Channel Islands
Park 25 | September 2022 & May 2026
Second Visit | May 2026
Day 1 | Prisoner’s Harbor to Del Norte Campground
Distance: 3.5 miles | Elevation gain/loss: +1,090 ft/-500 ft
Our first day dawned cool and grey, the thick marine layer resting over the land and the sea as we drove from Camarillo to the harbor in Ventura. Although J couldn’t come on this trip, I was delighted to be returning to Santa Cruz Island with the same friend who accompanied us on our first trip back in September 2022. After checking in for our 9am ferry, we grabbed coffee and matcha at the adjacent coffee shop and walked around the marina until it was time for us to board.
The ferry ride was cold, which was quite a contrast to the clear skies and blazing 100-degree heat wave I recalled from our last visit. The crew warned that these conditions were likely to induce seasickness; we were grateful to make it through the whole ride with no symptoms. We spent the hour-long crossing watching pods of dolphins and even spotting a humpback whale from distance, the sharp wind whipping against our faces and tangling our hair. The ferry first stopped at Scorpion Anchorage, then continued on for another 45 minutes around the north edge of the island toward Prisoner’s Harbor, where our backpacking adventure was to begin.
After disembarking (by climbing a ladder up the pier, which was a fun way to start) and receiving our backpacks from the hold of the ferry, we made our way to a set of picnic tables nestled under large trees. We enjoyed pre-made chicken, hummus, and veggie wraps before repacking our bags with our copious amounts of water — 11 liters between the two of us — strapping them on, and setting off on the trail.
The trail itself is not particularly challenging in terms of distance (15 miles over two days) or elevation profile (less than 3,000 ft up and down total), but it is logistically challenging in that there is no water along the route. Thus, we needed to carry enough for our first day of hiking to the Del Norte backcountry site, the evening and morning there, and then the remaining miles between Del Norte and Scorpion Campground, where water was plentiful. I’ve never carried so much water on any trip before, and the added weight absolutely adds to the difficulty of the trail. We encouraged ourselves regularly by vocalizing how we would slowly shed close to 15 pounds from our packs over the course of the next two days simply by drinking our water and eating our food!
We settled into a steady pace, regularly pausing to admire the incredible beauty of the island: a veritable explosion of colorful island paintbrush, monkeyflower, and prickly pear cactus, air that smelled both sweet from the herbaceous plants and salty from the sea, hummingbirds that flitted around us and birds trilling from the bushes. The first 1.5 miles were on the Navy Road, a dirt road that climbs the initial 600 feet of elevation gain, before we turned on the (very) unmaintained Del Norte Trail. This overgrown trail undulated through two small valleys before our final burst up a hill toward our campground for the evening.
By the time we reached Del Norte, the sun had fully burned through the morning fog and we were treated to our first glimpse of the views we would enjoy all evening. Del Norte has four sites and is the only area visitors are allowed to sleep in in the backcountry of the park. Shockingly to me, although all the sites were reserved online, there was only one other site occupied while we stayed there, so it felt very isolated and quiet in the best way (but seriously, please cancel your site if you’re not going to use it so somebody else has a chance). We had reserved Site 1 which, while unshaded, offered the best views of the coastline. We pitched our tent, organized our gear, and meandered further down the trail (blissfully backpack-free!) to explore a bit more before settling in to our campground for the evening.
We had prioritized water-light meals for our first dinner and breakfast, so dined on simple wraps filled with chicken packets and leftover veggies that still tasted incredible after our afternoon of hiking. We splurged with our water resources to make a hot cup of tea for each of us as the evening breeze turned cooler, and wrapped ourselves in my quilt while watching the sun lazily descend across the sky. The sunset was spectacular, so much so that we stayed out until the very end, despite getting chilled to our cores. After the sun slipped behind the hills we hurried to put everything in the animal-proof box (or “fox box” as they’re called on Santa Cruz) and crawled into our tent to warm up, soon drifting off into a surprisingly deep sleep.
Day 2 | Del Norte Campground to Lower Scorpion Campground via Potato Harbor
Distance: 11.5 miles | Elevation gain/loss: +1,700 ft/-1600 ft
We both woke in a natural, unforced way at 5:30am, eager to start the big hike up the ridge. We emerged from the tent to find ourselves socked in by the same grey fog that we’d experienced the previous morning. While this erased the views we’d enjoyed the night before, it was the perfect conditions for the hike we were able to tackle. We enjoyed our hot cups of coffee and choked down a breakfast that we swore to never repeat: Breakfast wraps filled with peanut butter and banana. The nutritional balance for our pending activity? Good. The taste profile? Decent. The texture? Abysmal.
