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The park is open all year. The Robert J. Lagomarsino visitor center in Ventura is open daily from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM. Ventura is located 70 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas. The mainland visitor center is fully accessible. It provides the visitor with interpretive programs, a movie about the park, tide pool display, native plant garden, bookstore and island exhibits. The facility offers a picnic area overlooking the Ventura Harbor. Exhibits include a living tidepool exhibit, three-dimensional models of all the park islands, interactive touch-screen exhibit, a tower with telescopes for viewing the islands, picnic area, a bookstore, and an outdoor native plant garden. Visitors will enjoy the 25-minute park movie, “A Treasure in the Sea”, throughout the day in the auditorium. Every Saturday and Sunday park rangers present free interpretive programs on the natural and cultural resources of the park. Due to their isolation and transportation requirements, the islands are not readily accessible for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. Efforts are underway to provide some wheelchair accessible areas on Santa Rosa Island via air transportation. Please call the park for information.

The Santa Barbara Island facilities on Santa Barbara look out over the eastern side of the island and are open year-round. The visitor contact station/museum on the island has exhibits, dioramas, and murals of the natural and cultural resources. Facilities include a museum, visitor center, primitive campground, and picnic area.

The Channel Islands National Park, sometimes called the “American Galapagos”, was established in 1980. The park consists of 249,353 acres, half of which are under the ocean, and include the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara. Even though the islands seem tantalizingly close to the densely populated, southern California coast, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped.

Surfacing over the horizon from the depths of the Pacific Ocean, the coastal mountains of California’s Channel Islands offer an extraordinary gateway to the past, spanning more than 12,000 years of human history. The Channel Islands are home to the most well-preserved archeological sites on the Pacific coast, with more than 10,000 years of continuous human occupation recorded.

The northern Channel Islands were home to many native Chumash communities who are believed to have inhabited the islands for thousands of years. When Europeans first reached the islands in the 16th century, they discovered a rich culture dependent upon the resources of the land and the sea for sustenance and survival. By the nineteenth century, the islands were fulfilling different purposes: vast sheep and cattle ranches occupied Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel islands and the channel waters were aggressively harvested for fish and marine mammals. The remains of ancient Chumash villages are intermingled with historic ranch complexes and later military structures, testifying to the diverse heritage of human experience on these offshore islands. Human remains discovered in 1959 at Arlington Springs on Santa Rosa Island have been dated to more than 13,000 years of age, among the oldest dated human remains in North America.

The native populations of the Channel Islands were primarily Chumash. The word Michumash, from which the name Chumash is derived, means “makers of shell bead money” and is the term mainland Chumash used to refer to those inhabiting the islands. Traditionally the Chumash people lived in an area extending from San Luis Obispo to Malibu, including the four Northern Channel Islands. Today, with the exception of the Islands, Chumash people live in these territories and areas far beyond. Approximately 148 historic village sites have been identified, including 11 on Santa Cruz Island, eight on Santa Rosa Island, and two on San Miguel Island. Due to the lack of a consistent water source, Anacapa Island was likely inhabited on a seasonal basis. A true maritime culture, the Chumash hunted and gathered natural resources from both the ocean and the coastal mountains to maintain a highly developed way of life.

The southernmost park island, Santa Barbara Island, was associated with the Tongva people, also called Gabrieleno, although the Chumash also visited the island. Like the Chumash, they navigated the ocean and traded with their neighbors on the northern islands and the coast. Lacking a steady supply of fresh water, no permanent settlements were ever established on Santa Barbara Island. Tongva/Gabrieleno people lived primarily on the Southern Channel Islands (Santa Barbara, San Nicolas, Santa Catalina and San Clemente islands) and the area in and around Los Angeles.

These native people relied on the sea for much of their sustenance and manufactured tools and trade items from shells and stones. The Chumash were able to travel between the islands and the mainland in plank canoes, called tomols, which were constructed out of redwood trees drifting down the coast. A plank canoe constructed from redwood logs that floated down the coast and held together by yop, a glue-like substance made from pine pitch and asphaltum, and cords made of plant materials and animal sinews, the tomol ranged from eight to thirty feet in length and held three to ten people. Sharkskin was used for sanding, red ochre for staining, and abalone for inlay and embellishment.

The use of the tomol allowed for an elaborate trade network between the islands and mainland, between natives and non-natives, and amongst the island communities themselves. ‘Achum, or shell bead money was “minted” by the island Chumash using small discs shaped from olivella shells and drills manufactured from Santa Cruz Island chert. The shell bead money was exchanged with mainland villages for resources and manufactured goods that were otherwise unavailable on the islands.

New information about the Island Chumash, the native population that inhabited these islands for thousands of years, continues to fascinate historians and visitors alike. Today, the Chumash Maritime Association, in partnership with Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and Channel Islands National Park, continues the tradition of the tomol by conducting Channel crossings.

By the time European explorers arrived in the Santa Barbara Channel, there were some 21 villages on the three largest islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, with highly developed social hierarchies that featured an upper class of chiefs, shamans, boat builders, and artisans, a middle class of workers, fisherman, and hunters, and a lower class of the poor and outcast. Because of the scarcity of fresh water, Anacapa and Santa Barbara islands did not support permanent habitation.

In 1542, explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo reached San Miguel Island while voyaging along the American coast seeking new lands for conquest and development. Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo was impressed by the friendliness of the Chumash people he encountered. However, diseases introduced by the European explorers began a decline in the native population. For two hundred years, explorers and traders visited the islands where they hunted otters, seals, and sea lions for their pelts and oil, greatly increasing the exploitation of the marine resources and introducing diseases that decimated the native populations.

Claimed for Spain by the early explorers, the islands fell under Mexican rule in 1821. Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa were awarded as Mexican land grants with the intent of raising livestock. Initial ventures into sheep and cattle ranching began on these islands in the 1830s. With California statehood in 1850, the islands became part of the United States. Each of the five northern Channel Islands was developed for livestock ranching during some period of the 19th and 20th centuries. Taking advantage of the expansive fields and altering much of the natural environment, ranchers and vaqueros, or cowboys, built successful sheep and cattle ranches. Many historic ranch buildings remain on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa islands today.

