Vistor Services

Visitor Centers

The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park

1901 Spinnaker Drive

Ventura, CA 93001

805-658-5730

The visitor center features a bookstore, a display of marine aquatic life, and exhibits featuring the unique character of each park island. Visitors also will enjoy the 25-minute park movie, "A Treasure in the Sea," shown throughout the day in the auditorium (closed-caption film available upon request).

The fully accessible visitor center is open 8:30 am until 5 pm daily. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving and December 25th.

On weekends and holidays at 11 am and 3 pm rangers offer a variety of free public programs about the resources of the park. Click here (link to Programs and Events page) for programs and events scheduled at the visitor center.

Click here (link to Plan Your Visit > Directions page) for directions to the Robert J. Largomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park.

Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center

113 Harbor Way 4th Floor

Santa Barbara, CA 93001

(805) 884-1475

http://outdoorsb.noaa.gov/ (http://outdoorsb.noaa.gov/)

This visitor center not only has one of the best views of Santa Barbara, but also offers visitors exhibits and information about Channel Islands National Park, Los Padres National Forest, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the City of Santa Barbara. The fully accessible visitor center is open daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Click here (link to Plan Your Visit > Directions page) for directions to the Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center.

Island Visitor Contact Stations

Visitor contact stations are located on Santa Barbara and Anacapa Islands. These stations offer exhibits and information on the resources of each island.

As of October 2005, planning is underway to open a visitor contact station in a historic house at Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island. Please check back here for updates on this project.

Click here (Plan Your Visit > Directions > Island Transportation) for information on visiting the islands.

RECREATION

The islands not only offer a delightful break from the congestion and clamor of urban life, but also numerous outdoor activities—hiking, camping, snorkeling, kayaking, birdwatching, photography, or just relaxing to the soothing sounds of the natural world.

Please click on the links above to learn about outdoor activities within the park.

Picnicking

Picnic tables are available for day use on all islands except San Miguel. If weather permits, many visitors enjoy picnicking on the islands' beaches. Visitors must bring their own food and water (potable water is available at the Scorpion Canyon Campground on Santa Cruz Island and the Water Canyon Campground on Santa Rosa Island). Public pit toilets are available on all islands.

Due to scavenging animals (including birds), please secure food and trash at all times.

Hiking

Many trails and roads traverse the islands, providing visitors with spectacular hiking opportunities. These trails and roads range from the maintained, relatively flat, signed trails of Anacapa to the unmaintained, rugged, mountainous, unsigned paths of Santa Rosa.

Please click here (link to Hiking page) for maps and descriptions of island trails. In addition, trail maps, guides, and topographic maps are available at park visitor centers and at island bulletin boards.

Hikers need to assume individual responsibility for planning their trips and hiking safely. To increase your odds of a safe hike, decrease your disturbance to wildlife, and lessen damage to resources, visitors should be in good physical condition and must follow the regulations and guidelines in Park Regulations and Guidelines (link to Park Regulations and Guidelines) and Hiking Safety (link to Hiking Safety)

Camping

Click here for camping information. (link to Camping)

Backcountry Camping

Backcountry camping is available year-round at the Del Norte campsite near Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. Also, during certain times of year, backcountry beach camping is allowed on Santa Rosa Island. The National Park Service opened these islands to limited backcountry camping in recognition of their rare wilderness values. As you explore these wild areas by kayak or on foot, please take the responsibility to help us protect and preserve these delicate natural resources for future generations. Please click here (link to backcountry camping) for more information on backcountry camping.

WARNING: While backcountry camping is an incredible experience, it is not for the inexperienced backpacker or kayaker. Due to difficult weather, rugged terrain, and off-trail hiking, backcountry camping is an arduous endeavor and should be undertaken only by experienced, well-conditioned backpackers and kayakers.

Boating

Click here for boating information(link to Boating page).

Kayaking

Click here for kayaking information (link to Kayaking page).

Diving and Snorkeling

The kelp forests, sea caves, and coves of the park await the adventurous swimmer, snorkeler, and diver. Some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world can be done right here within the park.

