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It takes about an hour from the nation's second largest city to drive the 101 Freeway to the Ventura Harbor. With another hour by boat and you're inside one of the less visited National Parks in the country. Welcome to Channel Islands National Park, a group of five protected islands that represent what California looked like before modern humans developed the land, although some of the islands are in recovery after early century farming and other harms to the ecosystem.
This week marked a big step for the park as they unveiled the new Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center on Santa Cruz Island, the biggest and most visited of the five at 96 square miles. Of the 60,000 visitors to the islands (over 200,000 make it to the visitor center on the mainland), 50,000 make it to Santa Cruz where boats can land at two places, Prisoner's Harbor and Scorpion Ranch, where a new visitor center was debuted on Monday.
"Within a short space of time, a person can leave one world and really come to another world," an awed inspired Congresswoman Lois Capps said before the ribbon cutting. "And that is a gift."
The new visitor center includes educational displays and recreational information such as hiking trails and kayaking. It was funded purely on fees, mainly from the nominal $15 a night camping charge. There is no park entrance fee, but you do have to arrange transportation through the park's concessionaires.
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I wanna go.
Nice shots Zach!
This is well-timed, we are going this weekend! Thanks.
Hildy, have fun! When I go next, I want to do the Smuggler's Cove hike! Looks wild.
Great pics, looks amazing.
Was there this past summer. It's truly amazing to be hiking along, knowing that you are on an island (Santa Cruz) the size of Manhattan, with only 40-or-so other people on it, just two hours away from Los Angeles. We live in a great city.
We do live in a great city, Damian! But just to let you know, it's not an island the size of Manhattan you're on with only 40 other people, it's an island three times the size of Manhattan!
Heh. Even better! Thanks for the fact-correcting.
Zach, I'm glad that someone covers the great outdoors as much as you do! Nobody thinks of LA as a hiker's paradise, but it truly is.
Are you sure that seal is, uh, napping, Zach?
Thanks for the info! I would love to trek out to Channel Islands State Park. Less crowded (and fewer amenities) than Catalina, I'm sure. Considering people actually live on Catalina...
I've been going to the Channel Islands since coming to California in 2004 and have been to four of the five islands in the national park. Santa Cruz is my favorite since its the largest and I can do a different hike every time. For white sand beaches, go to Santa Rosa. Santa Barbara is the smallest and where I was nearly attacked by gulls. Anacapa has some of the best views. Have not yet been to San Miguel.