Over the past several years, I’ve been on a mission to visit all 63 of our country’s National Parks. The majority are easily accessible, but there are several that require a little extra effort, like the Channel Islands.
Touted as the “Galapagos of the North,” Channel Islands National Park is situated in the Pacific Ocean, just off the Ventura coast in California. Comprised of five islands—Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Miguel and Santa Rosa—Channel Islands is regarded as one of the wildest National Parks. And it’s accessible only by boat.
The islands were created by tectonic forces some five million years ago. They have always been separate from the mainland and it’s this isolation that’s primarily responsible for their rich biodiversity. Everything from tiny plankton to blue whales calls this special place home.
As for human existence, the Chumash were the first settlers on the islands. Spanish explorers began arriving in 1542, followed by fur traders, then missionaries and ranchers, who were attracted to the region’s temperate climate and natural resources.
In the 1900s, the military began practicing bombing raids on several of the islands. These activities, combined with those of the fur traders and ranchers, took their toll on island ecology. Thankfully, such pursuits have since ceased and with the efforts of the National Park Service, the islands are regaining some of their natural diversity.
Each of the islands is unique.
CALChux CC BY SA 2.0
Kayaking On Santa Barbara Island
At 644 acres, Santa Barbara is the smallest of the five. It’s notable for its rocky shores, grassy mesa and twin peaks. Anacapa is next in line with 737 acres, and is known for its many seabirds, middens, tidepools, arches and sea caves.
Public domain
San Miguel Island
San Miguel, with nearly 9,500 acres, is the westernmost island and gets the most severe weather from the open ocean. Submerged rocks make the coastline treacherous and a nightmare for sailors.
Reuven Bank NPS
Middle Mountains
The fourth largest island is Santa Rosa at 53,000 acres. Rolling hills, deep canyons, a coastal lagoon, beaches with sand dunes and Torrey pines are some of its noted features.
Reuven Bank NPS
cabin far out view
Santa Cruz is the largest of the islands and the most visited. It boasts the tallest peak on the islands. With almost 62,000 acres and 22 miles long, it’s about four times the size of Manhattan. Here you’ll find secluded coves and beaches, craggy mountains, vast canyons, historic ranches and stellar hiking opportunities.
To visit the islands, make your boat reservation with Island Packers, the company authorized to provide transportation for day trippers and campers. Boats depart from Ventura Harbor.
Before boarding the boat, check out the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center, which has exhibits about the features of the island, a marine life display and native plant garden.
If you go to Santa Cruz Island, the trip takes about an hour, and you’ll dock at Scorpion Beach. A ranger meets your boat and gives a brief introduction to the island, pointing out historic Scorpion Ranch nearby. The ranch dates to the late 1800s and has several exhibit areas to visit.
NPS
Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center Blacksmith Shop
The historic blacksmith shop, for example, contains tools of the trade and information about island ranching. Some of the 100-plus year-old ranch buildings still stand today.
The visitor center, located in the historic ranch house, has exhibits on the Chumash, island isolation and the marine environment. You’ll also learn about the turbulent geologic history of the islands, the seafaring lifestyle and sheep shearing practices.
In what was the ranch kitchen, you’ll find artifacts, photos and other items donated by a former Santa Cruz Island landowner. And the bakery next door interprets the masonry bake oven used to make bread for the Italian and French immigrants who worked on the island.
NPS
Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center Bakery
Hiking is the best way to get a feel for the island and there are several trail options. One popular hike is to Potato Harbor overlook, with a return back along Bluffs Trail to Cavern Point. If you happen to visit in spring, you’ll be treated to the sight of ginormous yellow wildflowers, evoking a scene like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.
Keep your eyes peeled for the endemic island fox. Interestingly, it’s the largest native mammal on the Channel Islands, but at twelve inches in height and weighing only three to four pounds, it’s one of the smallest of its species in the world.
The hike offers breathtaking coastal vistas and an opportunity to view the marine environment from above. You’ll spot birds nesting on guano-covered rocks and several picturesque caves and coves, along with kelp forests.
At Cavern Point, the drop-off is dramatic. Pounding waves crash into mist far below, and the views along the untouched coast give a glimpse of what California’s landscape used to be.
When you go
Visit Ventura
Channel Islands National Park
Island Packers