These activities are best done on Santa Barbara, Anacapa, and eastern Santa Cruz Islands. Due to extremely windy conditions on Santa Rosa and San Miguel, these activities should not be attempted on these islands by the novice or anyone who is not properly trained, conditioned, and equipped.

Please refer to local area dive shops, dive operations, and diving publications for more detailed information on island snorkeling and diving sites and dive boat trips.

Since the marine environment can be unforgiving, use extra caution when engaging in these activities. Ocean conditions are highly variable and sometimes dangerous. Many beaches on the islands have steep, dangerous shore breaks. The wind and swell generally come from the northwest and become stronger as the day continues. From October through January, visitors must also be prepared for strong east or Santa Ana winds. The ocean currents outside of coves and protected beach areas can be strong and extremely dangerous. These conditions should be carefully considered when planning your trip and entering the water.

In addition to the regulations and guidelines listed at Park Regulations and Safety (link to Park Regulations and Safety page) the following suggestions should also be considered:

There are no lifeguards on duty, so all water sports are at your own risk. Visitors should be aware of boat landing operations at all times—avoid water sports near skiffs that are conducting surf landings.

Snorkelers, divers, and swimmers should always use the buddy system. This allows for someone to go for help if you encounter trouble.

For your own safety, the law requires divers to display a dive flag while diving. It is recommended that spear guns be unloaded at least 50 feet from the beach.

Before departing, swimmers, snorkelers and divers should leave an itinerary and/or float plan with someone who is on shore and can be easily contacted.

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.

Due to cold water conditions (55° to 70° F), wetsuits and hoods are recommended.

Fishing

To fish in Channel Islands National Park, possession of a valid California state fishing license is required and all California Department of Fish and Game Regulations apply. In addition, twelve Marine Protected Areas surround the islands where special resource protection regulations apply.

For more information please visit:

California Department of Fish and Game Regulations (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/)

Channel Islands Marine Protected Areas (http://www.dfg.ca.gov/marine/sportfish_regs/ci_mpa.pdf)

Surfing

Depending on the swell direction, surfing can be done at several locations on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel Islands.

Generally, the north shore is best during the north-west swells of winter/spring and the south shore is best during the south swells of summer/fall.

All surf spots are remote and are best accessed by private boat due to the islands' rugged terrain and the hiking distance from the designated landing areas where the park concession vessels drop off visitors.

Tidepooling

Due to their relative isolation and protection, the tidepools in Channel Islands National Park are some of the best within southern California. Anemones, sea stars, urchins, limpets, periwinkles, chitons, barnacles, mussels, and many other beautiful species can be seen at numerous pristine tidepool sites. The most accessible sites include: Frenchy's Cove on Anacapa Island; Smuggler's Cove on Santa Cruz Island; Becher's Bay at the pier, Southeast Anchorage, East Point on Santa Rosa Island; eastern end of Cuyler Harbor on San Miguel Island. Check with the park's concessionaires for trips to these tidepooling areas.

The area between the land and the sea is not distinct, but is a zone of transition. This area may be covered with water during high tide or exposed to sunlight during low tide. Life in this intertidal region must be the hardiest within the marine environment—able to withstand hours of exposure and the incessant pounding of the energy-filled surf.

Intertidal life has adapted to the sea and the land. When looking at a tidepool area, notice how plants and animals may be found in certain areas and not in others. Those living in the upper splash zone are tolerant to sunlight, heat, and water loss and have either a means to "shelter" themselves or the ability to move into an area of greater moisture. An animal with a tightly closed shell or a shell firmly attached to rock will hold water within, so that it does not require water surrounding it at all times. Animals found in rock crevices and submerged pools usually require more moisture to prevent them from drying out.

How an animal feeds often depends on its ability to move. An animal that moves about is able to search for its food. Some graze the rocks for algae, while others feed on settled debris. An animal that remains stationary feeds on food particles suspended within water.

Because space is a limiting factor, there is competition between organisms. Many animals and plants are found in a small area, some may live on each other, or use an old shell as a surface on which to live. This is one important reason why collecting is not permitted—you may be taking away a home.