The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard all established posts on the northern Channel Islands during the 20th century. Light towers were constructed on Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands in the 1910s, and a full light station was built on East Anacapa Island in 1932, run by the Coast Guard into the 1960s. Coastal defense build-up led to the establishment of an Army base in 1943 and an Air Force Base in 1950, both on Santa Rosa Island. The Navy managed San Miguel Island from 1948 until it transferred management to the National Park Service in 1967. The Navy also continues to maintain a small post on Santa Cruz Island.

The discovery of gold in California in 1848 brought thousands of fortune seekers from the east and around the world. To meet this new demand for travel and resources, shipping and maritime activity increased dramatically. Sailing ships and steamers carried people, food, and supplies up and down the coast and from the eastern United States. A typical voyage from New York to San Francisco brought passengers first to Panama and, once there, it often took over a month for another ship to arrive and take them up the Pacific seaboard.

In 1847 two steamship companies connecting New York with San Francisco and the Oregon Territory and charged primarily with the important task of delivering mail were subsidized by the federal government. The United States Mail Steamship Company and the Pacific Mail Steamship Company acquired many steamships to travel the Panama route. Independent steamship companies competed with the mail steamships by promising shorter voyages. To reach their destinations more quickly, ships often risked navigating the narrow Santa Barbara Channel rather than traveling around the Channel Islands. Between 1850 and 1900, at least 33 ships were wrecked in the Channel. One of these ships, the Winfield Scott, still lies beneath the clear waters of Channel Islands National Park. The large steamship sank off the shores of Anacapa Island in 1853.

The Winfield Scott was owned by the Pacific Mail Steamship Company. Loaded with over 300 passengers and crew, bags of mail, and $1 million in gold, the steamship departed San Francisco for Panama on December 1, 1853. The next evening Captain Simon F. Blunt chose to pass through the Santa Barbara Channel to save time. The fog was dense, but he knew his course. Believing he had passed the islands, Blunt turned southeast, an unfortunate and tragic miscalculation. At 11:00 pm, the Winfield Scott crashed into a large rock off Middle Anacapa at full speed, striking two holes in the bow. The stern then struck, knocking away the rudder, and the ship began to sink.

Captain Blunt sent a boat to find a place onshore for the passengers and ordered everyone on board to abandon ship. The large group was brought to the beaches of Anacapa where they camped for nearly a week. Another ship, the California, saw the smoke from the passenger’s fires and rescued the women. It returned on December 9 and removed the rest of the passengers. The company of the Winfield Scott was left on the island to attempt to recover mail, baggage, furniture, and some of the machinery from the wreck, but there was little hope of saving the ship or of getting it off of the ledge.

Over forty years later, Captain Maginn and Colonel Baker of the San Pedro visited the wreck in hopes of salvaging some of the copper, iron, and brass which could bring substantial amounts of money. Some of the ship had to be blasted apart by dynamite. Others returned to the shattered site searching for gold and other “treasure.”

The Channel Islands, particularly San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz, contain numerous plant and animal fossils that illuminate the past natural history of the California coastal region. This fossil record offers the opportunity to study fauna speciation and evolution, the development of plant and animal communities, their adaptations to varying climate conditions, and the effects of human colonization on the fauna. As a result, the Channel Islands are of special interest to researchers, and a number of paleontological studies have been done on the islands.

Research indicates that the Pleistocene fauna of the Channel Islands is unique in several respects. First, it contains several extinct species, including pygmy mammoth, an owl, a flightless goose, a puffin, and a vampire bat, and two species of giant mouse. The park also contains the best representation of Pleistocene marine avifauna on the Pacific coast, with over 70 species having been discovered on San Miguel.

The most notable animal fossils, and the best studied aspect of island paleontology, are the pygmy mammoth (Mammuthus exilis). Remains of this species have been known on the Channel Islands since 1856 when they were discovered by a coast and geodetic survey. In 1994 a nearly complete adult skeleton was discovered and excavated on Santa Rosa. Pygmy mammoths descended from full-sized Columbia mammoths that swam across the Santa Barbara Channel to the islands during the Pleistocene. It is believed that during that period the northern Channel Islands were connected into one large island because of the lowered sea levels. Apparently pygmy mammoths died off at about the end of the Pleistocene (12,000 years ago). Pygmy mammoth fossil bones have been found on more than 140 sites on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz. These are the only known remains in the world. On Santa Rosa, fossils are often exposed in sands, silts, and gravels of Pleistocene age anywhere on the island. Most specimens have been found in the sediments comprising the coastal terraces of the island. Due to the numerous questions about many aspects of this species’ evolution and development, any fossil may potentially be of crucial importance in answering important research questions.

Another important paleontological resource is the caliche fossil forests, or rhizoconcretions, on San Miguel. Three major caliche forests are found on the island. These fossils are calcium carbonate-encrusted casts of vegetation buried by sand dunes more than 14,000 years ago. They provide evidence that the island once supported large trees and shrubs. These caliche casts are fragile and easily broken.

There have been some studies of the Pleistocene invertebrate fauna of the islands, but as is the case of the invertebrates from the Tertiary marine sediments much remains to be done. Although researchers have learned quite a bit about some of the park’s fossils, such as the pygmy mammoth, paleontological resources on the Channel Islands have not been very well studied. Fossil localities containing smaller terrestrial species of Pleistocene age and invertebrate fossils embedded in the Miocene strata of the islands remain unstudied. In addition, natural and human-induced erosion probably has degraded or destroyed fossil sites; unless collected properly and promptly, bones that are exposed by erosion may be scattered and lost.

The significance of Channel Islands National Park stems from the islands’ remote, isolated position at the confluence of two major ocean currents, a region of persistent oceanic upwelling, and the border of two tectonic plates. The park contains examples of two biogeographical provinces in the ocean, the Oregonian and the Californian, and a dynamic transition zone between them. The Channel Islands are a continuation of the Santa Monica Mountains on the main­land, though they were never connected above sea level, and are composed of many of the same Tertiary marine formations.

Undisturbed tidepools are one of the many exquisitely rich seascapes greeting a visitor who ventures into an island’s splash zone at Channel Islands National Park. Covered and uncovered twice each day by tides, the Park’s rocky intertidal (roughly meaning “between tides”) is home to an abundance and diversity of marine life, unparalleled by even the most unspoiled, remote shorelines along California’s mainland.

