Channel Islands National Park
Five islands off the California coast holding species found nowhere else on earth.
- 93named trails
- 172trail miles mapped
- Californialocation
Popular hikes in Channel Islands
- Water Canyon Beach · about 2 mi · Easy
- Cavern Point Loop · about 2 mi · Moderate
- Inspiration Point · about 2.5 mi · Moderate
- Scorpion Canyon Loop · about 4.5 mi · Moderate
- Potato Harbor · about 5 mi · Moderate
- Smugglers Cove · about 7.5 mi · Strenuous
Best months to visit
- March: Wet-season rains turn the islands green, giant coreopsis blazes yellow on Anacapa, and gray whales are migrating along the channel crossing. Your boat ride may double as a whale watch.
Permits and reservations
There is no entry fee or reservation, but you can only get to the islands by the park's boat or plane concessioner (or your own boat).
- Landing permit for Santa Cruz Island (Nature Conservancy land): No permit is needed to land on the park's islands. A landing permit is required to hike on The Nature Conservancy's property, the western 76% of Santa Cruz Island.
- Island campgrounds: Advance reservations are required for all frontcountry and backcountry campsites, up to 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov. A reservation covers one site per night for up to four people, and you need your boat or plane booking too.
- Boat or plane to the islands: The islands are reached only by the park's boat and plane concessioners (or your own boat). Book early. Trips can be canceled for weather.
All 93 trails in Channel Islands
- Airstrip Road · 2.56 mi round trip · Easy
- Arch Point Loop Trail · 3.12 mi round trip · Easy
- Arlington Springs Road · 5.46 mi round trip · Moderate
- Bechers Bay Campground · 0.3 mi round trip · Easy
- Bechers Bay Coastal Trail · 1.8 mi round trip · Easy
- Brockway Point Road · 3.8 mi round trip · Easy
- Burma Road · 9.2 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Cabrillo Monument Trail · 0.06 mi round trip · Easy
- Caliche Forest Trail · 0.34 mi round trip · Easy
- Campground access · 0.08 mi round trip · Easy
- Canada de la Calera · 2 mi round trip · Easy
- Canyon Trail · 1.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Cardwell Point Trail (east section) · 5.8 mi round trip · Moderate
- Cardwell Point Trail (west section) · 1.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Carrington Point Road · 7.2 mi round trip · Moderate
- Cathedral Cove · 0.68 mi round trip · Easy
- Cave Canyon Nature Trail · 0.56 mi round trip · Easy
- Cavern Point · 3.54 mi round trip · Moderate
- Cavern Point Overlook · 0.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Cavern Point Trail · 0.7 mi round trip · Easy
- Cherry Canyon Trail · 3.92 mi round trip · Moderate
- China Camp Road · 6.86 mi round trip · Strenuous
- China Pines Road · 2.06 mi round trip · Easy
- Coche Point · 5.42 mi round trip · Strenuous
- cow canyon bluff trail · 1.22 mi round trip · Easy
- Cuyler Harbor Beach · 2.12 mi round trip · Easy
- Cypress Grove · 0.62 mi round trip · Easy
- Del Norte Road · 0.16 mi round trip · Easy
- Del Norte Trail · 6.16 mi round trip · Moderate
- Del Norte-Montanon (east section) · 0.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Del Norte-Montanon (west section) · 1.52 mi round trip · Easy
- Eagle Creek Canyon Trail · 2.46 mi round trip · Moderate
- Eagle Ridge Trail · 1.8 mi round trip · Easy
- East End Road · 5.26 mi round trip · Moderate
- East Point Road (northwest section) · 0.32 mi round trip · Easy
- East Point Road (southeast section) · 3.54 mi round trip · Easy
- Elephant Seal Cove Loop Trail · 3.96 mi round trip · Moderate
- Ford Point Road · 0.98 mi round trip · Easy
- Frenchys Cove · 0.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Graveyard Canyon Overlook · 0.06 mi round trip · Easy
- Gull · 0.32 mi round trip · Easy
- Harris Point Trail · 5.34 mi round trip · Easy
- High Mount · 2.66 mi round trip · Moderate
- Inspiration Point · 2.5 mi round trip · Moderate
- Landing Cove · 0.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Lighthouse · 0.46 mi round trip · Easy
- Lobo Canyon Side Trail · 0.34 mi round trip · Easy
- Lobo Canyon Trail · 2.92 mi round trip · Easy
- Loma Pelona · 0.46 mi round trip · Easy
- Loma Pelona Loop Road · 7.64 mi round trip · Moderate
- Lopez Road · 6.66 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Los Pinos del Sur · 2.2 mi round trip · Easy
- Main Road · 24.76 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Monanon Ridge · 4.42 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Montanon · 1.42 mi round trip · Easy
- Montañon Ridge Trail · 9.38 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Montañon Trail · 5.44 mi round trip · Moderate
- Navy Road · 13.58 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- North Bluff Trail · 3.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Oil Well · 0.64 mi round trip · Easy
- Old Ranch Connector Road · 2.26 mi round trip · Easy
- Orrs Camp Road · 6.02 mi round trip · Moderate
- Overlook · 0.68 mi round trip · Easy
- Pelican Bay Trail · 4.48 mi round trip · Moderate
- Pocket Field Road · 11.34 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Point Bennett Trail · 13.72 mi round trip · Strenuous
- Potato Harbor Trail · 5 mi round trip · Moderate
- Quemada Canyon Road · 5.5 mi round trip · Moderate
- Quinn Knob Road · 2.7 mi round trip · Easy
- San Miguel Campground Trail · 0.6 mi round trip · Easy
- San Pedro Point Social Trail · 3.12 mi round trip · Easy
- Scorpion Loop · 4.5 mi loop · Moderate
- Scorpion Rock Overlook · 0.3 mi round trip · Easy
- Scorpion Valley Road · 1.12 mi round trip · Easy
- Sierra Pablo Connector Road · 0.1 mi round trip · Easy
- Sierra Pablo Rd · 1.58 mi round trip · Easy
- Sierra Pablo Road (east section) · 2.92 mi round trip · Moderate
- Sierra Pablo Road (west section) · 5.82 mi round trip · Moderate
- Signal Connection Road · 4.88 mi round trip · Easy
- Signal Peak Loop · 4.8 mi round trip · Moderate
- Skunk Point Trail · 2.72 mi round trip · Easy
- Smith Highway · 23.34 mi round trip · Very strenuous
- Smugglers Road · 7.16 mi round trip · Moderate
- South (Wreck) Road · 7.48 mi round trip · Moderate
- South Point Spur · 2.96 mi round trip · Easy
- Southeast Anchorage · 0.4 mi round trip · Easy
- Telephone Road · 4.68 mi round trip · Moderate
- Torrey Pines Trail · 2.08 mi round trip · Easy
- Trancion Road · 3.5 mi round trip · Moderate
- Twin Peaks Road · 4.72 mi round trip · Moderate
- Upper Torrey Pines Road · 2.08 mi round trip · Easy
- Yellowbanks Access · 1.52 mi round trip · Easy
- Yellowbanks Trail · 2 mi round trip · Easy
Trailbound shows every one of these on an interactive map with live weather, park alerts and elevation profiles. It's free to browse.