Day 36: Channel Islands National Park
National Park #14
You can’t help but fall in love with the Channel Islands. Whether it’s the scenic cliffs, mysterious sea caves, oceanside hikes, and of course the iconic island Scrub Jay, there is really something for everyone here.
As the name suggests, these are indeed islands. 8 of them (though only 5 of them make up the National Park) to be specific, located south of Santa Barbara and west of Ventura. You’ll need to book a ride on one of the boats operated by Island Packers to get out to the islands.
We only had one day scheduled for the park, so we chose the largest island of Santa Cruz. If we had a second day (we really wish we did) we would have ventured to Anacapa island as well. Do yourself a favor, do both - or more.
Our trip to Santa Cruz Island got off to a great start as we were joined by a pod of ~800 dolphins (actual estimate from the captain) who decided we looked like fun. It turns out dolphins love to investigate new boats and play in their wake.
After leaving our dolphin friends we quickly made it the remainder of the hour long trip to Scorpion Anchorage on the east side of the Island. From there it was a quick hike up on Cavern Point Loop and then to Potato Harbor. Both provide spectacular cliff-side views and once you see Potato Harbor you’ll know how it got its name. From there we ventured to the inner part of the island along Scorpions Canyon, but ultimately ran out of time to do the full loop. There is literally not enough time in the day to full explore even one of the islands, and we’d highly recommend taking advantage of the campgrounds here (tent only - no vehicles on the island) so you can fully explore all of Santa Cruz.
And of course we can’t have a post about the Channel Islands without mentioning the Island Scrub Jay - a beautiful blue, black, and white bird that can only be found on Santa Cruz Island. Sondra was, not surprisingly, very excited.
And then, on the way back, we saw a Gray Whale breach three times - which is apparently quite rare. Well played Channel Islands.
What you need to know:
The Channel Islands are fantastic and if we could we would have spent several more days here. Also a great reason to explore the area around Santa Barbara.
Plan your trip in advance (the cruises to the island fill up fast) and if you can, tent camp on Santa Cruz overnight.
We didn’t have time, but kayaking through the Santa Cruz sea caves should be on your to-do list. And while we didn’t make it there, we also heard great things about Anacapa Island.
There are very few amenities on the island, so bring everything you need - especially water. The Island Packer boats have a pretty good snack bar if you forget to bring provisions.
No Wi-Fi on the islands, and very limited cell service.
And of course, don’t forget to find the Island Scrub Jay!