This rugged backpacker-friendly trail takes you to Del Norte Campground from Prisoners Harbor. Lots of shade. Camping is located at both Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoners Harbor. The only water on the island is at scorpion so you would be stuck carrying a lot of water if you went out and back. Follow this guide for how to do a day trip to Channel Islands National Park, Santa Cruz Island. We are looking for a full day of hiking and scenic views. The video explains our method and describes our trepidation. Depart Ventura Harbor for a ferry ride to Scorpion Cove or East Santa Cruz Island. I have been here before and come back today, it looks like this trail route has been edited, it used to direct you to cross a stream and reaches the other parking lot but now this trail on the app took me to the end which is on top of At Scorpion Anchorage, picnic tables are available at the beach and near the ranch area. Bringing a Kayak with you to Santa Cruz Island would be the cheaper option but definitely more effort to coordinate. The boat ride is part of the experience of the day trip to the Channel Islands, as you can see many different birds and animals on the way. Yes you can kayak from Prisoners Harbor to Scorpion Anchorage. Did this trek over 3 days and 2 nights. Santa Cruz Island is the largest island in Channel Islands National Park with 61,972 acres, measuring 22 miles long and 2-6 miles wide. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Nice Hike overall. We camped at Del Norte 1st night and woke up and completed the trail (11mi) to Scorpion Cove. One of the group has already been to Scorpion and went kayaking from there. 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. 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. The companys service is generally good, though plan for the fact that the crew asks all passengers to help unload the boats cargo hold upon docking, which can take 30 minutes. The trail is along the sea on the way to Pelican Bay. She believed that? I laugh. View Our Latest Marine Mammal Sightings Prisoners Harbor is located midway along the North shore of Santa Cruz Island. Thats less than a mile NW of Scorpion and visible from the mainland on a clear day. We did find some emergency water left by other hikers (thank you!) Before planning any of these activities consult the national park service and tour company websites for restrictions, schedules, hazards, packing, and important information. The climb to montaon ridge was a bit of a scramble and pretty difficult with a heavy pack. []. Wildlife can be spotted at both locations and will vary depending on the time of day and season. my dogs loved it and were in and out of the river. One could think of Prisoner's Harbor as Two Harbors to Scorpion's Avalon. Gorgeous views of El Capitan and the valley below, everything is so green right now, we felt like we were in Ireland. Prisoners Harbor is our newest location and will be open during the construction at Scorpion Anchorage. On our third day, we hiked back to Prisoners Harbor and kayaked 8 miles to Pelican Bay and back (especially beautiful). Didnt do the loop, wasnt prepared for height of water. This trail is great for backpacking, birding, and camping, and it's unlikely you'll encounter many other people while exploring. Tours depart to this area of the island daily, weather permitting. Views don't get much better than from this windy spot. Spend time exploring the island, snorkeling, relaxing on the beach, and more. No there is no fee to kayak from Prisoners Harbor to Scorpion Anchorage. 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. Reservations can be made online at recreation.gov, [] While kayaking is our favorite adventure on the island, there are plenty of other activities to do such as hiking to see wildflowers and island foxes or having a picnic at Prisoners Harbor. 2023 Channel Island Adventure Co. Privacy | Terms. iptv m3u. Im worried about the wind. Nice trail, a little muddy with a couple of small water crossing due to recent rain yesterday. After you reach the sign almost at the top, its anticlimactic and you start to see houses and backyards, so Id probably stop there next time and then head back. All pier landings involve climbing a ladder between 1 and 6 rungs Santa Rosa Bechers Bay landings are on a pier and onto a grated catwalk to a flight of stairs If youre north of the anchorage, locate the steep cliffs of Cavern Point. The next day, we continued on to Scorpion via Montoon. Round trip fare is $63 for adults, $58 for seniors, $45 for children and free for infants younger than 3 years old. Channel Islands Adventure Company runs guided kayak tours at three locations: Scorpion Anchorage, Prisoners Harbor, and Painted Cave. Channel Islands Adventure Company offers kayak tours from 1 hour to 5 hours long where you can explore the sea caves, and in the longer tour even make it to Potato Harbor. It is a little easier at some points, but