After packing up the tent, which was soaked both from morning dew and the heavy marine layer, we strapped our packs back on to begin the 11.5 mile trek across the remainder of the island. The first couple of miles were peaceful and generally flat as we wended our way through quiet meadows towards Chinese Harbor. We spotted our first tiny island fox on the trail ahead of us, the adorable endemic species that has very little fear of humans and is no larger than a house cat. Eventually, we connected back with the Navy Road and followed this as we slowly wound our way higher and higher. While we couldn’t see far due to the fog, I was surprised by the lush landscape directly around us. It reminded me a little of Volcanoes National Park in Hawai’i with so many gorgeous succulents and hardy vines and wind-twisted bushes and short trees intertwined with each other in nature’s perfectly balanced landscaping.
As we approached the halfway point, we were stopped in our tracks by loud noises ahead of us. The squealing and growling grew louder, and we could see lots of jabbering birds following along some commotion in the bushes. At first we were afraid it was a dying (or rabid) island fox; as it turned out, it was two island foxes who were in the middle of a very vocal dispute. All of a sudden they tumbled out of the bushes ahead of us, one a distinct reddish brown hue, the other a fine smoky grey that matched the marine layer. We clapped loudly to alert them to our presence, which ended up effectively breaking up the fight. The two of them immediately ran off, silenced at the sight of us.
We stopped at a severely bowed picnic table located just before the last big climb up the ridge and enjoyed a snack and rest. After this break, we noticed the fog beginning to roll back. It was perfect timing to reveal the gorgeous arid peaks rising around us, so different from the verdant area we’d finished hiking through earlier in the morning. The narrow trail snaked to the left, rising ahead of us to the highest peak on the island. We took our time on the way up; eventually, I stashed my poles so my hands were free for the couple sections where some light scrambling was required. Almost before we knew it, we found ourselves on the final ascent to the top, high fiving each other at the accomplishment.
From there, we had two options for our descent: The first was a direct trail down through Scorpion Canyon to the campground, the second was a slightly longer route that followed the ridge line a bit further before dipping down and reconnecting with the coastal cliffs. Option 2 also allowed hikers to intersect with Potato Harbor, a scenic cove that we’d heard was well worth the trip. When we reached the fork in the trail, we checked in with each other on our preferences for the descent based on current energy and water level and decided to tackle the longer route to see Potato Harbor.
I couldn’t recommend this route more! After a bit more time on the ridge, we left the clear conditions up at the summit and descended into a beautiful foggy meadow filled with wispy (and sadly, invasive) yellow mustard. Once at Potato Harbor, it cleared up just enough for us to see the gorgeous harbor below us. The striking white cliffs contrasted with the blue-green water, the wildflowers bobbing in the wind, and the green shrubs and grasses. A sea lion could be heard barking far below us as we sat and relished the view.
From there, it was a quick final push to Scorpion Campground. We spent the remainder of the afternoon and evening walking by the water in Scorpion Anchorage; exploring a mile or so up Scorpion Canyon, which was very whimsical in the evening light; and delighting in having access to unlimited water and a warm freeze-dried meal for dinner. We ended the evening with two cups of tea to counter the chilly evening wind and a few wedges of ube macadamia coconut cream chocolate that my friend had been saving to share since her visit to Maui in February. We went to bed feeling tired in the best ways and filled with gratitude for what the day had held.
Day 3 | Scorpion Ranch to Ventura via Island Packers Ferry
Morning dawned quiet, cool, and predictably foggy, without a whisper of wind. After preparing oatmeal and coffee for breakfast, we walked back down to the rocky beach to watch the first two ferries of the day arrive with day trippers. On our way, we were treated to seeing an island fox hunting (and catching) a mouse.
We took our time going through the small visitor center, both of us focusing especially on the recordings from Chumash leaders on the historical and current relationship between the Chumash and Santa Cruz Island. I learned from the oral history that the Chumash of SCI view the dolphins in the surrounding channel as their brothers and sisters; something that made our subsequent sightings of dolphins feel even more meaningful.
As we waited for our ferry to arrive a bit before noon, I squeezed in one last short hike up the bluff near the pier to say my goodbyes to this special place. Once I saw our ferry approaching, I descended and joined the rest of the campers who were on their way back to Ventura.
The trip back felt quick and included entertainment from playful dolphins and spotting a fin whale from afar. After we docked and collected our gear, we swung by the visitor center to pick up a few obligatory stickers and a magnet, feeling torn between our desire for a shower and holding on to the last vestiges of what had been a wonderful trip. Eventually, showers won. We took our leave, grateful for what our days on the island had held and the ways we had been changed by what we did and saw there.
First Visit | September 2022
This is a sad one — as I undertook the task of tracking down and organizing thousands of photos from the last 10 years, I eventually came to the sad realization that somehow, someway, my pictures of our trip to the Channel Islands in 2022 had been lost. Below are low-res downloads of the couple photos I had saved on Instagram.