Although hardy against the forces of nature, the plants and animals of the intertidal zone cannot entirely endure the impact of humans. Since individuals interact with one another, minute changes in the area could disrupt the entire community. While exploring, please keep in mind these tidepool tips:

Watch your step! The rocks can be very slippery and there may be small animals on the rocks.

Keep an eye on the waves. The surge can sneak up on you.

Take your time and look carefully. Tidepool organisms are often very small and camouflaged.

Do not collect anything! Not only is it unlawful, but if animals and shells are taken, there may be nothing left for others to enjoy.

If you pick up an animal to observe, please place it back where it was found. That particular spot is its home territory.

Although you may not know the animals by name, through simple observation a great deal of information can be learned. Consider, for example, what keeps it from drying out? Why doesn't it get swept out to sea? Does it search for food or wait for food to come to it?

Whale Watching

The waters surrounding Channel Islands National Park are home to many diverse and beautiful species of cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises). About one third of the cetacean species found worldwide can be seen right here in our own backyard, the Santa Barbara Channel. The 27 species sighted in the channel include gray, blue, humpback, minke, sperm, and pilot whales; orcas; Dall's porpoise; and Risso's, Pacific white-sided, common, and bottlenose dolphins.

This diversity of cetacean species offers a great opportunity to whale watch year-round. The most common sightings are of gray whales from mid- to late-December through mid-March, blue and humpback whales during the summer, and common dolphins throughout the entire year. Whales and dolphins can be seen either from shore or from a boat. The best shore viewing is from a high spot on a point that juts out into the ocean. Some examples include Point Dume in Malibu, the Palos Verdes Peninsula near Los Angeles, and Point Loma in San Diego. The park visitor center has a tower with telescopes, which can be used for whale watching as well as island viewing. Watching in the early morning hours, before the wind causes whitecaps on the water's surface, will provide you with the best opportunity to see whales from shore.

Closer viewing of whales is possible from public whale watching boats or private boats. Whales have been known to approach boats quite closely. Under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, boaters must stay at least 100 yards from whales unless the whale chooses to approach the boat.

Many whales are on the endangered species list and should be treated with special care. All whales are protected by the Marine Mammal Protection Act; it is illegal to disturb or harm any marine mammal. Boaters who use private craft to watch whales must remember to stay at least 100 yards away from whales. Boaters who frighten or interrupt the whales' activities by approaching too close could drive the whales away from food or young calves. Please remember that whales are wild animals and can be unpredictable.

We need to continue to explore the world of whales and dolphins. The well-being of the cetacean population is a good indication of the health of the ecosystem. Our ability to bring these species into the next century and beyond is an indication of the future of life on this planet. Every day we learn more about these mysterious and unique creatures that dwell beneath the water, yet rise above it to breathe.

Whale Habits

Whether you are watching from shore or in a boat, here are a few distinctive habits to look for.

Spouts:

Your first indication of a whale will probably be its spout or "blow." It will be visible for many miles on a calm day, and an explosive "whoosh" of exhalation may be heard up to 1/2 mile away. The spout is mainly condensation created as the whale's warm, humid breath expands and cools in the sea air.

Breaching:

No one knows why whales perform this most spectacular of their behaviors. It may be part of the courtship display, a signal, an effort to dislodge parasites, an expression of stress, or just for fun. When breaching, three quarters or more of the whale's body bursts forth from the water, pivots onto its side or back, and falls back with an enormous splash.

Diving:

Diving is preceded by whales thrusting their tail flukes out of the water. Typically, whales make a series of shallow dives, followed by a deep dive.

Footprints:

Ripples caused by the vertical thrusts of the tail as the whale dives are called "footprints."

Spyhopping:

Whales and dolphins are believed to have reasonable vision in air as well as water. On occasion, a whale will extend its head vertically from the sea. Supported by thrusting flukes, the whale's head can rise 8-10 feet above the surface, sometimes turning slowly for thirty seconds or more before slipping back underwater.

