Camping on Santa Rosa Island | Channel Islands National Park - Part1

March 28th – 30th, 2022

The Channel Islands National Park was established on March 5th, 1980. The park consists of 5 out of the 8 Channel Islands located off the Southern California Coast. The island of Santa Rosa is the second largest of the five in the park. The other islands include Santa Cruz, Santa Barbara, San Miguel and Anacapa.

As a young boy, I’ve fished off of Anacapa Island with my father and brothers, but never set foot on any of the islands in the park. There are 3 other islands that make up the Channel Islands and I’ve only visited Santa Catalina Island as a young Boy Scout and once as a Scout leader. Without a doubt, Santa Rosa Island beats the pants off of Catalina.

It’s sort of ironic, but I was actually trying to put together a trip to visit Catalina Island and hike the Trans-Catalina Trail. After become discouraged with being unable to book campsites and the cost, I decided I needed to find myself another spring backpacking trip. Although, this wasn’t really much of a backpacking trip as it was a campout with a series of days hike, it really couldn’t have ended up any better than what I experienced on Santa Rosa. And if I’m being completely honest, when I head back out to sea for a trip, I will be to visit another one of the five islands in the park. Sorry Catalina, but you’re sort of a distant memory now.

Part one of the trip encompasses my ferry ride and arrival at the island as well as an evening hike out to Black Rock and the rare Torey Pine Forest. This short five-and-a-half-mile hike was remarkable and was only the beginning to the amazing experiences I would have in this magical place.

Channel Islands National Park - https://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm

Music featured:
Neptune
Bonnie Grace
https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/8Cx7BuIf/

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