Channel Islands National Park
Boating
Boating (excluding personal watercraft—see Park Regulations and Safety (link to Park Regulations and Safety page) for more information) is a unique and rewarding way to experience the pristine marine environment of Channel Islands National Park. You will find solitude and splendor. Here you will also face new challenges and may encounter unexpected dangers. This section is designed to help in planning a safe, enjoyable, and environmentally sound boating trip in the park. Private boaters may land on all five islands within the park throughout the year.
Planning Your Trip
To help you decide which island to visit, specific island information is available at Places to Go (link to Visitor Services > Places to Go) or from the visitor center through publications, exhibits, and the park movie.
Detailed boating information about the channel and islands may be obtained from the U.S. Coast Guard's (USCG) "Local Notice to Mariners" publication by contacting the Coast Guard at (510) 437-2981. Cruising guides to the Channel Islands and nautical charts are available from local marine stores and online bookstores. Refer to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Ocean Survey charts 18720, 18721, 18725, 18727, 18728, 18729, and 18756.
Visitors may boat on their own or with a concessionaire. Due to challenging weather conditions, boating should not be attempted by the novice or anyone who is not properly trained, conditioned, and equipped. Currents, shifting swells, fog, and strong winds can change quickly in the channel. The trip to the islands also takes the boaters across some of the busiest shipping lanes in California. Ship speeds of 25 to 35 knots present a special hazard to boaters while crossing the channel.
There are no public moorings or all-weather anchorages around the islands. It is recommended that one person stay on board the boat at all times. Boaters are responsible for any damage to the resources caused by their boat.
Weather
Conditions in the Santa Barbara Channel and around the islands are variable and the ocean is unforgiving. Only experienced boaters with vessels capable of withstanding severe weather are advised to make the cross-channel passage. Boaters should obtain the latest weather broadcast provided by the NOAA Weather Service by calling (805) 988-6610, visiting Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary's Internet Weather Kiosk (http://channelislands.noaa.gov/) and by monitoring weather radio on VHF-FM 162.475 MHz (weather station 3) for marine forecasts and VHF-FM 162.55 MHz (weather station 1) and VHF-FM 162.40 MHz (weather station 2) for land-based observations.
Weather conditions vary considerably in the channel. The calmest winds and sea conditions often occur August through October. The other months are subject to a much greater chance for adverse wind and seas with sudden unexpected changes. High winds may occur regardless of the forecast. Forty-knot winds are not unusual for Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands. Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands have more moderate winds.
Winds are often calm in the early morning and increase during the afternoon. Generally the wind comes from the northwest, but boaters must be also be prepared for strong east or Santa Ana winds at anytime, especially from September through April.
Dense fog is common during the summer months, but may occur at any time, making chart and compass navigation mandatory. Ocean currents of considerable strength may be encountered both near and offshore from the islands. Ocean water temperatures range from the lower 50s (°F) in the winter to the upper 60s (°F) in the fall.
Safety
Due to challenging weather conditions, boating should not be attempted by the novice or anyone who is not properly trained, conditioned, and equipped. Currents, shifting swells, fog, and strong winds can change quickly in the channel. There are no public moorings or all-weather anchorages around the islands. It is recommended that one person stay on board the boat at all times.
Float Plans
Boaters should always file a formal float plan with the harbormaster before departing. Family and/or friends should also be informed of your float plan. Names and addresses for the boaters, as well as emergency phone numbers, should be listed. Plans should also include the number of boats and boaters on the trip as well as the color, size, and type of craft used. Any survival and special emergency equipment should be listed (EPIRB, VHF, food rations, flares, etc.). The place, date, and time of departure and return should be logged as well as destination(s). This information can be invaluable for a search operation if something goes wrong. Remember to be flexible with your plans. Weather should always determine your course of action.
Shipping Lanes
Major shipping lanes lie between the islands and the mainland. Boaters should be aware of their location and use caution when crossing them. All boaters should listen to the USCG notice to mariners broadcast on VHF channel 22 since the waters in and surrounding the park are sometimes closed for military operations.
Sea Caves
Sea caves can be very dangerous—large waves or swells can fill a cave unexpectedly. Be extremely careful and wear a helmet at all times when exploring sea caves. See Park Regulations and Safety (link to Park Regulations and Safety page) for sea cave closure information.
Landing Permits and Procedures
There are no landing permits required for the islands administered by the National Park Service (NPS). However, a landing permit is required to land on The Nature Conservancy (TNC) property on Santa Cruz Island.
There are closed and restricted areas on each island. Please note that rocks or islets on or near any of the islands are closed year-round to any landing and pets are not allowed in the park. Please refer to Park Regulations and Safety (link to Park Regulations and Safety page) for more information on regulations and guidelines.
