There was a few of us who decided to get as close as we could to Arch Rock, one of the symbols of Channel Islands National Park. The waves were breaking dangerously under the 40-foot gateway, but from a couple hundred yards away, it was still a spectacle to watch. Paddling back to the dock at Anacapa Island, I got ahead of our kayking group, but I didn't know how far ahead I was until I heard breathing behind me. And it didn't sound human. more ›

Bad news for anyone wanting to see the height of bird season this year on Anacapa Island. The National Park Service yesterday closed Anacapa Island because the staircase, which climbs over 150 steps to access 200-foot high cliffs, has deteriorated into a condition that is no longer safe for the public. more ›

Of the five islands that make up Channel Islands National Park, it's one of the smallest that has some of the biggest problems. 17 miles off the coast of Oxnard is Anacapa Island. The 1.1 square-mile series of three large volcanic rocks that shoot out of the ocean is the birthplace to most all seagulls you see on Southern California beaches and many of the pelicans found throughout the West Coast, as far as Alaska. more ›

The large Dr. Seuss-looking Giant Coreopsis plants only bloom a couple months of the year. That part of the year is now, but these rare plants are not exactly local to everywhere in Southern California. In fact, there are only a handful of places where you can find them in big numbers. One such place is in Malibu at the Point Dume State Preserve, which we showed you last week. But one of the most popular places to view these flowers is on Anacapa Island, one of the five islands within Channel Islands National Park. more ›

Our favorite historial shipwreck (not that they are good) is the SS Winfield Scott, which crashed into Anacapa Island in 1853. Today you can go scuba diving an hour off the coast of Ventura and still find gold, but you can't touch it as the wreck is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A little closer to L.A. are the rocky shores in the South Bay where over 10 shipwrecks have occurred and are featured in an interactive map by the Daily Breeze. Of note is the Dominator, which came too close to the Palos Verdes Peninsula shore and sank as 10,000 witnesses watched from land. You can see the map here. more ›

Thousands may see it from the beaches of Zuma and Malibu, but the experience of the isolated Anacapa Island is a world away, chock full of dramatic views, beautiful sunsets and sunrises and a fascinating history from the Chumash Indians to failed attempts at farming. more ›

The close of summer means more opportunities at California's desert National Parks like Joshua Tree and Mojave (though you might want to wait a few more weeks for Death Valley). But these colder weather months mean limited options at Channel Islands National Park, just off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara. more ›