Several major factors contribute to the richness of sea life around the Channel Islands: 1) their location near the boundary of two major biogeographic provinces (the Oregonian and the Californian); 2) their diversity of habitat types and exposure to varying oceanographic conditions; 3) their high productivity resulting from upwelling of cold nutrient-rich water off Pt. Conception; and 4) their isolation from the mainland, leaving the islands’ coastline further removed from the risks of some human-induced impacts.

Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island is one of the world’s largest known sea caves. The cave measures 1215 feet in length (the size of more than four football fields), has a 160 foot entrance, and is almost 100 feet wide.

Channel Islands National Park supports a diverse terrestrial flora, including many rare, relict, and endemic species, as well as many nonnative species. A total of about 790 plant taxa, including species, subspecies, varieties, and forms, have been identified in the park, of which about 578 are native and 205 are nonnative. The major vegetative community types on the islands include coastal dune, coastal bluff, coastal sage scrub, grasslands, chaparral, island oak woodlands, mixed hardwood woodlands, pine stands, and riparian areas. Currently, the most extensive vegetation communities on the islands are grassland and coastal sage scrub with significant areas of chaparral on Santa Cruz Island, and to a lesser degree, on Santa Rosa Island. Various phases of coastal bluff scrub constitute the next largest category. Mixed broadleaf woodland stands, oak woodlands, and pine stands are scattered throughout on sheltered slopes and canyons, or on ridges exposed to frequent moist fogs. Smaller but no less significant vegetation communities include coastal dune, baccharis scrub, caliche scrub, and wetlands.

Kelp forests are true forests providing shelter and food for over 1,000 species of animals and plants that live within them. The tall fronds rising to the surface provide substrate and protection for many invertebrate species. Giant kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera, may grow at depths below 100ft, sending their leaf like fronds to the surface to create a dense canopy. Holdfasts, root like structures that anchor the kelp to the bottom, are excellent hiding places and act as nurseries to juvenile invertebrates such as spiny lobster, sea cucumber, and sea urchins. The blades of kelp help slow water movement within the kelp forest, providing more refuges for smaller organisms such as juvenile rockfish.

Kelp forests of the Channel Islands experience both warm water currents from the South and cold water currents from the North. This mixing of currents creates a highly productive system and a diversity of organisms that is only found over a much greater area of the California coast.

Kelps are harvested for alginates, products that are used as thickeners and stabilizers in many foods and other products from ice cream to soaps and shampoos. Kelp forests also provide the diversity, color, and structure that make them a favorite of divers and photographers.

Although most visitation occurs in the summer, migrating gray whales and spectacular wildflower displays attract visitors in the winter and spring. Autumn is an excellent time to travel to the park, as well as for diving, as the days are usually sunny, with minimal winds and clear ocean water. Visitors to the park may enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, such as scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, bird watching, kayaking, whale watching, and sailing. On the islands, one may camp, hike, picnic, and explore tide pools, isolated beaches, and rugged canyons. Park naturalists conduct interpretive hikes on the islands throughout the year.

Anacapa Island has 699 acres. It has hiking trails, a visitor center, lighthouse exhibits, primitive campground, and picnic area and offers opportunities for scuba diving, snorkeling, bird watching, fishing, and observing marine mammals.You can explore the watery remains of the Winfield Scott shipwreck, though divers and snorkelers are prohibited by antiquity laws from removing any artifacts. The wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from Memorial Day through Labor Day, rangers conduct a live underwater video program from Anacapa Island. This unique program features an interpretive dive through one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world, the kelp forest. Visitors may view this program without ever getting their feet wet, from the landing dock at Anacapa Island or the mainland visitor center. To protect the cliffside nests of the endangered California brown pelican, the waters approximately 1/3 mile from the northeast facing cliffs of West Anacapa are closed to entry by any craft, including kayaks, from January 1 to October 31.

Santa Barbara Island has 639 acres. It has hiking trails, a visitor center, picnic area, and primitive campground and offers opportunities for hiking, bird watching, scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, and marine-mammal observation. In spring, California sea lions, and in winter, elephant seals, breed and pup on the island shores. Numerous sea birds roost and nest throughout the island. Avoid disturbing these animals.

For a feel of a wilderness experience, San Miguel, the furthest out from the mainland, may be your choice. San Miguel Island has 9,325 acres. The island often is fog-covered or very windy. Access to many areas on the island is limited due to fragility of the terrestrial and marine resources. San Miguel has a primitive campground, miles of hiking trails and beaches, and offers Ranger-led hikes, marine mammal observation, beach exploration, and bird watching.

Santa Rosa Island has 52,794 acres. It has hiking trails and a primitive campground and offers beach exploration, wildlife observation, ranger-led hikes, vehicle tours, and kayak beach camping. Beaches between and including Southeast Anchorage and East Point are closed from March 15th to September 15th in order to protect the threatened snowy plover. Please check with the visitor center or Island Ranger for other temporary beach closures before landing during this time.

Santa Cruz Island has 60,645 acres, but 76 percent of Santa Cruz Island is owned by the Nature Conservancy. The National Park Service owns the eastern 24 percent, where visitors may observe wildlife, go hiking and camping, visit one of the largest sea caves in the world, and explore the newest addition to the park. Marine Resources encompasses 125,000 acres. Extending 1 mile from the islands’ shoreline the park’s waters offer a full range of activities including sailing, power boating, fishing, scuba diving/snorkeling, surfing, wildlife observation and bird watching.

Kayaking Channel Islands National Park is a unique and rewarding way to experience adventure travel in this pristine marine environment. You will find solitude and splendor while paddling along the routes used by the first visitors to the islands. Here also you will face new challenges, adventure, and you may encounter unexpected dangers. Visitors with their own kayaks who would like to explore Channel Islands National Park may contact the park boat concessionaires, who will transport kayaks to the islands on their public trips for an extra fee. The concessionaires offer year-round transportation to the islands for day visits and camping trips. Sea kayakers may also paddle from the mainland across the channel to the islands (due to conditions, most of these cross-channel trips are limited to Anacapa Island). However even this short 12 mile paddle is not for the novice or anyone who is not properly trained, conditioned and equipped. Currents, shifting swells and strong winds can stretch a normal 3-to4-hour trip to Anacapa Island into a 6-hour struggle. The strongest currents are often encountered near the island. The paddle from Oxnard or Ventura also takes the sea kayaking across some of the busiest shipping lanes in California. Potentially dense fog and ship speeds of 25 to 35 knots present a special hazard to kayaking while crossing the channel. Conditions are most ideal for kayaking from August through October, with relatively calm wind and sea conditions. Kayaking is possible during other months, but with much greater chance for adverse wind and seas along with unexpected changes. There are outfitters who can be hired for kayaking trips.

