Channel Islands National Park CHIS8063 — Channel Islands National Park
Photo: National Park Service Digital Image Archives · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Free travel itinerary template · 1 days

Channel Islands National Park 1-Day Itinerary

Santa Cruz Island: Scorpion landing and coastal trail. This is one island and one landing, not an island-hopping circuit. Book transport and any camping separately; bring food and confirm drinking-water availability.

Curated from official tourism guides · Researched 2026-11-10Sources & notes

The stops are drawn from the guides below; daily order, times and durations are our suggested adaptation. Available map pins are approximate, not provider-verified; missing coordinates remain unset. Prices are left unknown; check tickets, opening hours and transport before booking.

  • Access / base: Ventura / Oxnard before the trip; Santa Cruz Island at Scorpion for the park day. Gateway travel and flights are outside the park sightseeing days.
  • Season: A day with confirmed return boat service; sea conditions can cancel sailings.
  • This is one island and one landing, not an island-hopping circuit. Book transport and any camping separately; bring food and confirm drinking-water availability.
  • Check current NPS alerts, roads, reservations, permits, trail closures and transport at https://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm and the linked park guides before choosing dates. A park pass does not include timed entry, a tour, ferry, flight, campsite or concession ticket.
  • The sequence is an editable planning suggestion, not a live timetable or turn-by-turn navigation. Visit blocks include time to explore and rest; traffic, queues, weather, accessibility and booked departures may require a shorter day. Bring an offline official map and arrange return transport.
  • Available approximate map pins are adapted from https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Channel_Islands_National_Park, revision 5333273, Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0. Missing pins are left blank; confirm the real trailhead / landing with NPS or your operator.

Channel Islands National Park itinerary: 1 days at a glance

Review the original daily plan before editing below. Times and durations are suggested planning blocks; dining stops are not reservations. Your personal edits appear in the editor and downloads.

Day 1: Santa Cruz Island: Scorpion landing and coastal trail

  • · Scorpion Ranch visitor exhibits · 60 min
  • · Food, water and route transfer break · 60 min
  • · Cavern Point Loop · 150 min
  • · Transfer to the next park stop · 30 min
  • · Scorpion Canyon inland walk · 90 min

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Day 1
  • 08:0060m
    Scorpion Ranch visitor exhibits, Channel Islands National Park, CaliforniaMap

    Official park source: https://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm. Access reviewed 2026-11-10; recheck before travel. No verified map pin is supplied. Use the official park map to locate the trailhead, viewpoint or operator-agreed landing.

  • 09:0060m
    Channel Islands National ParkMap

    Editable allowance, not a measured travel time or included service. Follow the described district sequence and verify current driving, shuttle or trail connections. Bring food where no services operate.

  • 10:00150m
    Cavern Point Loop, Channel Islands National Park, CaliforniaMap

    Cliffside walking; stay on the trail and well back from edges. Official park source: https://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm. Access reviewed 2026-11-10; recheck before travel. No verified map pin is supplied. Use the official park map to locate the trailhead, viewpoint or operator-agreed landing.

  • 12:3030m
    Channel Islands National ParkMap

    Editable allowance, not a measured travel time or included service. Follow the described district sequence and verify current driving, shuttle or trail connections. Bring food where no services operate.

  • 13:0090m
    Scorpion Canyon inland walk, Channel Islands National Park, CaliforniaMap

    Use a conservative turnaround that leaves time for your confirmed return boat. Official park source: https://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm. Access reviewed 2026-11-10; recheck before travel. No verified map pin is supplied. Use the official park map to locate the trailhead, viewpoint or operator-agreed landing.

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