At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Every landmark had personality, every direction I looked was art. We generally paddle west in the morning and, if were on a long trip, in good position to ride the westerly home. An area not as much fun to traverse with a fully loaded pack. Bring more water than you think. He was trotting down the trail in my direction and then veered off towards the river. You get off the boat at 10:30/45 and the boat leaves in the afternoon from Prisoners at 2:45. Night 1 at del Norte (make reservations) then night 2 at scorpion canyon. If the current is this bad tomorrow, I yell to Renske. Scorpion Cove vs. Ventura, CA is only 1.5 hours from Los Angeles, CA and 30 minutes from Santa Barbara, CA. Look, there is nothing tragic happening here as far as I can tell, Wendy texted me. This hike is a significantly steeper climb and is only recommended if you are planning to spend the entire day in Santa Cruz Island hiking. Potato Harbor hike. Everything will be fine., So, instead of paddling out from Malibus Point Dume into the ocean in the middle of the night with weights tied to my legs and jumping in, I sent an email, in the least alarming tone I could muster, that everyone needed to pack as little as possible due to the lack of kayak storage space. The bottom is sand and holding is excellent and kelp is not an issue these days. There are a lot of things to do on Santa Cruz Island including hiking, swimming, snorkeling or kayaking. Totally doable in that time period if the math works for your pace. Dan . Excellent trail be prepared to hike for 2 1/2 hours. I started imagining elaborate suicide strategies to avoid having to tell nine of my friends that our six-months-in-the-making July 4th plans were now destroyed and I decided that somehow drowning myself in a kayak would be the most poetic way to go. Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links for products and services I recommend. Due to their more unpredictable weather and waters,. Whitney has a smile on his face and though Sam, Lisa and Suzanne look very relieved theyre done, they dont seem permanently scarred. Good mix of elevation gains and flatter walks. Eel grass might be. It is on the border of the Channel Islands National Park and The Nature Conservancy property. Occasionally, abrupt wind shifts (though not necessarily Santa Anas) will suddenly make your secondary anchor the primary. The best way to explore this part of the United, Point Lobos State Natural Reserve is a beautiful reserve with nice hiking trails, beautiful coves, relaxing beaches, and diverse plant and animal species. The water was choppy and the workers passed out barf bags which made me laugh, but I definitely felt nauseous and thought about grabbing one. I should have believed her; but, so often, its impossible to adopt the faith that others have in us for ourselves. Del Norte and Scorpion Campground via Del Norte and Montaon Trail, https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/backcountry-beach-camping-on-santa-cruz-island.htm. Highly recommend. Smugglers Road, Scorpion Canyon and Potato Harbor, Ford Point via East Point Trail and South Road, Torrey Pines via East Point and Torrey Pines Trail, Mount Pleasant via Del Norte and Navy Road Loop. The hike out is well marked except for the west side of the peak where is gets a bit more fun(interesting) to navigate. We will just be going for the day and I'm trying to figure out which part of the island is the best to go to. The lower loop is about a 1/2 mile hike in and the upper loop is about a mile, depending on where your site is located inside the loop. Over all worth it would not recommend kayaking after this hike. All pier landings involve climbing a ladder between 1 and 6 rungs. A good part of this trail is overgrown with wild grass whose pointy seeds will get into your hiking boots - gators strongly recommended. There is no cell service in this area. Then the following morning hiked to Scorpion and stayed another night. If you dont have your own gear, you can rent snorkel gear from Channel Islands Adventure Companywhen you arrive at Santa Cruz or ahead of time on their website. We want to go back and explore more! We reluctantly tied a fender to our aft rode and jettisoned the ground tackle. I logged the mileage as 13.1 but I did do a little offshoot to El Montanon peak. Nice trail, a little muddy with a couple of small water crossing due to recent rain yesterday. The Scorpion Anchorage is the most visited destination in the park, with about 65,000 people coming ashore each year to enjoy recreational activities such as hiking, picnicking, camping, kayaking, and swimming, according to park staff. If youre interested in doing it all at Prisoners Harbor