Island Packers, one of the park concessionaires, offers whale watching during the year. Please refer to Island Transportation (link to Planning Your Visit > Island Transportation) for contact information. Other whale watch operators are located in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Channel Islands Harbors as well as down in the Los Angeles area.

Seal and Sea Lion Viewing

Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary provide habitat for breeding populations of four species of pinnipeds or seals and sea lions (California sea lions, northern fur seals, harbor seals and northern elephant seals). These species may be viewed during a channel crossing or from various locations on the islands, including:

Anacapa Island: California sea lions, harbor seals

Santa Cruz Island: California sea lions, harbor seals

Santa Rosa Island: California sea lions, harbor seals, northern elephant seals

San Miguel Island: California sea lions, harbor seals, northern elephant seals, northern fur seals, guadalupe fur seals (rare)

The Rookeries on San Miguel Island

Walking to Point Bennett on the western tip of San Miguel Island requires some stamina, for it is a fifteen-mile roundtrip hike. About halfway across the island, however, there is something that will help spur you on and encourage your feet to keep moving. That something is a sound—faint at first, but gradually getting louder and louder. The noise is a sort of rumble, low and rolling. What can be making this strange sound?

As you come over the rise at Point Bennett you find your answer. There are thousands of elephant seals on the beach—flipping up sand over their huge torpedo-shaped bodies, moving like globs of JELLO-O over the sand, and carving out territories to call their own. The originators of the noise that you have been listening to are the gigantic males with their long proboscises that gives the species its name. You are witnessing a timeless ritual of which sound is just a small part.

The elephant seal is one of four species of pinniped (or "wing or feather-footed") marine mammals that are commonly sighted around Point Bennett. Other species include California sea lions, northern fur seals, and harbor seals. At one time, two other species were found here in abundance—Steller or northern, sea lions and Guadalupe fur seals. While Steller sea lions have not been seen since the 1980s, a few Seals and Sea Lions Guadalupe fur seals are occasionally sighted.

Nevertheless, not only are more species sighted at this remote spot than at anywhere else on the planet, but this gathering represents one of the largest congregations of wildlife in the world. Staggering populations of over 70,000 California sea lions, 5,000 northern fur seals, 50,000 northern elephant seals and 1,100 harbor seals breed and pup on the island each year.

The diversity of pinnipeds is part of a larger picture of biological diversity found in the Santa Barbara Channel. San Miguel Island lies in an area of water that overlaps two currents—a cold current moving down the Pacific coast from Alaska and a warm current moving up the Pacific coast from Mexico. Those two currents meet and intermingle not only water, but many of the species associated with corresponding cold and warm currents.

Islands also bring diversity by providing shelf areas where sunlight can penetrate the water, and plants, such as the giant bladder kelp, can grow. The dense kelp forests around the islands provide food and shelter for many varieties of plants and animals. Diversity is also linked to upwelling conditions that exist near San Miguel Island. Upwelling sucks cold nutrient-rich water that normally lies at the bottom of the ocean to the surface, providing food for hundreds of species.

Finally, the isolation of the islands also plays a role. A beach all to themselves with no disturbance from people must be very enticing for seals and sea lions. Therefore, the Santa Barbara Channel, the islands, and Point Bennett, specifically, provide all the necessary ingredients that the they need—wide sandy beaches, plenty of food, and others of their kind.

Researchers from the National Marine Fisheries Service, in cooperation with the park, have been studying the seals and sea lions of San Miguel since 1968. Long-term behavior studies on marked animals provide information about reproductive behavior as well as migratory and feeding patterns. Current studies focus on winter feeding and maternal behavior of California sea lions; northern elephant seals' diving and migration patterns; and, of course, the impacts of El Niño on the pinniped population. 

These pinnipeds are protected by spending at least part of their lives in a national park—or are they? Some threats to these animals know no boundaries. Threats made by water pollution, plastics and debris in the ocean, oil spills, overharvesting of fisheries, toxins, and pesticides affect even isolated areas like Point Bennett. These threats can also affect people. Without protection, the spectacular rituals performed on the beaches of Point Bennett can become a thing of the past. Generations to come may only experience the grandeur of Point Bennett through stories and photographs.

