Established in 1980, the Channel Islands National Park offers visitors a chance to experience the Southern California coast in its natural state. The largest island off the California coast, Santa Cruz, is a popular destination for hikers and snorkelers. Its rugged cliffs, sea caves, kelp forest, and abundant marine life make it perfect for adventure seekers.
Dolphins, whales, sea lions, garibaldi fish, sea birds, the endemic island scrub jay and island fox are some of the wildlife we can anticipate seeing. The island's cultural history is rich, spanning 10,000 years of American Indian habitation and 150 years of European ranching, visible in remnants throughout the island.
Dates: July 23rd-28th, 2023
Price: $650
Itinerary
Day 1
Check in at the Outdoor Adventures office at 9:00am and meet your small group of adventurers. Get to know your group on campus. We will review clothing and equipment and make final preparations for an afternoon departure. Our first night we will camp near Ventura and prepare for our ferry tomorrow morning.
Day 2
After a short drive to Ventura Harbor, we will travel by boat to Santa Cruz Island and set up base camp while learning about the island during a stop at the visitor's center. (Look out for some furry local residents such as the endemic island fox)
Day 3
Day hike to some of the island's top destinations, including Potato Harbor.
Day 4
Day hike to a beach and go snorkeling once we arrive.
Day 5
Day hike to a remote beach and take in the panoramic view from atop Montanon Ridge. This spectacular view is one of the best in California.
Day 6
Today we depart the island on a morning ferry and return to the mainland. We will travel back to USD by late afternoon.
Physical Challenge
Activities for this trip include hiking and snorkeling. Hiking on Santa Cruz islands is strenuous on the legs. The trail conditions, while maintained, are very steep at times and fully exposed to the unrelenting sun and wind. We could be hiking for the majority of 6-7 hours during our full day hike, while other days will include shorter hikes lasting 2-3 hours.
Trip members should be in good physical condition for hiking on steep terrain and capable of carrying a daypack of approximately 10-15 pounds filled with water, lunch and other essentials (covered during pre-trip presentation). From now until the trip begins, we highly encourage you to get in shape. If you can comfortably hike up and down hills and on uneven trails with a 15 pound pack at a pace of about 2 miles per hour—consider yourself prepared for the hiking portion of this trip.