Channel Island National Park

So this part of the trip is something I looked forward to the most! Aaron and I got up at 3am one morning (180 days ago) to grab a spot on Faria Beach Park so we'd be able to hear the crashing of the waves when we'd wake up! We knew we would need to take a ferry to get to Channel Island National Park, so the beach was the best option to park Emmie! Our early morning planning paid off and here we enjoyed 3 days on the beach with full hook ups!!!

Trip Details:

Where: Channel Island National Park, CA

Campsite: Faria Beach Park, site 28

Length: 3 days

Itinerary:

Day 1: Beach Day!

Day 2: Channel Islands National Park

Day 3: Beach Day!

Charlotte’s Highlights: Ferry ride to see the jellyfish and dolphins!

Paige’s Highlights: The kayaking trip and going in the sea caves!

Adult’s Highlights: The sea caves tour and vistas!

Let’s first say that site #28 seemed like the HARDEST site to get into at Faria Beach. We had a speed bump, 3 palm trees and a very narrow spot to maneuver into, but as always, Aaron rocked it! Some select words might have been said, but those views were worth it!!!

The first day was a beach day. The girls soaked up the sun and the beach that day! Gigi and Pops gave us some boogie boards and the girls took the afternoon to master them! Then we built an epic sand hole with a cozy chair. :) All in all, it was a relaxing day!

The next day was dedicated to the Channel Islands National Park, which was another full day. We had to get up at 5:30, to leave at 6:30, to get to the ferry boat area at 7, to board the ferry boat at 8. The boat ride to the the island was about an hour an a half, and we had a special guest on our ferry. It was Blue Silver, the baby Elephant Seal. This was a special treat as they don’t release abandoned animals back in to the wild very often. But I took the girls down to the main floor of the ferry to meet this 7 month old baby. Her eyes were so big and she weighted 250 pounds. The California Wildlife Center team answered a ton of questions the girls had and we learned a lot about elephant seals. They can hold their breath underwater for the entire length of the Finding Nemo movie!! They can also dive up to 5,000 feet down! She was a beautiful seal and happy the California Wildlife Center was able to nurse this abandoned pup back to health!

During the ferry ride to the island, we saw a ton of dolphins, sea birds and a jelly fish! We learned that Channel Islands is made up of 5 islands and each of them has its own features. Santa Cruz Island is the largest at 94 square miles and has tons of sea caves. San Miguel Island is a popular place for seals to gather. Santa Rosa Island has Torrey pine trees, which is a rare pine tree. Santa Barbra Island draws nesting sea birds. And lastly, Anacapa Island is the most eastern island and has a lighthouse built in 1932.

We landed at Scorpion Anchorage on the main island, Santa Cruz, we got into our kayaking wetsuits and got a quick orientation before hitting the ocean. We explored the some sea caves (Cavern Cave and L Cave), learned about the natural wildlife, both on the island and in the ocean. We ended up paddling about 4 miles up and down the northern coast. The weather was sunny and we had a little baby seal that would follow us around! It was a memorable experience and so glad we experienced the island this way! I’ve also heard snorkeling is a great activity to do on the islands as well, if kayaking isn't your thing.

After eating lunch with some foxes, we decided to hike up to Cavern Point. Wait - back it up, foxes? Yes! Santa Cruz is home to these small (like the size of a cat) foxes! They were not afraid to come close to us to try to steal our food! We even saw one on someone's campground picnic table!

Like I was saying, after eating lunch with some foxes, we decided to hike up to Cavern Point Loop Trail. This was the an easy hike at 1.7 miles and went up to a high point which provided some beautiful views of the cliffs that we kayaked around!

On our way back to the mainland, we saw hundreds of dolphins and also had a whale sighting in the distance! It was a cool experience and a great way to end the long day, along with another beautiful California sunset!

On the last day, we enjoyed another beach day, built a sandcastle with a moat and relaxed!

Channel Islands did not disappoint. It was a fantastic national park and we are so glad we kayaked to check out the sea caves! Onward to Southern California to see the Joshua Trees and Minnie Mouse! Thanks for coming on our adventure! Until next time….

~ Mary