![]() ![]() ![]() Santa Rosa Island: This is the second largest island in California and can be visited as a day trip, but offers quite a bit to see, with trails, old ranch buildings, beaches, and primitive camping. We will explain a bit more of why we chose this island below! It can be experienced as a day trip, but even better experienced over 2-3 days. Santa Cruz Island (where we visited): This is the largest of the islands (and largest island in California!) and offers two launching off points, many miles of trails, water activities, camping, and an old ranch. On the island you can see a lighthouse or hike the two mile trail system (with amazing views!), but beyond that, there isn’t a ton to do. You can read about each island on the Channel Islands National Park website, but here is a quick rundown of each:Īnacapa Island: This island is actually three islets, with East Anacapa Island being popular to visit for a day trip or one night camping trip. Which island in Channel Islands National Park should you visit?Īll 5 islands in Channel Islands National Park are able to be visited by the public and deciding which one to visit is one of the first big challenges of planning a trip to the park. These seven principles include planning ahead and preparing, hiking and camping on durable surfaces, disposing of waste properly (pack out what you pack in!), understanding campfire rules and always fully extinguishing your fires, respecting wildlife, and being considerate of other visitors. In fact, the islands have been referred to as the Galapagos of North America due to their biodiversity and each island offers a different experience, with lots of wildlife, including 23 endemic animals, like the island fox, and endless coastal scenery.īefore embarking on your adventure, please review the Leave No Trace principles to ensure you leave every place better than you found it, so that others can enjoy these beautiful places for many years to come! Today, it is the least visited of California’s 9 national parks, but don’t let that fool you, it is more than worth the trek to get to it. ![]() And in the 19th century, the islands became home to many sheep and cattle ranches, before becoming a national park on March 5, 1980. The Channel Islands are 8 islands off the coast of Ventura in Southern California and Channel Islands National Park consists of 5 of these islands including Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara and their surrounding ocean habitats.įor thousands of years, these islands were inhabited by native Chumash communities, who utilized the islands’ natural resources to live. The Best Day Hike in Yosemite: The Four Mile Trail + Panorama Trail.Exploring Redwoods National and State Parks.3 Days in San Diego (Things to Do + Where to Eat).Hiking Ladder Canyon near Palm Springs, California.The Best Things to do in Joshua Tree National Park.The ULTIMATE guide to visiting Death Valley National Park.While the Channel Islands may be close to civilization, they do require a bit more planning to visit, so in this guide we are sharing some general information to visit Channel Islands National Park, plus everything you need to know to visit Santa Cruz Island, including the best things to do and itineraries for 1-3 days! LOOKING FOR MORE THINGS TO DO IN CALIFORNIA? CHECK OUT OUR CALIFORNIA GUIDES AND VLOGS! Watch our Channel Islands National Park adventure, including our experience hiking and camping across Santa Cruz Island! In fact, Channel Islands National Park quickly became one of our favorite national parks we have ever visited and one of our top experiences on our Journey to Alaska in 2022! We spent three days on Santa Cruz Island at Channel Islands National Park and between the boat ride out to the island, hiking the trails, camping, and the amazing wildlife both on the water and on the island, it was one of the most memorable and unique national park adventures we have had. In this guide we’re sharing how to visit Santa Cruz Island at Channel Islands National Park.Ĭalifornia is home to 9 national parks, more than any other state, and while you likely have heard of the mega popular ones, like Yosemite, Joshua Tree, and Death Valley, the least visited of them all, Channel Islands National Park, is well worth a visit. Channel Islands National Park is one of our FAVORITE national park experiences, but it does require some extra logistics to explore. ![]()
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