you can camp at Del Norte campground which is a 2-3 mile hike from Prisoners Harbor. Suddenly, a strong gust smashes an aggressive wave over our boat, soaking us both completely. The mixed sand and cobblestone Scorpion Beach is a world-class destination because of easy beach access, clear ocean waters, a spectacular shoreline with sea caves to explore, nearby camping, numerous trails, and year-round Island Packers boat transportation. Permits not required; its your national park. boat ride to prisoners stopped at scorpion first so took longer than the boat ride back which was about an hour I believe. parts of the trail were moist due to the mist. The distance from Prisoners Harbor to Scorpion Anchorage is about 5 miles. Two of us completed weekend of 5/30. You'll need to leave pups at home dogs aren't allowed on this trail. Calm, peaceful, and very easy. Those who are up for the challenge will be rewarded with some of the most stunning scenery in the Channel Islands. Nice trail but steep around the peak, kinda sketchy with big backpacks on but totally doable. But remember, for a yacht on a single hook, this is, at best a fair weather anchorage. The spring is the best time to do a day trip to Channel Islands National Park if you want to see more foliage while still enjoying nice weather. Hearing this, less experienced kayakers Sam and Whitney seemed like they were ready to, literally, jump ship. Approaching the ridge was probably the most difficult and treacherous part for someone backpacking (~0.2 miles) with steep cliffs, rocky, unstable trail. I saw one group of 4 people near the campground but didn't see anyone else until I was 1 1/2 miles from Scorpion Cove. From June to September Channel Islands Adventure Company also offers guided snorkeling tours on Saturdays and Sundays. Went in mid-March, stunningly green and beautiful, charming weather. You can swim, snorkel, dive and kayak here, and there are plenty of hiking options too, starting from Scorpion Anchorage. But, Im lying. From the abandoned oil well to the near-empty trail studded with classic trail signs, it felt like a journey right out of literature. Little Scorpion is a fraction of a mile east. Its just too hard of a paddle. Oh my God, our entire trip is already doomed, I thought. AUGUST 10, 2015 My Dutch friend Renske and I are sitting in a kayak, paddling as hard as we can, against a strong current around a rocky outcrop of Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands off the coast of California. Travel time to Scorpion is a little over an hour and Prisoners Harbor, on direct route is about one and a half hours. Fortunately for us, our friend Rex was able to blast out there in his Whaler a few days later and pick it up. In summer and fall, it's hot and dusty. Dry and a lot of switch backs. This area of the park offers more sea caves than any others. Painted Cave, further west, is far more vast, but the caves near Scorpion are easily accessible and require no spelunking gear. The Island Packers boat to Santa Cruz Island leaves early from Ventura Harbor, so I recommend booking accommodation nearby for the night before. Other boats line up beam-to-beam in a East-West behind Scorpion Rock. It took about 1.5 hours to finally get on the trail and hiking from the time we left. Report inappropriate content 2. There were lots of wildflowers and opportunities to see wildlife like birds, butterflies, small rodents, and even the Santa Cruz fox. As for wildlife, we saw ducks in the river and a juvenile Rosie boa crossing in the path. You will see the museum ahead of you and a small sign on the right that says Cavern Pt Loop Trail. We took the Island Packers ferry to Scorpion Harbor which left Ventura at 8am. The bottom is mostly sand, though we have encountered some eel grass. Remember to carry plenty of water! Prisoners Harbor: An Overview Scorpion Cove Basics A view of Scorpion Cove while descending Cavern Point Loop Scorpion Cove aka Scorpion Ranch (or Scorpion Anchorage to the local boaters), is the most popular location to visit in Channel Islands National Park. Weve strapped so much trash-bag protected stuff to the top of the boats that Rich and Wendys kayak looks like a makeshift garbage barge, and Natalie and Norbertos kayak looks like its been loaded up with every belonging theyve owned since childhood. Repairs It is unclear how Scorpion was named; it may be the shape of the valley or the fact that there are small scorpions present. Will come back when it's warmer to go in the river and cross it. Ken Lund About Summary Got to Scorpion at 310p for the 4p ferry. Im a sports expert and lover. I formerly head the sports department at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. Park day fee is $3 to park. The