It is recommended that boaters contact the park ranger on each island before landing for an orientation, information on daily events, island safety, landing instructions, weather conditions, or camping check-in. Park rangers occasionally monitor VHF Channel 16. Channel 16 is a hailing frequency only, and rangers will instruct you to switch to another channel upon contact. If you cannot hail the park ranger on the island on which you plan to land, try contacting one of the other island rangers on a neighboring island, as island canyons and mountains sometimes obscure radio transmission.
Boaters may land according to the following procedures:
Santa Barbara Island
A permit is not required to land or hike on Santa Barbara Island. Access to the island is permitted only at the landing cove. The landing dock is available for unloading purposes only. No craft, including kayaks and inflatables, should be left moored to the dock. Please lift your inflatables up to the upper landing.
Anacapa Island
A permit is not required to and or hike on East Anacapa Island or at Frenchys Cove. West Anacapa (except Frenchys Cove) is a protected research natural area and is closed to visitors. Visitors are allowed on Middle Anacapa by permit only and when accompanied by a park ranger.
The moorings near the landing cove at East Anacapa Island are reserved for use by the NPS, the USCG, and the park concessionaire only. Private boaters must anchor a reasonable distance from these moorings. This is not an all-weather anchorage. It is recommended that one person stay on board the boat at all times. The landing dock is available for unloading purposes only. No craft, including kayaks and inflatables, should be left moored to the dock. Please lift your inflatables and kayaks up to the lower landing.
Santa Cruz Island
Boaters may land on the eastern 24% of Santa Cruz Island without a permit. This area is owned by the NPS and is east of the property line between Prisoners Harbor and Valley Anchorage. No buoys are available at any landing area. Buoys are reserved for the NPS and the USCG. A pier is available at Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoners Harbor. Due to surf and swell conditions, boaters should use extreme caution when making surf-landings at any beach, especially Smugglers Cove and those beaches facing south and southeast between San Pedro Point and Sandstone Point.
A permit to land on the other 76% of Santa Cruz Island is required from TNC. A fee is charged and no overnight island use is permitted. Contact scilandingpermit@tnc.org or www.nature.org (http://www.nature.org/) for a permit; allow at least 15 business days for processing.
Santa Rosa Island
Boaters may land along coastline and on beaches without a permit for day-use only. Beaches between and including Skunk Point and East Point are closed from March 1st to September 15th in order to protect the threatened snowy plover. The beaches around Sandy Point are closed year-round. A pier is available at Bechers Bay. However, boaters may not use the mooring buoys in Bechers Bay. They are reserved for the NPS, the Coast Guard, and the park concessionaire.
San Miguel Island
Overnight anchorages are restricted to Cuyler Harbor and Tyler Bight. Visitors may land only on the beach at Cuyler Harbor. Visitors may walk the beach at Cuyler Harbor and hike up Nidever Canyon to the ranger station. To hike beyond the ranger station, visitors must be escorted by a ranger and have a permit. Call (805) 658-5711 prior to mainland departure to obtain a permit.
Channel Islands In Depth
News from the Parks
High Mountain Meadows at Rainier Melt Away
October 6, 2008 - 4:07pm
Nothing lures visitors to Paradise like the transitory displays of wildflowers that populate Mount Rainier’s high mountain meadows. But summer sojourns could fade into memory and panoramic vistas vanish as alpine asters, rosy pussytoes and purple lupines are crowded out by trees.
October 6, 2008 - 4:07pm
Nothing lures visitors to Paradise like the transitory displays of wildflowers that populate Mount Rainier’s high mountain meadows. But summer sojourns could fade into memory and panoramic vistas vanish as alpine asters, rosy pussytoes and purple lupines are crowded out by trees.
Yellowstone Justifies Tag as World's Most Famous National Park
October 6, 2008 - 4:04pm
About four million people visit Yellowstone, the world's oldest and most famous national park, every year. It's a measure of the pulling power of this corner of northwest Wyoming - home to more than half of the world's geysers, famed for its rainbow-hued hot springs and populated by an array of wildlife that includes buffalo, elk, moose, wolves, bears and coyotes.
October 6, 2008 - 4:04pm
About four million people visit Yellowstone, the world's oldest and most famous national park, every year. It's a measure of the pulling power of this corner of northwest Wyoming - home to more than half of the world's geysers, famed for its rainbow-hued hot springs and populated by an array of wildlife that includes buffalo, elk, moose, wolves, bears and coyotes.
