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Channel Islands National Park, photo 1 of 5

Photo: Ken Lund / CC BY-SA 2.0 · source

Lakes & rivers

Channel Islands National Park

Ventura, CA · Southern California CoastNo entrance fee

About

Boats from the California mainland reach Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island in about an hour, and a day trip gives you 6 to 8 hours ashore. There are no stores or restaurants on the islands, and there's drinking water only at Scorpion and near Bechers Bay on Santa Rosa. The park calls sea kayaking high risk, with deaths and near-fatal incidents every year, and strongly recommends a guide. Guided kayak and snorkel trips leave from Scorpion, and the water is calmest from August to October. Anacapa is the other one-hour crossing, but the captain decides on arrival if the boat can land, and the climb from the landing is more than 150 steps.

Highlights

Five islands, reached by boat or planeGuided kayaking from Scorpion AnchorageAnacapa's 40-foot Arch RockIsland fox, found nowhere elseBoats from Ventura and Channel Islands Harbor

Getting there

1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001

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The United States National Parks63 places

The United States National Parks

All 63, for anyone keeping count, with the famous ones up top and the quieter ones further down.