As long as the timing works out, this is an efficient and cost-effective option in comparison to making another channel crossing a different day. Visitor Center Fishing is allowed on Santa Cruz Island outside of the marine reserves. 7,341 views Mar 18, 2017 95 Dislike Share Save Description Travel Small Live Big 6.3K subscribers Santa Cruz. The other 76 percent is owned by The Nature Conservancy. Four 4-man campsites are located 3.5 miles up the trail above the cove with beautiful overlooks. Hiking options at Scorpion are much more diverse than Prisoners, and can be tailored for individuals of varying athletic ability. In contrast to Scorpion Cove, your only option for kayaking at Prisoners Harbor is to rent a boat in Ventura or bring your own across on the ferry. Prisoners Harbor is located midway along the North shore of Santa Cruz Island. Of those five, the most popular island is Santa Cruz Island, the largest island off the California coast. Del Norte camp provides spectacular views of the coastline back toward Prisoners Harbor, and it is located within a copse of oak trees. They are usually more than willing to work with you to help you plan your camping trip. Scorpion Canyon and the Potato Harbor trail are excellent places to see wildflowers. The trail begins on a fire road leaving Prisoners Harbor and rises above sea level, overlooking the northern coast of the island. For snorkeling and diving, the easiest kelp beds to access are the ones near the pier and those to the eastern end of of the bay. At over 96 square miles, Santa Cruz is the largest island in the Park. It has no trail marker, but can be found on the Channel Islands National Park app. Their constant use of the word brohled Jen to comment that they sounded like the Rick and Morty. You might want to stay in all day, but the limiting factor will be your core body temperature, (water temperature fluctuates between 50 and 70 degrees) so be sure to pack a 5-7mm wetsuit. Then head west, upwind, so that you dont end up stuck downwind and down swell in the afternoon. Looking for more local adventures? There are only 4 sites, so you wont have many neighbors, but you are required to reserve a site in advance. You might find a few caves here, in contrast to the many striking caverns at Scorpion, but the draw here is the secluded beaches and protected inlets, where you most likely wont see anyone for hours. Water The Scorpion site has a large campground and the old ranch. Ventura to Prisoners Hbr SCI 9:00 AM. The mixed sand and cobblestone Scorpion Beach is a world-class destination for swimming, diving, snorkeling, and kayaking because of easy beach access, clear ocean waters, nearby camping, year-round Island Packers boat transportation, extensive kelp forests, and a spectacular shoreline with sea caves to explore. Remember that it is illegal to directly or indirectly feed animals in the park. This is the easiest island to get to, has the best weather, and offers the most recreational activities. At one point there were less than 100 left on the island. Public phones are not available. Now, endemic animal species like the island fox and island scrub jay are popular residents on Santa Cruz Island as well as endemic plants species like island deerweed, Santa Cruz Island monkeyflower, and island ironwood. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. From this point, the remainder of the hike is downhill. We suggest passengers do not wear loose or leather soled sandals or flip flops on your island adventure. There are no other visitor centers on the island. This trail is 8 miles out and back total, and gains quite a bit of elevation. And rather beautiful. I am a devoted outdoor enthusiast from Ventura, California who loves trying everything! Santa Cruz Island lies approximately 20 miles offshore from Ventura Harbor. Prisoners Harbor day trip visitors can participate in a moderately strenuous hike along the Pelican Bay Trail with an Island Packer naturalist. You can do day hikes at Prisoner's Harbor and have made numerous visits to both places. You can hike up around the area on nice trails and have great views of the ocean. You must reserve a campsite as well as book ferry tickets in advance for both locations. The easiest hike to a beautiful view is just up theNavy Road. Visitors to the island must take all their trash with them when they depart the island. 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. All year long there is ample opportunity for hiking and water sports at both locations as well as a good chance of wildlife encounters. A population of invasive feral pigs ended up on the island which attracted golden eagles who in turn started to hunt the foxes. There are no kayak rentals on island, so take care of this in advance. Visitors must bring all their own food and supplies. 1691 Spinnaker Drive #105B After that, continue on to the far west wall of Prisoners Harbor and explore the rocky shoreline and intertidal zone. Despite the unfortunate reality that I need to work to afford to live, and I cannot focus all my energy on hobbies, I do what I can when I can, and still find a way to have memorable adventures in new places on a budget. Travel time is one hour. Scorpion is home to the largest campground and highest consolidation of day hike options in comparison to all other stops and islands. You can do day hikes at either location. Watch this Topic. Distance 16.0 miles Destination Distance From Downtown 26.8 miles Difficulty To make this a two day trip, backpackers must hike 16 miles to reach Prisoner's Harbor, all without access to water. 