Few other places promise such a captivating and wonderful array of marine life in such a relatively short distance – from the lush intertidal algal and plant growth that provide habitat for so many marine animals, to the strange and wonderful invertebrate creatures that lie beneath. Whether exploring the tideline by foot, kayak or snorkel, or just spending an hour or two with a naturalist at the pier on East Anacapa Island, one can’t help but come away with an heightened appreciation of just how remarkably rich and diverse these islands are for its intertidal (and subtidal) habitats and inhabitants!

However remote, trampling by visitors, harvest of resources, foraging and/or invasion by alien species, and episodic (or chronic) pollution including oil spills remain the biggest threats to this fascinating group of marine flora and fauna occurring among the islands’ remote rocky intertidal boulder fields, headlands, sandy beaches, and within surfgrass or kelp-dominated habitats. These strangely wonderful plants and animals – mostly resilient and adapted to the rise and fall each day of the tide and to the variable nature of the area’s ocean currents – remain ever vulnerable to rapid and/or irreversible changes affecting the adjacent marine ecosystem.

Many factors influence the fragile ecosystem of the Channel Islands. The introduction of alien plant and animal species, which do not naturally occur in the park, is the biggest human impact on the islands. Alien species often negatively impact the native plants or animals, sometimes endangering their survival. Visitors should take care to not bring in seeds of plants on clothing or shoes. Over-fishing of the marine resources is another harmful human impact. Studies are being conducted at the park to determine species that may be in jeopardy due to over-use, and the usefulness of restoration efforts. Human use of tide pools, beaches, and other areas may inadvertently disturb some endangered species, including the California brown pelican, or seals and sea lions. These animals are protected by federal law; please stay far enough away from these animals so as not to disturb them. Illegal collection of cultural artifacts is also another negative human impact. Any artifacts found should always be left where they were seen and reported to the Park Service, since disturbance can ruin the archeological record and the educational value of these finds.

On the West coast of North America, Brown Pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis) colonies are located on West Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Island and on islands off the coast of Baja California. Therefore the only breeding colonies of Brown Pelican in the western US are supported by the Channel Islands. These colonies almost disappeared in the 1970′s. Alarmed at the decline, biologists began visiting West Anacapa Island (WAI) in 1969 to document the population and determine why the breeding effort by Brown Pelicans had radically decreased. They found the few eggs that were being laid were unlikely to survive to hatching because of reduced eggshell thicknesses. Brown Pelicans use their highly vascularized feet to incubate the eggs by standing on them. Eggshell thinning obviously makes the eggs more fragile and more likely to crack or break when a 9 pound bird stands on them, however delicately so. Research projects carried out by University of California, Davis staff and students revealed the presence of high levels of DDT/DDE in the marine environment. And thus the direct link to egg-shell thinning was made.

Management actions taken include restricting access to West Anacapa Island. A closure keeping boats well offshore was created to protect fledglings in the vicinity of the nesting colony. The number of birds in the breeding population has steadily increased to 4000-6000 nesting attempts every year at West Anacapa Island. This is in sharp contrast to the early 70′s in which there were only about 100 nest attempts. On Santa Barbara Island, the once ephemeral colony produces 400-700 nests every year.

The Anacapa ecosystem, however, has been degraded by the presence of non-native black rats (Rattus rattus). Rats have been introduced to over 80% of the world’s islands, accounting for an estimated 40-60% of all bird and reptile extinctions in the world. On Anacapa, rats were introduced prior to 1940, most likely as stowaways on ships to the island. They have had large impacts on nesting seabirds, preying heavily on eggs and chicks of seabirds as their food source. Approximately 40% of Xantus’s Murrelet nests on Anacapa have shown evidence of egg predation. Rats also prey directly on the native island deer mouse.

In the mid-1990s, the park teamed with the Island Conservation and Ecology Group (ICEG) to determine if and how rats could be eradicated from Anacapa Island. ICEG, active internationally in the restoration of island ecosystems through the eradication of non-native species, was aware of several successful eradications of rats from islands, particularly in New Zealand. Rats have been eradicated on over 100 islands worldwide by applying rodenticide bait; trapping alone has never succeeded.

Anacapa Island presented special challenges. The island has extensive steep cliffs, making placement of bait into the territory of every rat difficult. The endemic deer mice would feed on any bait that was attractive to rats. The endangered California brown pelican, extremely sensitive to disturbance, breed and nest on a large portion of the island during eight months of the year.

Following extensive consultation with experts, the park and ICEG determined that rats could be eradicated through the distribution of bait pellets with brodifacoum, the anticoagulant used in the majority of successful rat eradications. This product contains half the amount of rodenticide that is found in products that homeowners commonly purchase in the local grocery store and it would not accumulate in the environment since it breaks down into harmless carbon dioxide in water.

Fortuitously, the American Trader Trustee Council (ATTC), consisting of California Department of Fish & Game, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, had court settlement monies resulting from an oil spill in southern California. The purpose, in part, of the settlement monies was to restore seabird populations injured by the oil spill. The trustees supported eradication of the black rat from Anacapa Island because it is one of the most significant islands for breeding seabirds in southern California.

The bait application (from a hopper suspended under a helicopter) was scheduled during the fall, the end of the dry season, when rats were very hungry and both visitation and bird populations were low. Protection of the native deer mice had two components: a) holding a small population of mice in captivity, and b) maintaining deer mice in the wild by treating East Anacapa one year prior to treating Middle and West Anacapa.

