Did You Watch the Baby Eagles Hatching? That’s just a taste of SoCal’s Galapagos.

A dozen miles off Southern California’s Pacific coastline near Ventura is a sparkling ribbon of rocks that seem to float on the horizon.  The Channel Islands, named for the deep troughs that have isolated them from the mainland for thousands of years, are home to more than 2,000 species of animals and plants, 145 found nowhere else in the world. If you watched the live web cam of baby Bald Eagles hatching on Santa Cruz Island in March, then you already know something about the precious residents of this National Park. (Photo by Richard Lee, unsplash.com)

The Channel Islands are also home to the most well preserved archeological sites on the Pacific coast, with a history spanning 10,000 years of continuous human occupation. Island visitors can explore the world of the native Chumash, walk the shores where European explorers landed, discover new tales from California’s ranching history and witness the remains of off-shore shipwrecks.

The National Park

Today, five of the islands, including their submerged lands and the waters within a few miles around them, are protected as the Channel Islands National Park, granting visitors resources found nowhere else on Earth as well as a look at coastal California as it once was.

The best part of visiting these islands is the diversity of offerings—from day tripping to extensive exploring. There is something for everyone, including enjoying a cruise around the harbor that launches the island expeditions.  Choose your way to discover the treasures of “SoCal’s Galapagos.”

To get the most from your visit to the islands, first make a stop at the Channel Islands Visitor Center at Ventura Harbor Village.  The visitor center offers three-dimensional maps of the islands, a museum, living tide pools, a movie and exhibits on the islands and native wildlife.  The center also offers great panoramic views of the islands from its tower.

Select your Island

The best known of the islands is Anacapa due to its proximity and popularity for day trips.  The five-mile-long narrow, rocky isle hosts dramatically steep cliffs and an easy nature walk to view more than 265 species of plants and a multitude of seabirds which includes the largest brown pelican rookery on the Pacific Coast.  Santa Cruz Island is a prime destination for recreation. Incredible inland hiking with ocean views, world-class kayaking and explorations of an ancient Chumash village site make this island a good choice. The outer islands are Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara.

Consider a Tour

After choosing your destination, book a tour or cruise with Island Packers, the official concessionaire for the islands. They are also your resource for all authorized tour companies once you arrive, from kayaking to camping. In addition to routinely offered tours and cruises, Island Packers offers several limited journeys on certain dates for just a few. You might want to consider a rare opportunity to explore Cueva Valdez!

Cueva Valdez

Santa Cruz Island has been called a “miniature version of what southern California looked like 100 years ago,” boasting untouched beaches and grassy hills. A central valley splits the island that also hosts historic ranches, the Island Fox and one of the world’s largest sea caves, Painted Cave.  Take advantage of the rare opportunity to visit Cueva Valdez this summer, a breathtaking cove on the west end of the island.  The Island Packer excursion begins with a narrated cruise exploring the many coves, caves and arches along this rugged coast—with even a weather-permitting glimpse of Painted Cave. You may be lucky enough to observe Bald Eagles, seals, sea lions and Risso dolphins. Excursion goers are transferred to small shore boats for the rest of the trip that traverses a sea cave opening to the beach of Cueva Valdez for a few hours of exploration. An Island Packers naturalist will explain the fascinating plant life and geology of the area. The day-long Cueva Valdez tour is offered July 28 and August 26.

Activities

Numerous hiking trails traverse the unspoiled islands, providing visitors with spectacular hiking opportunities from the relatively flat, signed trails of Anacapa to the unmaintained and mountainous unsigned paths of Santa Rosa.  On days that the concessionaire boats run to the islands, guided hikes are usually offered by naturalists. On Anacapa, take the easy two-mile roundtrip hike to Inspiration Point, which affords one of the most dramatic views of the national park.

Kayaking is one of the most intimate and adventurous ways to explore the park. An authorized park guide is strongly recommended to make the most of your adventure. Scorpion Beach on east Santa Cruz Island is a topnotch destination for sea kayaking with easy beach access, pure ocean waters and remarkable sea caves and cliffs to explore.

The Channel Islands support a rich variety of birds for the birdwatcher, distinct in many ways from the birds of the adjacent mainland. In fact, the Santa Rosa Scrub Jay is found in no other place in the United States, and the association of northern and southern species found here is not duplicated anywhere else in the world. The islands support the only nesting population of California brown pelicans along the west coast. Boat guides will happily assist in identifying birds on your boat trip.

The park is home to more than 775 plant species, and each island is floristically unique due to a complex interplay of factors, from elevation to topography. Head to Santa Barbara, Anacapa and San Miguel islands to catch the most brilliant coreopsis flower displays that appear each spring.

A total of 23 endemic terrestrial animals have been identified in the park, including eleven land birds that are Channel Island subspecies or races. Look for the island fox, the island deer mouse, the island spotted skunk, big-eared bats and the island night lizard as you hike the back country. Island Packers offers a popular 3 1/2-hour Channel Island Wildlife Cruise with opportunities to view California Sea Lions, Harbor Seals and ocean birds.

Remember to bring your camera. Crashing surf, towering sea cliffs and dazzling floral displays set against the ocean have made the Channel Islands a nature photographer’s haven.  The photogenic Arch Rock on eastern Anacapa is a must shot during sunset, but any hike or boat trip leads to photo gems, from tail-popping whales to a calcified forest.

Isolation has made the tidepools of the islands some of the best in Southern California.  Anemones, sea stars, urchins, limpets, periwinkles, chitons, barnacles, mussels and many other fascinating species can be found in pristine tide pools on all the islands. The most accessible sites are at Frenchy’s Cove on Anacapa Island and Smuggler’s Cove on Santa Cruz Island.