People can make sure pinnipeds of the park and world survive into the future. Simple things like recycling plastics can make a difference to a curious young sea lion looking for something to play with. That plaything does not need to be a piece of plastic webbing that may strangle it.

The most important action people can take is to visit Point Bennett. Discover the world of the pinnipeds for yourself—then tell others how important it is to keep the rituals continuing.

Rangers lead guided walks out to Point Bennett during the summer months. For more information on visiting San Miguel Island please click here (link to Visitor Services > Places To Go > San Miguel Island)

Bird Watching

The Channel Islands support a rich variety of birds, distinct in many ways from the birds of the adjacent mainland. The islands offer protected habitat in an increasingly disturbed southern California environment.

They are important nesting areas for seabirds; the particular association of northern and southern species found here is not duplicated anywhere else in the world. The islands support large numbers of Western Gulls, Cassin's Auklets, Brandt's Cormorants, and the only nesting population of Brown Pelicans along the west coast of the United States. Also, the islands support the world's largest population of Xantus' Murrelets.

The land birds on the islands are also a distinctive group—they represent a unique selection of the birds that live across the Channel on the California mainland. Ten of the 40 land bird species that commonly nest on the park islands are represented by endemic species or subspecies—forms that occur only on the islands and nowhere else. Of this group, the island scrub jay is the only bird that is endemic on the species level.

Viewing Seabirds

While some seabird species may be viewed from the islands, the park boat concessionaires will search for seabirds on the boat trip out to the islands. Be sure to tell a boat crew member that you are interested in seabirds and they will often assist in finding and identifying birds.

In addition, local chapters of the Audubon Society occasionally sponsor boats trips around the islands to view seabirds. Please click here (http://www.audubon.org/states/index.php?state=CA) for local chapter information.

Viewing Land Birds and Shore Birds

The larger islands of Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa offer more types of habitats and therefore, more variety of land birds. Many birdwatchers will visit Prisoners Harbor (easiest viewing opportunity) or Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island to view the island scrub jay.

Due to limited beach access on some islands, shore bird viewing is best done on Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, or San Miguel Islands.

Click here (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/rpt_CHIS_birds.pdf) to download a bird check list (PDF file, 70 kb). This file requires Adobe Reader. Please click here (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) to download Adobe Reader for free.

Wildflower Viewing

The park support a wide variety of vascular plants—over 775 plants (including subspecies, varieties, and forms) are currently known. Each island is floristically unique due to a complex interplay of factors, including distance from the mainland and from adjacent neighbors, size of the island, local climate, maximum elevation, and topographic diversity.

During a normal year of rainfall, the islands are green and wildflowers reach peak bloom around late winter and spring. Generally, the blooming begins and ends earlier the farther east and south the islands are located.

The brilliant yellow coreopsis flowers usually peak between late January through March. The best viewing of these flowers occurs on Santa Barbara, Anacapa, and San Miguel Islands.

For the most current wildflower information, please visit the Theodore Payne Wildflower Hotline (http://www.theodorepayne.org/hotline.html).

Click on the links below to download a plant check list and flowering guides. These files require Adobe Reader. Please click here (http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html) to download Adobe Reader for free.

Plant Check List (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/A%20Checklist%20of%20Vascul... ) (PDF file, 131kb)

Anacapa Island Flowering Guide (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/AI%20Plants%20Final.pdf ) (PDF file, 610kb)

Eastern Santa Cruz Island Flowering Guide (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/ESCI%20plants%20screen%209-...)

Prisoners Harbor (Santa Cruz Island) Flowering Guide (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/Mid%20SCI%20Plants%20Finalw...) (PDF file, 710kb)

Santa Rosa Island Flowering Guide (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/SRI%20plants-screen%2011-05... ) (PDF file, 570kb)

Nidever Canyon (San Miguel Island) Flowering Guide (PDF file, 100kb) (http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/upload/Plants%20in%20Nidever.pdf)