Phase I, application of bait to East Anacapa Island, was completed in December 2001 and Phase II, treatment of Middle and West Anacapa, was completed in fall 2002. Extensive ecological monitoring pre- and post-rat eradication was conducted to determine the environmental impacts of the project. This monitoring has found substantial recovery of rare seabirds and other native wildlife on Anacapa Island following the eradication of rats. Mouse populations have returned to normal and they are breeding abundantly in the wild, while juvenile side-blotched lizards and slender salamanders are thriving in the absence of rats.

Scientists have recorded a dramatic and positive response by Xantus’s murrelets, a rare seabird that nests on the island. Thomas Hamer, of Hamer Environmental, reports, “We have detected increases in the number of birds visiting nesting colonies ranging from 58% to more than two times higher when compared to the number of detections that we recorded per night in any of the previous years.” Nest surveys by researchers from Humboldt State University have found 14 murrelet nests, including the first documented on Cat Rock since 1927.

Channel Islands National Park Superintendent Russell Galipeau, comments, “This project was critical to protecting and restoring the rare and unique wildlife on Anacapa. The National Park Service is dedicated to ensuring a diverse, naturally functioning island ecosystem.”

Numerous environmental groups endorsed the project including the American Bird Conservancy, Pacific Seabird Group, California Audubon Society, Endangered Species Recovery Council, Audubon Living Oceans, and Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures. American Bird Conservancy President, George H. Fenwick, stated, “The Anacapa Island project is precisely the type of well-designed, extensively researched, and responsibly implemented program that the American Bird Conservancy supports and encourages. The long-term benefits of rat eradication on Anacapa Island are enormous for the conservation of one of North America’s most distinctive ecosystems.”

Close to the mainland yet worlds apart, Santa Cruz Island is home to plants and animals that are found nowhere else on Earth. Like the Galapagos Islands of South America, the Channel Islands exist in isolation, allowing evolution to proceed independently, fostering the development of 145 endemic or unique species. Santa Cruz Island is host to 70 of these endemic species. Some, like the island scrub jay and the Santa Cruz Island silver lotus, are found only on Santa Cruz Island.

Unfortunately, this isolation has also made these species vulnerable to extinction. The melodic song of the Santa Barbara Island song sparrow and the crimson flower of the Santa Cruz Island monkey flower are no longer heard or seen within the park. The destruction of these species’ habitats by non-native, exotic plants and animals have caused their extinction along with eight other rare and unique island species. Once found only on the Channel Islands, they have been lost forever.

In order to save 10 other island species, including the island fox, from the brink of extinction as well as protect 3,000 internationally significant archeological sites, the National Park Service (NPS) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) have embarked upon a multi-year program to restore Santa Cruz Island. This restoration program is part of the NPS mission, as mandated by Congress, to preserve unimpaired the natural and cultural resources and values of the national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration of this and future generations.

The NPS, TNC, and natural and cultural resource experts have identified non-native feral pigs and non-native fennel (an invasive weed) as the most significant disturbances to the island’s sensitive resources. Both pigs and fennel cause major impacts to native plant communities, rare plant species, and archeological sites.

Pig rooting causes massive destruction of native species, resulting in bare ground that is easily eroded and colonized by invasive weeds, especially fennel. This activity has been a factor in the decline of nine island plant species listed as threatened or endangered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Pig rooting has also damaged a large number of archeological sites on the island that are associated with the Chumash Native Amercian people who occupied the island from at least 9,000 years ago until the early 1800s. Rooting to a depth of three feet has been noted in a number of sites, completely disturbing and desecrating these sacred sites and destroying their archeological value.

In addition, feral pigs have played a pivotal role in the catastrophic decline of island foxes. Piglets provide a year-round food source for golden eagles, allowing these former rare or occasional visitors to expand their range and establish resident populations on the island and prey on island foxes. Golden eagle predation has placed the fox on the brink of extinction on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Islands.

Scientists agree that the eradication of feral pigs is the most important action that can be taken to protect and restore Santa Cruz Island. The National Park Service has had tremendous success restoring other islands in the park through the removal of non-native animals. The eradication of European rabbits from Santa Barbara Island and sheep and burros from San Miguel Island has resulted in tremendous natural recovery. Feral pigs have also been eradicated from Santa Rosa Island in a similar program.

Wildlife experts advise that pigs can be eradicated from Santa Cruz Island if we act aggressively and persistently. Island vegetation is responding rapidly to the removal of feral sheep, completed on western Santa Cruz Island by the The Nature Conservancy in 1980s and on the eastern portion of the island by the National Park Service in 1999. However, significant resources may be lost if the pigs are not removed from the island as soon as possible. Therefore, pig eradication along with control of dense stands of fennel began in 2004.

Other management actions to initiate recovery of the island ecosystem have already begun. Golden eagles are being captured and relocated to northeast California. A captive breeding program for island foxes has been established as insurance against losses due to golden eagles. Also, native bald eagles are being reintroduced. This predator disappeared in the 1950s due to DDT poisoning. Bald eagles eat fish, seabirds, and animal carcasses, not live foxes, and are very territorial. It is hoped that once they mature, they will establish territories and drive off any newly arriving golden eagles. In 2006, for the first time in more than 50 years, two bald eagle chicks were hatched unaided from two separate nests on Santa Cruz Island.

This multi-year program to remove golden eagles, reintroduce bald eagles, breed island foxes, eradicate pigs, and control fennel will help restore the balance to Santa Cruz Island’s naturally functioning ecosystem. Once restored, the island will offer one of the last opportunities to experience the nationally significant natural and cultural heritage of coastal southern California.

Climate is mild, with little variation in temperature year round. However, be prepared for high winds, fog, and sea spray at any time. Visitors to the islands should dress in layers, with short and long pants, windbreaker, hat, sunscreen, and waterproof outer clothing.

Current Park Weather

Wear sturdy hiking shoes with non-slip soles. The islands have no stores, restaurants, or overnight accommodations; you must bring all your own food, water, and camping equipment.

A strain of Hantavirus has been found in deer mouse populations on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands within Channel Islands National Park. Hantavirus does not occur on Anacapa or Santa Barbara Islands. No one has been infected by Hantavirus on the Channel Islands. However this is a potentially fatal disease and some basic precautions should be taken: avoid contact with rodents, do not feed wildlife, keep food and drinks in rodent-proof containers, and if camping prevent entry of mice into your tent. Infection by Hantavirus causes flu-like symptoms followed by acute respiratory distress. Contact a physician immediately if these symptoms develop.