The Best National Parks You’re Not Visiting #2: Thaddeus Kosciuszko National Memorial
October 6, 2008 - 4:02pm
You’re not the first person to say, “Thaddeus who?” This tiny national park site in Philadelphia, PA (in fact, it’s the smallest park in the system) brings attention to the achievements of this brilliant engineer whose work had much to do with the Continental Army’s success over the British at key points in the American Revolution. Despite having a national memorial created in his honor, however, Kosciuszko’s story remains obscure: Only about 4,600 people visit this site each year.
October 6, 2008 - 4:02pm
You’re not the first person to say, “Thaddeus who?” This tiny national park site in Philadelphia, PA (in fact, it’s the smallest park in the system) brings attention to the achievements of this brilliant engineer whose work had much to do with the Continental Army’s success over the British at key points in the American Revolution. Despite having a national memorial created in his honor, however, Kosciuszko’s story remains obscure: Only about 4,600 people visit this site each year.
Park budget Is Continued
October 6, 2008 - 3:59pm
As of Tuesday, both the U.S. House and Senate had passed a continuing resolution to fund most federal government agencies from Oct. 1, the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year, through March 5. A continuing resolution allows government agencies to operate at the same levels as in the previous year. For the resolution to be effective, it must be signed by the president.
October 6, 2008 - 3:59pm
As of Tuesday, both the U.S. House and Senate had passed a continuing resolution to fund most federal government agencies from Oct. 1, the beginning of the 2009 fiscal year, through March 5. A continuing resolution allows government agencies to operate at the same levels as in the previous year. For the resolution to be effective, it must be signed by the president.
Be Green and Stand Out this Halloween
October 3, 2008 - 8:43pm
It’s the time of year when ghouls, goblins, ghosts and good witches show up in public. And as people of all ages embrace their inner child and alter egos, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out in the crowd. Instead of fighting the masses at your local costume store, save a little dough and create a custom costume that reuses fabrics and items from around your house. Our teammate Leyla inspired us with her homemade strawberry costume. Made from pillowcases, buttons and colored stockings, it’s a shining example of how to be unique and green—whether your kids are trick or treating or you’re heading to a Halloween ball. Take a closer look at Leyla’s technique, and get inspired to think outside of the storefront and see the costume potential all around you. Leyla’s costume consists of two, red heavyweight pillow shams that she folded—like the first step of a paper airplane nose—into tapered berry-like edges. She used safety pins to secure these edges (so you don’t have to be a wiz on the sewing machine for this). She secured the tops of the pillows together in the same way, leaving an opening in the middle for her head. For a final touch on the berry look, she sewed white seed beads to the cases. You can use green felt and pipe cleaners with a hot glue gun to make a strawberry leaf crown. Leyla suggests wearing a green beret as an alternative, if you can find one. With all of the main components in place, the wearer can use their judgment about green or red apparel and stockings. You can find other great costume ideas here: http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm. Learn how you can transform into a bunch of grapes using purple or green leotards and balloons; a bag of jellybeans costume using colored balloons and a clear garbage bag; and a bat costume using black umbrella and tights. Have a Green Halloween!
October 3, 2008 - 8:43pm
It’s the time of year when ghouls, goblins, ghosts and good witches show up in public. And as people of all ages embrace their inner child and alter egos, it becomes increasingly difficult to stand out in the crowd. Instead of fighting the masses at your local costume store, save a little dough and create a custom costume that reuses fabrics and items from around your house. Our teammate Leyla inspired us with her homemade strawberry costume. Made from pillowcases, buttons and colored stockings, it’s a shining example of how to be unique and green—whether your kids are trick or treating or you’re heading to a Halloween ball. Take a closer look at Leyla’s technique, and get inspired to think outside of the storefront and see the costume potential all around you. Leyla’s costume consists of two, red heavyweight pillow shams that she folded—like the first step of a paper airplane nose—into tapered berry-like edges. She used safety pins to secure these edges (so you don’t have to be a wiz on the sewing machine for this). She secured the tops of the pillows together in the same way, leaving an opening in the middle for her head. For a final touch on the berry look, she sewed white seed beads to the cases. You can use green felt and pipe cleaners with a hot glue gun to make a strawberry leaf crown. Leyla suggests wearing a green beret as an alternative, if you can find one. With all of the main components in place, the wearer can use their judgment about green or red apparel and stockings. You can find other great costume ideas here: http://www.robinsfyi.com/holidays/halloween/costumes.htm. Learn how you can transform into a bunch of grapes using purple or green leotards and balloons; a bag of jellybeans costume using colored balloons and a clear garbage bag; and a bat costume using black umbrella and tights. Have a Green Halloween!
