Beyond Southern California’s much-cruised coast, Channel Islands National Park is one of the country’s most overlooked natural treasures.
Teeming with marine wildlife, the closest of the park’s five islands is an hour offshore via boat yet feels a world away. Do you enjoy whale watching? How about kayaking? Or perhaps snorkeling is your activity of choice? The Channel Islands offer something for most outdoor enthusiasts.
A National Park at Sea
Once home to Chumash villages, a bombing range, and even a spring training site for the Chicago Cubs, the Channel Islands have a rich and unique history. Eight islands loom off the California coast, but only five of them comprise Channel Islands National Park.
Designated a federal park by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, Channel Islands National Park encompasses Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara islands. The islands sit within the 1,400-square-mile Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, one of the world’s most diverse marine environments.
Rugged and rocky, the Channel Islands mirror the California coastline. Visitors are more likely to see an island fox or a bald eagle on a trip to an island than another human. The park ranks among the least visited of U.S. national parks because it is only accessible by boat or plane.
Reaching the islands by private boat requires some effort. Once you are there, though, it’s easy to see the comparisons to the Galápagos Islands.
Access and Anchorage in Channel Islands National Park
The fastest way to reach the Channel Islands by boat is from Oxnard or Ventura, about an hour north of Los Angeles. Expect challenging seas while crossing the channel, with afternoon windswept swells and occasional marine fog.
The trip is well-suited for boats with a deep-V hull. Boats with a low freeboard are discouraged because of the swells and the open ocean. Island Packers, the park’s longtime concessionaire, runs a catamaran to the islands.
It’s worth noting that personal watercraft are banned from the park.
“I recommend reading up on the channel and the weather, because it’s a nasty channel,” said Captain Doug Pflaumer, owner of Channel Island Tours. “It can turn very quickly, so you’ve got to pick your weather.”
No public docks are available, and the shoreline is rocky, so boaters must anchor and take a dinghy to shore. Boat owners can land on all five islands, but anchoring is only permitted in designated coves or safety zones. Nautical charts show the anchorages, and no permit is required.
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