For sea kayaking, follow these precautions because safety requires good planning and common sense. Sea kayaking is potentially hazardous, even for experienced kayakers. Before embarking on your Channel Islands sea kayaking adventure, be sure to obtain current weather and sea condition information. The NOAA Real Time Local Weather Site provides up to the minute weather for the local area.

Carefully selecting and equipping your paddle craft is essential. Craft should be of a sea kayak design. Paddlers will help insure a safe and rewarding trip for themselves if they possess the following:
1. A seasoned veteran sea kayaker as a group leader.
2. Equipment familiarity and the ability to use it in an emergency.
3. Ability to right the craft or to assist others who have capsized.
4. Ability to brace the vessel in breaking seas and to deal with high winds.
5. Ability to prevent, recognize and treat hypothermia and other medical emergencies in wilderness conditions.
6. Ability to read nautical charts and to plot a course.
7. A filed “Float Plan” with the harbor master’s office or with a responsible mainland contact. Kayakers are encouraged to contact island rangers at the beginning and end of a paddle.

It is advised to bring the following equipment: compass, air horn/whistle/signal mirror, flares, portable marine/weather radio with waterproof pouch, area charts (per group), bilge pump/bailing device, spare paddle/paddle float, personal flotation device (PFD), helmet, broad-brimmed hat, adequate spray skirt, food/fresh water with extra provisions, dry storage bags, first aid kit, sunscreen, heavy diameter haul lines with carabineer, knife and a repair kit. A GPS is also recommended for the group to assist in navigation. Cell phones work from most island locations, but should not be depended on as the southern sides of the islands can be in service shadows.

The National Park Service recommends that a float plan be filed with a responsible party before beginning your trip. Before paddling across the Santa Barbara Channel, float plans may also be filed with a local harbor master’s office. Names and addresses for the kayakers, as well as emergency phone numbers, should be listed. Plans should also include the number of kayaks and kayakers on the trip as well as the color, size and type of craft used. Any survival and special emergency equipment should be listed (EPIRB, VHF, food rations, flares, etc.). The place, date and time of departure and return should be logged as well as destination(s). This information can be invaluable for a search operation if something goes wrong. At the end of your trip it is recommended that you close your float plan.

High winds may occur regardless of the forecast. Forty knot winds are not unusual for Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands generally have more moderate winds. Winds are often calm in the early morning and increase during the afternoon. Generally the wind comes from the northwest, but kayakers must also be prepared for strong east or Santa Ana winds. Dense fog is common during the summer months, but may occur at any time, making chart and compass navigation mandatory. Ocean currents of considerable strength may be encountered both near and offshore from the islands. Ocean water temperatures range from the lower 50s (F) in the winter to the upper 60s (F) in the fall.

Sea Caves can be very dangerous– large waves or swells can fill a cave unexpectedly. Be extremely careful and wear a helmet at all times when exploring sea caves.

As in all national parks, natural and cultural resources are protected under federal law. Visitors may not collect, harass, feed, or otherwise harm the native wildlife, plant life or other natural and cultural resources of Channel Islands National Park. This includes, but is not limited to, vegetation, animals, rocks, shells, feathers, and other natural, archeological, and historic features within the park. Please leave all resources as you find them, what you found interesting will bring enjoyment to others who follow in your footsteps. Preserving your National Park is your responsibility.

Archeological sites and other cultural resources, such as shipwrecks, are protected under federal law. It is illegal to disturb or damage these sites in anyway. These sites are still common on the islands today because of the protection that has been given them. With ease of kayaking access to these sites comes an enhanced responsibility to respect and protect them.

Tidepool areas throughout the park are protected. Collecting is illegal. Be careful where you walk. Careless trampling destroys tidepool animals.

Possession of a valid California State fishing license is required to fish, and all California Department of Fish and Game Regulations apply. The water one nautical mile around Anacapa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara Islands are California State Ecological Reserves. Special resource protection regulations apply. Contact the Channel Islands National Park headquarters and island rangers for more information on fish, game, and marine resources regulations. Fishing is allowed in designated areas only. Shore fishing is prohibited on San Miguel Island and the landing area on East Anacapa is a protected no take area.

Pack out what you pack in. There are no trash cans on the island. Please do not place trash in outhouses. Pets are not allowed on the islands for the protection of wildlife and your pets. Service animals require special clearance. No smoking on trails or in brush areas due to high fire hazards. Please smoke only on the beach or in the campground. To protect wildlife, landing is prohibited on all offshore rocks and islets. Rock climbing is prohibited. Firearms and firework are prohibited.

Conditions in the Santa Barbara Channel are variable and the ocean is unforgiving. Only experienced skippers with vessels capable of withstanding severe weather are advised to make the passage. Boaters should obtain the latest weather broadcast provided by the NOAA Weather Service by calling (805) 988-6610 or online at http://www.nwsla.noaa.gov/, and by monitoring weather radio on VHF-FM 162.475 MHz (weather station 3) for marine forecasts and VHF-FM 162.55 MHz (weather station 1), and VHF-FM 162.40 MHz (weather station 2) for land-based observations. There are no all-weather anchorages around the islands. It is recommended that one person stay on board the boat at all times. Boaters are responsible for any damage to the resources caused by their boat.

Boaters should always file a formal float plan with the harbor master before departing. Family and/or friends should also be informed of your float plan. Remember to be flexible with your plans. Weather should always determine your course of action.

Major shipping lanes lie between the islands and the mainland. Private boaters should be aware of their location and use caution when crossing them. All boaters should listen to the Coast Guard notice to mariners broadcast on VHF channel 22 since the waters in and surrounding Channel Islands National Park are often closed for military operations.

There are no landing permits required for the islands administered by the National Park Service, however there are closed and restricted areas on each island. A landing permit is required to land on The Nature Conservancy property on Santa Cruz Island. Boaters should contact the park ranger on each island before landing for an orientation, information on daily events, island safety, landing instructions or camping check-in.

Park rangers monitor VHF Channel 16. Channel 16 is a hailing frequency only and rangers will instruct you to switch to another channel upon contact. If you cannot hail the park ranger on the island on which you plan to land, try contacting one of the other island rangers on a neighboring island, as island canyons and mountains sometimes obscure radio transmission. Please check with the park rangers for further boating regulations.

