concessionaire for the park, it offers a year-round Channel Islands ferry schedule to Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. The outfitter also has seasonal ferry services to Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara islands. Trips to all of the islands depart from Ventura Harbor, with additional crossings from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard to Anacapa Island. Depending on your destination, the trips can take one to two hours each way. You can also book whale-watching, wildlife, birding and other specialty trips with Island Packers.
Book a Private Charter
If you’re looking for transportation and adventure, consider booking a private charter with Santa Barbara Sailing Center or Channel Islands Expeditions. Each company offers multi-day excursions throughout the Channel Islands. The charters include a variety of activities, including surfing, kayaking, scuba diving, sea cave exploration and more. The private charters range in both length and price. Please contact them for more detailed information.
Take Your Own Boat
For experienced boaters wanting more freedom to roam from island to island, feel free to take your own boat out to the Channel Islands. Some areas of the islands require boat permits, but many do not. We recommend contacting the Channel Islands National Park Service for more information.
Things to Do in the Channel Islands
From day trips to overnight camping adventures, there’s always something fun to do, no matter the time of year, in these Southern California islands. With more than 2,000 species of flora and fauna unique to the volcanic, windswept isles, visitors are virtually guaranteed a memorable experience.
Spotting Channel Islands Animals
For nature enthusiasts, there’s much to be explored. The Channel Islands are filled with wildlife, including harbor seals, California sea lions, island deer mice, spotted skunk, lizards, cormorants, gulls and dive-bombing California brown pelicans. As an important breeding and resting area for an array of bird species, it’s prime for bird watching. If you spot a flash of brilliant blue while on Santa Cruz Island, it just might be the island scrub-jay, which only lives there.
Bald eagles were reintroduced to the islands in 2002, and you might see them soaring above the coast or perched in a sturdy conifer. You can also observe the world’s fastest flying bird — the peregrine falcon — while keeping your eyes peeled for the endemic island fox. This tiny canid is one of only four native land mammals on the Channel Islands and isn’t found anywhere else in the world. Fun fact: It’s likely maintained its small size (comparable to a housecat) due to adapting to the islands’ limited resources and a lack of large predators.
For an extra-special wildlife experience in the Channel Islands, book a whale-watching cruise. Off the coast of Santa Barbara, you will find 27 different species of whales and dolphins, including the blue whale — the largest animal on Earth. Condor Express offers daily whale-watching trips. The 75-foot catamaran departs from Sea Landing dock at Santa Barbara Harbor. Then, it glides around Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel islands for the ultimate whale-watching excursion.
Water Adventures
You can experience the magic of the Channel Islands both by land and sea. Two of the area’s most popular watersports are kayaking and snorkeling. Channel Islands Expeditions and Santa Barbara Adventure Company bring these two activities together for a suite of robust tour offerings on the islands. No matter which outfitter you choose, you’ll be led by an expert through the kelp forests and sea caves as well as along the coastline to learn about marine ecology and the natural history of the islands. Channel Islands fishing is also possible, but requires a California state fishing license. It’s also important to be aware of the 13 marine protected areas surrounding the islands.
Under the water, there’s much to be explored as well. Half of Channel Islands National Park is underwater. The waters of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary are teeming with vibrant marine life that is waiting to be discovered, whether by snorkeling or scuba diving. For advanced scuba divers, Channel Islands Expeditions offers multi-day, world-class diving adventures.
Hiking the Channel Islands
If you’re a land lover, great hiking opportunities abound. Some of the most popular places to hike at Channel Islands National Park are Inspiration Point on Anacapa Island, Potato Harbor on Santa Cruz Island and Torrey Pines Forest on Santa Rosa Island. Also, Santa Barbara Island is only 1 square mile and can be hiked in a couple of hours.
Channel Islands Campgrounds
Another fantastic way to explore the islands by foot is to go camping. By spending the night, you’re able to fully immerse yourself in the nature and wildlife found on the islands.
There are a variety of campgrounds on all of the five islands, each offering pristine views and easy access to island activities. Channel Islands camping ranges from developed campgrounds with pit toilets, picnic tables and food storage boxes to more remote backcountry campsites that you’ll have to hike to while carrying all your supplies. Water Canyon campground on Santa Rosa Island and Santa Cruz Island’s Scorpion Canyon campground are the only two that have potable water on site. Fires are prohibited on the islands, but you can use enclosed gas camping stoves.
The National Park Service operates these campgrounds. Reservations are required and cost $15 per night to rent. Prior to booking your site, you need to secure transportation to the islands.
When to Visit the Channel Islands
It’s possible to visit and enjoy the Channel Islands year-round. Like Santa Barbara, the climate is typically Mediterranean in nature, with relatively stable temperatures ranging from the low 50s (°F) to the low 70s, depending on the season. Just keep in mind that Channel Islands National Park weather conditions can quickly vary from day-to-day and island-to-island, so be prepared for potential high winds, fog, rain or rough seas at any time.
