Uncover Ventura County’s Hidden Beach Gems That Even Locals Can’t Resist—Your Ultimate Coastal Adventure Starts Here!
Note: Channel Islands National Park has virtually no facilities (lodging, restaurants, shops, or first aid), so come prepared! Santa Cruz Island is the most “developed” with a visitor center, bathrooms, potable water, and regular ferry service. Outside of summer, days are short and the ferry is infrequent, so make the most of your time on the island and keep track of it, so you don’t miss the return boat…or you’ll be camping!
Scenic Ferry with Island Packers
We headed to the Ventura Harbor to catch the official national park ferry, Island Packers. They’ve been cruising this national marine sanctuary since 1968 in the name of recreation, research, and education, and they treat this hour ride to Santa Cruz Island as an opportunity to introduce The Channel Islands and spot wildlife! A third of cetacean species worldwide can be seen in these very waters, so we saw multiple whales and, no joke…a pod of 600 dolphins (watch the video above)! We got off at Santa Cruz, but Island Packers also runs trips to the outer islands for dedicated wildlife watching, pelagic birding trips, and can help facilitate overnight camping trips.
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