California’s Channel Islands offer some wonderful opportunities for wildlife viewing. There is an abundance and diversity of marine creatures unmatched anywhere else in southern California. Pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) and sea birds choose to live and breed on islands and offshore rocks to escape predators and disturbance. In the past, these animals were exploited for eggs, feathers, meat, blubber, and fur. Now they are protected. In the 1970′s, the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Migratory Bird Treaty Act became law and prohibit harming or disturbing mammals and birds. Several species are coming back from the brink of extinction.

Numerous sea birds roost and nest throughout the island. Black oystercatchers, western gulls, and Cassin’s auklets are a few of the birds that nest on offshore rocks. Pelagic Cormorants nest on tiny ledges of sea cliffs and just inside the mouths of caves. Pigeon guillemots and ashy storm-petrels nest in crevices and under rocks and debris inside caves. On San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, the snowy plover, a threatened shore bird, establishes its fragile nests on many sandy beaches from mid-March to mid-September. On the West coast of North America, Brown Pelican (Pelicanus occidentalis) colonies are located on West Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Island and on islands off the coast of Baja California. Therefore the only breeding colonies of Brown Pelican in the western US. are supported by the Channel Islands. Where once these birds were in danger from deposits of DDT/DDE in marine waters, causing thinning of egg shells, they are now steadily on the increase.

Anacapa Island provides critically important habitat for seabirds, pinnipeds, and endemic plants and animals. The island’s steep, lava rock cliffs have numerous caves and crevices that are particularly important for the increasingly rare seabird species, Xantus’s murrelet and ashy storm-petrel. Landbirds include nine raptor species that live in the park and are primarily seen on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa. Hawks and owls also occur intermittently on Anacapa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara, which have limited habitat to support these birds.

In spring, California sea lions, and in winter, elephant seals, breed and pup on the island shores. San Miguel Island is the only known place in the world where 4 different species of seals and sea lions breed and up to 6 species can be found.

Fish such as rockfish, kelp bass and California Sheephead hide among kelp fronds to avoid predators and to search for smaller prey. The tall fronds rising to the surface provide substrate and protection for many invertebrate species. Others, like the sea urchins, wavy turban snails, and abalone are there to dine on the kelp blades. Holdfasts, root like structures that anchor the kelp to the bottom, are excellent hiding places and act as nurseries to juvenile invertebrates such as spiny lobster, sea cucumber, and sea urchins. The blades of kelp help slow water movement within the kelp forest, providing more refuges for smaller organisms such as juvenile rockfish. Kelp forests of the Channel Islands experience both warm water currents from the South and cold water currents from the North. Some examples of warmer water species living among the kelp include Garibaldi, moray eels, and the spiny lobster. Examples of colder water organisms include black rockfish, and the sunflower star.

The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) is the largest of the Channel Islands’ native mammals. A descendent of the mainland gray fox, the island fox evolved into a unique species over 10,000 years ago. The island fox has similar markings to its ancestor, but is one-third smaller. Island foxes are distributed as six different subspecies, one on each of the six Channel Islands on which they occur. Foxes from separate islands are still capable of interbreeding, but are physically and genetically distinct enough to be recognized as separate subspecies. For example, the average number of caudal (tail) vertebrae differs significantly from island to island. Subspecies are named for their island of origin.

Environmental and ecological factors such as drought or food scarcity may have contributed to the natural selection for a smaller size. At 12 to 13 inches in height and 4 to 5 pounds, the island fox is about the size of a housecat. Island foxes have gray coloring on the back, rust coloring on the sides, and white underneath. The face has a distinctive black, white, and rufous-colored patterns.

Island night lizards (Xantusia riversiana) are an endemic Channel Islands reptile, known only to occur on Santa Barbara Island in the park and on San Nicolas and San Clemente Islands. They are the most morphologically distinct of the endemic vertebrates on the Channel Islands, indicating they have been isolated from the mainland for a long time. The best habitats for the lizards are boxthorn (Lycium californicum), prickly pear cactus (Opuntia oricola and O. littoralis), and cracks and crevices in and around rock outcrops and surface boulders. These areas provide protection from predators. They are also often found under rocks, driftwood, and fallen branches. Suitable habitat on Santa Barbara is in all of the canyons and on some of the sea cliffs, especially on the south side of Signal Peak. Island night lizards are very sedentary and have very small home ranges, averaging about 183 square feet (17 square meters). They are most active at midday. The lizards breed in April, with young being born in September.

Fellers and Drost found densities of 1,300 lizards per acre in boxthorn and 1,000 lizards per acre in prickly pear. This high density is probably due to a combination of factors, including the lizard’s low metabolism, diverse diet, sedentary nature, and small, overlapping home ranges. These lizards can live up to 20 years or more, but once established in a territory generally remain within a 3-meter radius their entire life.

Townsend’s big-eared bats are medium-sized, light brown bats with very large ears. They specialize in eating moths and other insects. They occur throughout the Western U.S. and use a variety of habitats, almost always near caves or cave-like roosting areas. They prefer open roosting areas in large rooms and do not tuck themselves into cracks and crevices like many bat species do. Their preference for open spaces in caves makes them easy to detect and vulnerable to vandalism.

The endemic island deer mouse is the only native terrestrial mammal common to all the Channel Islands and is larger than mainland deer mice. Densities of deer mice on the islands can be greater than anywhere else in the world.

Do not directly or indirectly feed the native wildlife–protect your food from wildlife. Human food is generally not good for animals. Wildlife may become accustom to humans if they learn to associate humans or camps with food. Besides becoming a nuisance, habituated animals may bite and transmit diseases including Hantavirus. Animals also may injure themselves by consuming plastics which obstruct their digestive systems, causing them to starve.

Under federal law it is illegal to disturb and/or harass seabirds, or seals and sea lions. Harassment may be interpreted as any action that modifies the behavior of birds and mammals. Avoid approaching areas with birds, seals, and sea lions that are roosting, nesting or pupping. Look ahead and give animals a 100 yard clearance if possible. Be alert for birds that you may not be able to see, around guano covered rocks and pinnipeds hauled-out on secluded beaches. Cormorants and pelicans are disturbed easily and may knock their eggs out of the nest and abandon their nests if they are flushed suddenly from the cliff. Adult birds will stay away from the nest while people are in the area. The eggs or chicks may overheat in the sun without parental protection. Gulls and ravens are less shy of people and will take advantage of a disturbance to steal eggs and chicks. Entire colonies have been lost this way.

