As every travel junkie knows, you will never go to all the places that you want to. Channel Islands is a National Park I only learned about because I was looking up all the parks. I thought, “looks cool, might never go,” not because I wasn’t interested (let’s be real, I’m interested in them all) but because, knowing how many places in the world there are to go to, I could just see visiting Channel Islands as being something I never got around to.
Then Scott’s Cheap Flights sent a flight deal to LAX and I all of a sudden had a relatively last minute trip to plan. Often, when I stumble across a travel destination, there’s always somewhere in my head which of my usual travel buddies would be my likely companion. I realized that my original thought that I might never make it to Channel Islands was partially because I couldn’t envision myself there with anyone. But now I was taking a solo trip. And I had to go.
Fast Facts
- There are eight Channel Islands, five of which are part of the National Park.
- Two of the Islands, Anacapa and Santa Barbara, were made a National Monument in 1938.
- The full park was established on March 5, 1980 of the five islands that are part of the park today: Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Santa Rosa.
- 76% of Santa Cruz Island is owned and managed by The Nature Conservancy.
- Anacapa Island is in a different county than the other four that are part of the park.
Things to Know
1.) The main visitor center is The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center on the mainland in Ventura Harbor. This is about a quarter mile from Island Packers, the ferry service that will get you to the islands. This will be a fully accessible center with a store and exhibits. Additionally, Island Packers will have a small shop as well if you’re looking for souvenirs.
2.) Some of the islands will also have small visitor centers but they are very limited. They are really just small rooms with photos and displays.
3.) None of the islands have any food or water. You will need to pack your own for the day. As there is no running water, all the bathrooms on the islands will be wood outhouses.
The Islands
Anacapa
This is the second smallest at just 1.14 square miles. It’s also one of the most popular to visit and home of the iconic Channel Islands photo. There’s roughly two miles of hiking on the island. It’s a very easy stroll with gorgeous views all around. I felt like I was hiking in another country.
Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz is the largest of the islands and another popular one when visiting Channel Islands. There are a couple of different places that the ferry can dock so look into which part of the island you want to go to before you purchase your ticket. There’s Scorpion Ranch and Prisoner’s Harbor. Scorpion Ranch has a ton of trails and is the option to get to Smuggler’s Notch. This was my plan for the first day but, due to winds, the ferry was cancelled. Prisoner’s Harbor is right on the cusp of National Park land and the land managed by The Nature Conservancy. If you want to hike on Nature Conservancy land you will have to fill out a release form, which they will provide for you.
Another amazing option for Santa Cruz Island is the Painted Cave. It is one of the world’s largest sea caves located on the Western side of the island and kayak tours are available.
Santa Cruz is also home of The Channel Islands Fox, a once almost extinct fox that recently has had much success in repopulating. I was lucky enough to spot a couple right after we docked, before another passenger annoyingly got too close and scared them away.
Santa Rosa
Santa Rosa is the second largest of the Channel Islands and sits West of Santa Cruz. The ferry ride to get there is long: three hours in each direction. This makes Santa Rosa an option to consider if you’re interested in camping while visiting Channel Islands. Santa Rosa also has Channel Island Fox, as well as the spotted skunk, and six different species of plants found only on this island.
San Miguel
San Miguel is the Western most Island and will have the harshest weather, receiving the brunt of the Northwest winds. The ferry trip is four hours each way. Additionally, ferry service is only offered to this island between 4-8 days a month.
In total honesty, I didn’t look into visiting this island at all. Given the parameters of my trip I knew immediately that this was not on option for me for visiting Channel Islands. I suspect this island is most frequently visited by campers and locals.
Santa Barbara
The smallest of the islands, Santa Barbara Island is located further South than the other four. A ferry ride to Santa Barbara is three hours in each direction and the ferry only goes to this island between 2-4 days each month. Santa Barbara is also home to the Santa Barbara Island live-forever – a rare plant species found only here.
Getting There
To get to the islands you will have to take a Ferry. Island Packers is the ferry service to get you there and my experience with them was truly exceptional.
They offer multiple ferry options for each island. Additionally, they have a two island option which includes both Santa Cruz and Anacapa Islands. This is a great option if you want to see variation but only have one day. The downside is that you do not get to pick where on Santa Cruz you go: the two island ferry goes to Prisoner’s Harbor and eliminates Scorpion Ranch as an option.
The ferry ticket price seemed a little steep at first but I found it well worth it. You are not just buying a boat ride to get to a destination but a full tour. They were so informative and I learned so much. The main goal of the ferry is to get you to the islands but they tailor each trip based on what comes up such as interesting birds or activity that they will then explain. On my trip, our boat went through a dolphin pod and the ferry slowed down so we could all enjoy the hundreds of dolphins swimming along our boat.
Noteworthy: Ferry cancellations are possible on any given day based on weather. Be prepared to be flexible. You will have to call a number the morning of which will give you a pre-recorded message if the ferries are running that day. If cancelled, Island Packers gives automatic options for a full refund or to reschedule. It was very hassle-free.
Final Thoughts
I slotted out two days for this park. My plan was, on the first day, to take the ferry to Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island and do as much hiking as I could possibly fit in. The second day was the two island tour which would bring me to Prisoner’s Harbor on Santa Cruz, an entirely different part of the park, and then to Anacapa Island. Unfortunately high winds cancelled the ferry to Scorpion Cove. After day two exploring Prisoner’s Harbor and East Anacapa, I chose to take the refund for the cancellation because I felt satisfied with my visit to the islands.
That being said, I would not rule visiting Channel Islands again in the future. I fully enjoyed my time there and found it to be such a peaceful place.