route ends at Scorpion Anchorage. a hill. Big coyote sighting 12/24/22. Im sure youre right, I say. We traveled during labor day weekend. This is probably the best All Trails map for the hike to Del Norte campground on Santa Cruz from Prisoners Harbor -- on the map, it includes the green to the yellow circle. Hi- I will be visiting with 3 friends over Memorial Day weekend. Tours depart to this area of the island daily, weather permitting. Are we going to die? Sam asked. I told you that you could do it! I yell. . There are no other visitor centers on the island. Boat to Catalina Island for a day trip! You should book your trip ahead of time on the Island Packers websitebecause boats do fill up. Only negative is that people dont pick up after their dogs. All others must anchor out and it is best to stay well clear of the mooring field, which like the pier, is for official use only. About 6.5 miles in you start a scramble of sorts up a steep trail leading you up to the ridge overlooking Scorpion. Gorgeous views of El Capitan and the valley below, everything is so green right now, we felt like we were in Ireland. The main challenge of this hike is the lack of water along the way. iptv m3u. Boats to Prisoner's Harbor, the mid-Santa Cruz Island landing, are not scheduled as frequently as to the more popular Scorpion Anchorage, but for those seeking solitude, it's worth the effort. Great views of the ocean and cliffs. This list of the 16 top destinations in the Southwest US will, The Southwest is a unique part of the United States, full of unique natural wonders. I suspect its the former. A little bit of tidal rush, a biggish wave, maybe just the wake off a tourist boat can ram you into the ceiling. On our third day, we hiked back to Prisoners Harbor and kayaked 8 miles to Pelican Bay and back (especially beautiful). Required fields are marked *. Scorpion offers a beautiful backdrop for picnics, hiking or camping as well as a user-friendly beach area with access to one of the Marine Reserves. The Prisoner's Harbor area is part of The Nature Conservancy section of the island. I hiked from prisoners harbor to scorpion Anchorage in one day from noon to about 7:30 pm carrying a pack of 30#. Follow this guide for how to do a day trip to Channel Islands National Park, Santa Cruz Island. This is a very pretty trail with easy to moderate gains in a few areas; however, a great deal of the trail is flat. Also my legs were done by the time I got to climb the peak. The pier, which you'd think would be very prominent, is often hard to see, particularly in late afternoon sun. A day trip to Channel Islands National Park is not complete without visiting Potato Harbor Overlook. Started at Prisoners and hiked to Del Norte Camp, stayed the night. Nothing that you cant see. Santa Cruz Island used to be one big ranch which provided food, hay, grain, pasture, sheep, cattle, wine and more. The mixed sand and cobblestone Scorpion Beach is a world-class destination because of easy beach access, clear ocean waters, a spectacular shoreline with sea caves to explore, nearby camping, numerous trails, and year-round Island Packers boat transportation. Since it is located twelve miles offshore, the only access to Anacapa Lighthouse is by [], If you take a boat trip out to Santa Cruz Island or Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands you might be treated to a stop at the painted cave [], The Port Hueneme Lighthouse is open every third Saturday monthly from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, but you must arrive before 2:30 p.m. to make it for the finally tour. ROUTE: Strong winds start blowing southeast at around 11 AM on the north side of the island, so leave for any long kayaking trip early in the morning. Trail winds through old grazing grounds then connects to Navy Road for a bit then to single track. If you do your day trip to the Channel Islands with Island Packers, you will have about 6-7 hours to spend on Santa Cruz Island. It can get very crowded here, particularly when kids are on summer vacation. I think thats Prisoners Harbor. Within an hour, Rich, Wendy, Renske, and I complete the last three miles of the nine-mile paddle. Beautiful hike and super green right now with the recent rains! When we went, kayaking was at Scorpion and at Prisoner's, you had to go on a guided tour of the Nature Conservancy lands which required hiking about 5 miles r/t. Scorpion Anchorage - remain clear of the buoys. Scorpion Anchorage is our MOST POPULAR year round sea cave kayaking tour. We generally anchor bow and stern to prevent swinging. Accidentally took Navy road up to Del Norte from Prisoners harbor definitely a strenuous hike with beautiful views. 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