4-night Discovering Channel Islands National Park: A 5-Day Voyage

Much of Los Angeles lies in a fairly flat basin, surrounded by mountains and ocean. Although the Santa Monica Mountains, one of the most unheralded of the city’s remaining natural treasures, splits LA between the familiar sights of La-La Land to the south and the charmless suburbs to the north, the metropolis is easily traversed. Places for visitors to explore include Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, the central strip of Wilshire Boulevard with faded Art Deco "Miracle Mile" zone and good museums, and the beach towns of Santa Monica and Venice, where visitors can stroll along the former’s remodeled pier and Third Street Promenade outdoor mall, or visit the latter’s famed Muscle Beach and oceanside Boardwalk. Lengthier trips to LA may include the old-fashioned charm of Old Pasadena, home of ever-popular Rose Parade and Bowl, Downtown, site of much city heritage and setting for what skyscrapers the area does have, the South Bay, the place to find the region’s second biggest city of Long Beach, and Malibu, where visitors can try to get a glimpse of movie stars and assorted celebrities.

Destination Guide

Channel Islands National Park is one of the great undiscovered attractions in California. It encompasses the five northernmost Channel Islands, which are seaward extensions of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The establishment of the 250,000-acre/101,250-hectare national park (half of this area is underwater) was the culmination of preservation efforts that began with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1938. All five islands in the park can be visited—conditions permitting. There are three Channel Islands that are not part of the national park: San Nicolas and San Clemente are owned by the U.S. government and can't be visited, but Santa Catalina is a well-known tourist destination.

Luxuriant 24-mi-/38-km-long Santa Cruz Island has the most to offer first-time visitors. Take a guided Nature Conservancy hike, kayak just offshore, scuba dive and explore sea caves, or watch birds.

Another good choice is Anacapa Island. It's the closest to the mainland, just 11 mi/17 km from Oxnard; hence many people start there. A visit begins with a 154-step climb up from the boat landing to the island plateau. There's a nature trail as well as a lighthouse and a museum. Overnight camping is possible with advance arrangements. The other islands in the park are Santa Barbara, Santa Rosa and San Miguel.

The national park visitors center is located at the harbor in Ventura (on the mainland, 75 mi/120 km northwest of Los Angeles), and it's the best source for current information about each island, including camping and other permit requirements.

The Channel Islands has some of the best scuba diving in the world, and is home to a number of animal species not found on mainland California. There, you enter the realm of the mighty giant kelp forest, bright orange garibaldi fish, the small but beautiful blue-banded gobie, and large schools of jacks, sardine and senoritas. Lobsters also thrive in this area, luring eager lobster hunters for the October-March season. The visitors center in Ventura on the mainland is open daily. Phone 805-658-5730. http://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm.

Destination Guide

Catalina Island, also known as Santa Catalina, is one of the Santa Barbara Islands in the Gulf of Santa Catalina off southern California. With an area of 75 sq mi it is rugged and mountainous with an irregular coastline, and is a popular resort and center for sports fishing. The only town is Avalon with a population of about 3000. The island was sighted in 1542 by the Portuguese explorer Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo. In 1919 it was purchased by the American industrialist William Wrigley, Jr., who developed the resort facilities. His family still owns much of the island.

Destination Guide

Much of Los Angeles lies in a fairly flat basin, surrounded by mountains and ocean. Although the Santa Monica Mountains, one of the most unheralded of the city’s remaining natural treasures, splits LA between the familiar sights of La-La Land to the south and the charmless suburbs to the north, the metropolis is easily traversed. Places for visitors to explore include Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, the central strip of Wilshire Boulevard with faded Art Deco "Miracle Mile" zone and good museums, and the beach towns of Santa Monica and Venice, where visitors can stroll along the former’s remodeled pier and Third Street Promenade outdoor mall, or visit the latter’s famed Muscle Beach and oceanside Boardwalk. Lengthier trips to LA may include the old-fashioned charm of Old Pasadena, home of ever-popular Rose Parade and Bowl, Downtown, site of much city heritage and setting for what skyscrapers the area does have, the South Bay, the place to find the region’s second biggest city of Long Beach, and Malibu, where visitors can try to get a glimpse of movie stars and assorted celebrities.

Destination Guide