On San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, the snowy plover, a threatened shore bird, establishes its fragile nests on many sandy beaches from mid-March to mid-September. Please refer to the specific bulletins on these islands for areas to avoid during these periods.

Pupping harbor seals, sea lions and other pinnipeds also are sensitive to any type of human disturbance and may abandon their pups. In addition, all of these animals are easily disturbed when resting or preening on rocks or secluded beaches at the water’s edge. Rest periods are important to their energy budget. Approach new territory slowly and quietly. If you see animals close by, quietly move away. There may be more animals than you first see.

All rock islets within Channel Islands National Park (park boundary extends into one nautical mile offshore around each island) are closed to access above mean high tide. It is also recommended that visitors stay out of sea caves, including dry caves behind beaches, during the spring and early summer when sea birds are nesting. Landing on offshore rocks, entering caves, and making loud noises in these areas may cause sea birds to abandon their nests. Black oystercatchers, western gulls, and Cassin’s auklets are a few of the birds that nest on offshore rocks. Pelagic Cormorants nest on tiny ledges of sea cliffs and just inside the mouths of caves. Pigeon guillemots and ashy storm-petrels nest in crevices and under rocks and debris inside caves. Many sea birds leave their nests alone while feeding, so even if birds are not present, a misplaced step could crush an egg or chick by moving a loose rock. Bats also hibernate in some of the dry sea caves and waking them can cause a fatal depletion of energy reserves.

There may be resting birds and pinnipeds in caves and on offshore rocks even after the breeding season. Under federal law it is illegal to disturb and/or harm these animals. Be cautious of sea lions resting on rocks or beaches in the backs of caves. Startling a sea lion that you can’t see in the dark could be hazardous for you as well.

In order to be rewarded with displays of interesting natural behavior, never chase any animal and do not try to see how close you can approach them. If an animal starts to look alarmed (appears agitated or starts watching you) then you are too close. Even though it may not show obvious agitation, being too close can cause severe stress. Sit calmly at a safe distance. Let the animal’s natural curiosity take over and it may approach you. Let sea birds and sea lions adjust to your presence and you will be rewarded with displays of interesting natural behavior. For your safety as well as theirs, do not approach sick or injured animals. Alert a ranger or a wildlife rehabilitation center.

The only park fees involved are camping fees of $15.00/day.

Camping reservations for National Park Service campgrounds on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, East Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara Islands are available at (800) 365-CAMP (2267). Beach camping on Santa Rosa Island is available for experienced kayakers and boaters on a seasonal basis; a permit is necessary by calling (805) 658-5730. Hiking beyond the beach and campground on San Miguel is on ranger-guided hikes only. Reservations for hiking may be made by calling (805) 658-5711. For private boaters’ permission to land on Western Santa Cruz Island, call The Nature Conservancy at (805) 898-1642.

Camping is available on all five islands in National Park Service managed campgrounds. No camping is allowed on The Nature Conservancy’s western 74% of Santa Cruz Island. Beach camping is allowed on Santa Rosa Island throughout the year. Practice the “leave no trace” rules. Pets are not allowed on the islands for the protection of wildlife and your pets. Service animals require special clearance. No smoking on trails or in brush areas due to high fire hazards. Please smoke only on the beach or in the campground.

The campground on Anacapa Island is open year round. The campground is on East Anacapa Island, 1/2 mile from the dock landing, up 154 stairs. There are 7 campsites with a campground capacity of 30 people.

The San Miguel Island campground is near the Lester Ranch above Cuyler Harbor, a 1 mile hike uphill from the beach landing and has windbreaks. There are 9 campsites with a total campground capacity of 30 people. Fewer than 200 people per year ever get the experience of camping on San Miguel Island.

The Santa Rosa Island campground in Water Canyon is 1 1/2 mile miles across the flats from the pier landing, or 1/4 mile from the airstrip/beach landing. There are 15 campsites with a 50 person campground capacity. The campground has windbreaks, running water (most people bring drinking water or filters) and an invigorating shower. 0n specific beaches throughout the island, camping is allowed with a free permit.

On Santa Cruz Island, camping is only allowed at the National Park Service managed Scorpion Ranch campground. The rest of eastern Santa Cruz Island, as well as The Nature Conservancy property, are closed to camping. The campground has 40 sites and allows 4-6 people per site. The campsites are spread out along the valley floor 1/2 to 1 mile up the flats from the beach landing.

Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area is 25 miles away and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is 32 miles away. There is also Los Padres and Angeles National Forests, Carrizo Plain National Monument and Point Mugu State Park nearby. The surrounding cities of Ventura, Los Angeles and Santa Barbara offer many attractions.

Ventura is located 70 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. It is serviced by Amtrak, Greyhound, and airport shuttle services from the Santa Barbara and Los Angeles International Airports. Oxnard Airport has scheduled commuter service.

From the 101 Freeway: northbound, take the Victoria Ave., left onto Victoria, then right onto Olivas Park Drive to Harbor Boulevard, where Olivas Park Drive runs straight into Spinnaker Drive; southbound, take the Seaward exit left onto Harbor Boulevard, than proceed on Harbor to Spinnaker Drive, and turn right. The visitor center is located at the very end of Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor. Free parking is available at the beach parking lot.

There are air and boat shuttles to the islands. Trips vary from one-day to multi-day camping excursions.

Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Channel Islands National Park:

By Car:

San Diego, CA – 190.43 miles

Los Angeles, CA – 66.63 miles

Bakersfield, CA – 121.02 miles

San Jose, CA – 323.19 miles

Lake Havasu City, AZ – 359.95 miles

Las Vegas, NV – 330.78 miles

By Plane:

Los Angeles International Airport – 69.15 miles

Burbank (Bob Hope) Airport, CA – 60.42 miles

Santa Barbara Municipal Airport – 41.81 miles

Superintendent, Channel Islands National Park, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, California 93001
Call: (805) 658-5730

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