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“That was a great day!” Announces the tousled haired young man. He claims a chair on the boat, preparing to leave Channel Islands National Park. 

“It was a hellah great day!” Agrees the young man in the backwards hat. 

The group settle into the row behind us. 

They take turns visiting the downstairs snack counter, to acquire celebratory beers.

In between sips, they boisterously discuss, their favorite adventures of the day. 

“…and then dude, I was all like, no way!” 

Famished, after their hellah great day, they revisit the snack counter for burgers. The burgers look sad and questionable, but The Bros (the name I attribute to this band of young men) scarf them down in four bites. 

“Remember that time in Cozumel?” Words rapidly overlap. Each voice increasing volume so that their Cozumel exploits can be heard.

A pod of dolphins, temporarily pulls me away from the Bro show. 

Back in my seat, I am enjoying the breeze, when I notice something strange. It’s quiet. Noticeably silent. I turn to look behind me. The scene melts my heart. After a full day of hiking, swimming, beers, and burgers, the Bros got sleepy.  

Channel Islands National Park is made up of five islands, off the coast of California. It is considered one of the “boat parks,” which means you must take a boat in order to visit the park. 

Once on an island, there is no food available. Water is only available on Santa Cruz Island. All five islands have pit toilets.

 Visiting San Miguel Island requires a permit and park ranger guide, due to the danger of unexploded bombs, and certain islands are closed during certain times of the year to protect wildlife or native flora. Be sure to check the National Park website, before booking your trip.

Island Packers, is the main company that offers, island trips. You can choose from a variety of options, from trips that drop you off to explore an island on foot, to trips that include no land stops, and instead, take you on a boat tour around the various islands. 

Our Island Packers boat, boards at Ventura Harbor, in Ventura, California.

Santa Cruz Island is the boat’s destination. We only have one day to spend at Channel Islands National Park, so we choose Santa Cruz, as it has the shortest boat ride (one hour), and is the most visitor friendly island. 

The boat has a bathroom, and a counter where you can purchase various drinks and food. 

If you want a seat on the boat’s upper deck, be sure to line up early. The area fills up quickly. The lower level, provides inside seating, and there is plenty of standing room, around the outside railings. 

About 30 minutes into the trip, passengers cheer, as a pod of dolphins appear. They keep pace with the boat, jumping and splashing, in the shimmering Pacific waves. It’s a magical, National Park, moment ( you can watch the dolphins in action, in the video at the end of the post).

Like the alligators, in Big Cypress National Preserve, I imagine the dolphins having conversations about giving the people on the boats a good show. 

We depart the vessel at Scorpions Cove. Visitors must attend a Park Ranger briefing, before being allowed to wander beyond the boat dock.

Park Ranger Karen gathers the group and explains the rules of Channel Islands National Park. One of the most important rules, return to the boat on time. Karen states,

“If you miss the boat back, I will Karen your ass, aka, I will make you clean the bathrooms.” Karen is officially one of my favorite Park Rangers. 

After visiting the bathrooms, I’m highly motivated to be back to the boat on time. 

The Scorpion Ranch Visitors’ Center, provides information on the history and nature of the island.

It also houses the Channel Islands National Park stamp. 

Large trees, cover a nearby picnic table, in cool shade. We take a snack break, using the time to review the island’s map. 

 Activities on Santa Cruz Island include, hiking, kayaking, swimming, snorkeling, and camping. Due to time, we focus our attention on the hikes. 

Cavern Point Loop, promises spectacular views, so we set off for the trail. 

I have one goal today. See an Island Fox. Island Foxes are a wildlife species, only found in Channel Islands National Park. Meandering through a camp ground, on our way to Cavern Point, we spot one. Keeping a safe distance, we observe the fox, until he roams, out of sight. Goal achieved.

Dry, dusty, beige trails, wind upwards.

I find the inclines manageable, even though they are often the nemesis to my Pulmonary Hypertension. 

Curious lizards, observe us, from their rocks. 

Every few minutes, we pause our steps, to absorb the stunning views. 

As the trail continues, scenery progresses from enveloping mountains, to expansive sea. It’s one of the most beautiful views we’ve seen.

The stretch of the ocean looks endless.

The clear, ombre-blue sky, touches down to greet the deep, blue, water. For a moment we are speechless. I take a million pictures at one view point, only to find the next viewpoint is even better. 

Peering over the cliffs, we watch waves, rush into the caverns below.  

Though our arriving boat was full, the expansive island, distributes the crowd well. For the majority of the hike, it feels like we have the park to ourselves. 

The Cavern Point Loop’s descending trail, embraces the coast. A question I see many content creators use comes to mind, How is this even life right now?  

Before stepping foot onto the Scorpion Ranch area again, we catch glimpses of the dock and the visitors’ center. 

Not wanting to disappoint Park Ranger Karen, we conclude there is not enough time, to complete another, Channel Islands National Park, trail. Alternatively, we escape the bright sun, and settle amid the rocks, under the pier.

The moment is serene. Waves lap against the pilings, gliding through the rocks, stopping short of where we are seated.

 I’m delighted to find a rock that reminds me of Nintendo’s Yoshi. 

Second in line, we easily secure top deck seats. 

Dolphins, entertain us, on the ride back to Ventura Harbor. 

Feeling accomplished from our hike, we stop into, nearby, Costal Cone, for cute, ice cream sundaes. 

If you are physically able, you should visit, Channel Islands National Park. Being one of the lesser visited parks, it maintains an untouched, raw, natural, beauty. To use a cliché phrase, pictures of Channel Islands National Park, don’t do it justice. It’s breathtaking. When the visit is concluded I admit, we also had a, “hellah great day.” 

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