We did get way-laid in the channel by an enormous pod of dolphins, but that was well worth the time spent circling. It takes about an hour to get out to Santa Cruz Island.
My point of arrival & departure was Scorpion Ranch Anchorage, the point closest to the mainland with the shortest transit time. The eastern 25% of the island owned by the NPS has basic camp sites and an array of hiking trails ranging from easy to strenuous. The western 75% of the island owned by the Nature Conservancy is usually off-limits to the public, allowing the island plant and animal life to live undisturbed. Santa Cruz Island is the largest of the Channel Islands and is co-owned by the Nature Conservancy. Santa Barbara is much further south than the rest, closer to Catalina Island and Huntington Beach than Ventura and the other Channel Islands. San Miguel and Santa Rosa are an hour or two further out. Since I was limited to one specific day in February, I went to the one island that had a ferry that day: Santa Cruz.ĭuring peak season, ferries are more frequent and the choice of islands is more varied.Īnacapa and Santa Cruz are the most popular to visit because they’re the closest to shore. Luckily, the Island Packers office had official NPS maps, so I snagged one.
You’ll have to come back another time to get your official stamp.
#Santa cruz island trip free#
Keep that in mind if you’re collecting the free stamps from each National Park. My Island Packers ferry left before the Visitor Center opened, and my all-day adventure meant I would get back right as the Center was closing. There is a National Park Visitors Center for the Channel Islands in Ventura Harbor, but I didn’t have time to stop in. Where would I be if we cruised the Santa Barbara channel for a couple hours and didn’t see any whales?īesides, to cross Channel Islands National Park off my list, I had to actually visit one of the islands or else it wouldn’t count. February happens to be prime whale watching season, but I opted for the all-day island adventure instead of a whale watching tour.
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