3 baths. The route was a mix of single track trail and the occasional dirt road. The Prisoners Harbor to Pelican Bay trail has some of the best wildflower displays on the island. Prisoners is further away and it is meant for only serious well equipped hikers. Be sure to clean your fish outside the MPA. For the most diversity in plant species, Id recommend hiking the Pelican Trail at Prisoners Harbor, especially between March and June when flowers are in full bloom. Montaon Ridge Loopis quite strenuous and long, but meanders along the highest ridge line on the east end of Santa Cruz Island. Water, picnic table, food storage box, and pit toilet are provided. As with the animals, there are plenty of endemic and unique (as well as invasive) plants to see at both Scorpion Cove and Prisoners Harbor. Address 1691 Spinaker Dr Ventura, CA 93001 Phone (805) 658-5730 Park Name Channel Islands National Park Owner National Park Other Names Scorpion Ranch Activities Browse by destination. Template Created By ThemeXpose and heavily customized by Maple. Best viewing is at Prisoners Harbor, but they are also spotted around the Scorpion area as well. Del Norte Backcountry Campground is located 3.5 miles from Prisoners Harbor Pier via a strenuous and exposed hike. 1 year ago Save Hello, we are trying to decide between the Scorpion cove and the Prisoner cove. Head east and youll encounter Scorpion Rock and the many large seacaves to explore and swim through along the way. There are 25 standard sites and 6 group sites. I guarantee youll see a fox within 15 minutes of sitting at a bench in Scorpion Campground. Scorpion is the one most people go to on account of the fact it's the biggest. He then decided to leave Gotham for a while after having a parent's association, and later the police, on his case (which resulted in Gordon becoming alcoholic and cheating on his wife) and had to shift his focus on the countryside, spending most of his time in scouts camps, wearing a scout chief uniform over his Batsuit, to cover his identity as the Batman. Thanks again. Browse forums; All. At that point, its probably time to turn around since the trail work isnt quite complete yet. .3 miles one way Take a longer walk to the campground trail head, where the picnic area faces Chinese Harbor and the mainland beyond. Shuttle tickets also provide an option to squeeze in a day trip for those who find one of the campgrounds sold out for the night. In addition, there isnopotable water access, so you have to bring enough with you. There were signs at most junctions though they sometimes just indicated sometime generic like camp ground and an arrow. If you make it to the campground, you will have hiked about 7 miles round trip from the pier. There are not any trees along the trails. Hiking As I said, most of these can be avoided with a little preparation and common sense, but somehow they are recurring issues out on Santa Cruz Island. Several trails and roads traverse eastern Santa Cruz Island, providing visitors with spectacular hiking opportunities. The Channel Island National Park visitor center is located on Ventura Harbor at 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001. Tidepooling at Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoners Harbor is limited. Several locations on Santa Cruz Island offer good surfing. It is on the border of the Channel Islands National Park and The Nature Conservancy property. Ventura, Ca 93001 Endemic island wildflowers including island buckwheat and asters are in bloom. This rocky trail travels along coast bluffs, through groves of pine and oak trees and through multiple deep canyons, offering scenic views and an occasional endemic island fox. The name of the harbor commemorates a series of events in 1830 that almost transformed the island into a local version of Australia's infamous Botany Bay penal colony. On these trips travel time to Prisoners Harbor can be 2 hours or more with a beautiful cruise along the rugged shoreline of Santa Cruz Island. Scorpion Campground does have potable water. The boundary is the property line (marked by a fence line) between Prisoners Harbor and Valley Anchorage. One option is a rocky beach called Tinker Beach and the next is the tide pools at Pelican Bay, just five minutes further up the trail (continue up the river bed). If fishing is your primary focus, maybe consider visiting Prisoners Harbor instead. Otherwise, plan to rent a kayak in Ventura. This hike will wind you through the most ecosystem diversity in the shortest distance on Santa Cruz Island. Scorpion Cove vs. The guides are fun and knowledgable about the island. 16 October 2022; Amid schools of calico bass swimming through towering kelp forests, curious spotted harbor seals hiding behind urchin-covered rocks, and bright orange garibaldi popping out of little nooks, you wont run out of interesting things to see. From the top of Montaon you will be able to see both the eastern and western ends of the island, Anacapa Island, and the mainland on a clear day. Here youll find a quaint bench in the shade where you can enjoy the sounds of wetland birds and frogs and maybe even spot an island scrub jay. On a clear day, you can see San Nicholas Island, Santa Barbara Island, and Santa Catalina Island out to the south. Kids & dogs welcome! This rugged backpacker-friendly trail takes you to Del Norte Campground from Prisoners Harbor. Santa Cruz Island Day Trip & Camper Transport Fares. Island Packers Travels to Scorpion Anchorage Year Round.Summer April through October: Seven days a weekWinter December through March: Tuesday, Friday, Saturday & SundayClosed Thanksgiving & 12/25. Island Packers offers trips year round. The best months for flower blooms are April and May. Scorpion Cove vs. Here, you are most likely to catch halibut, calico bass, and barracuda, as well as collect mussels, urchins, and scallops. Visitor Center A visitor center is located in the historic Scorpion ranch house. 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