I'd say just as steep and even boring after a while being more inland and on a dirt road. Absolutely gorgeous. Got to Scorpion at 310p for the 4p ferry. Apart from teaching my students in class, we also go outside the four walls of the classroom to physically experience what was discussed in class. You'll wish you hadn't left your canteen on the boat. After setting up our tents and playing a surprisingly vicious game of Cancellation Hearts, the group congregates at a couple picnic tables overlooking the ocean. Whitney has a smile on his face and though Sam, Lisa and Suzanne look very relieved theyre done, they dont seem permanently scarred. Most day trippers will get dropped off at the Scorpion Anchorage, which is closest to a variety of trails, kayaking tours, and the largest campground on the island. Dont worry you can definitely do it. Disembarked ferry at Prisoners at 1115a and started straightaway. parts of the trail were moist due to the mist. We generally paddle west in the morning and, if were on a long trip, in good position to ride the westerly home. Started my birthday with morning hike, lots of shade and water in the river. I recommend purchasing your own snorkel gear ahead of the trip and bringing it with you so you can snorkel off the rock beach at Scorpion Anchorage. Such a beautiful hike! Flights are extremely expensive, and most of us dont have a private boat, so the best option is to book a trip with Island Packers. This hike would be the best in the spring when Santa Cruz Island has more foliage since it is mostly internal through the canyon. 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. In the morning, were furiously loading our kayaks on the beach at around 7 AM (only an hour late!). 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. Its a race. An area not as much fun to traverse with a fully loaded pack. Get picked up from the scorpion dock the next morning. Make sure you bring enough water, there is no source for potable water until you get to Scorpion. Overall it was a really unique experience being able to boat out to a national park island and crank out a long hike. Island Packers recommends getting to the harbor 45 minutes before the departure time. Saw a coyote on the trail (2/13/23). There were lots of wildflowers and opportunities to see wildlife like birds, butterflies, small rodents, and even the Santa Cruz fox. Id recommend re-mapping yourself again when you get into lakeside to make sure the coordinates to the trailhead are correct or youll have another 20 min drive to go back down wildcat canyon road. Are you spending time in San Diego? Very quiet. 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. There is no cell service in this area. Great views. Little Scorpion is the primary overnight anchorage. We stop to watch a large group of sea lions playing in the water, one of whom comes a couple feet from our boat to investigate. The high winds almost drove us insane, and the water carry sucks, but overall very worth it. Hi- I will be visiting with 3 friends over Memorial Day weekend. Another fire broke out early Friday morning on the ridge west of thisa matter of perhaps 500 yardsand against the wind. This definitely felt longer than 12.5! Stayed at Del Norte and hiked to scorpion lower loop for our next camp site. You can spend the night at Del Norte, then hike to Scorpion Campground for another night. We were blessed with clear skies, mid 60 degree temps, and no wind which made for a perfect hiking day. We hiked to Del Norte, camped, then finished on day 2 took about 5 hours leisurely. I logged the mileage as 13.1 but I did do a little offshoot to El Montanon peak. It can get very crowded here, particularly when kids are on summer vacation. And dont miss the loop trail to Potato Harbor. The National Park ranger tried to stop us when she saw our kayak loaded with all of our camping gear, Natalie says, She told us that we cant camp on any other beaches! If I did it again the only thing I would change is to bring gaiters. The boat is fairly large, and has indoor seating, outdoor seating in the back, and second floor seating with both covered and uncovered parts. First 4.5 miles to the del Norte campground were strenuous with a full pack and 5L of water. Try this 20.1-km point-to-point trail near Santa Barbara, California. Full HD, EPG, it support android smart tv mag box, iptv m3u, iptv vlc, iptv smarters pro app, xtream iptv, smart iptv app etc. Super shady and green. As a reminder, as of November 1st, the Scorpion Anchorage Pier was closed for repairs prohibiting guests to visit the Scorpion Anchorage area except for from December 21st to January 5th during the holidays.. Our other favorite activities at Prisoner's Harbor on Santa Cruz Island . Difficult with a fully loaded pack visible from the Scorpion dock the next day, we hiked Scorpion! A perfect hiking day and no wind which made for a perfect hiking.! 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