CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK
This beautiful park consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the California coast in the Pacific Ocean. The park covers 249,561 acres of which 79,019 acres are owned by the federal government and left undeveloped. The Nature Conservancy owns and manages 76% of Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in the park. The Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of significant natural and cultural resources and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary encompasses the waters six nautical miles around Channel Islands National Park.
There are five islands you can explore at the Channel Islands National Park; Santa Barbara, San Miguel, Anacapa, Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz Island. You can hike, camp, snorkel, kayak, surf, birdwatch, wildlife and whale watch, or just relax and take in the views. It was designated a U.S. National Monument on April 26, 1938; became a National Biosphere Reserve in 1976; and was designated a National Park on March 5, 1980. There are no services or lodging on the islands, so visitors must bring all their own food and water, however there is a limited amount of food and drink available on the concessionaire boats that take you out to the islands. This central California island park is located between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and the main local communities include Ventura, Oxnard, and Port Hueneme.
For more information call (805) 658-5730 or visit www.NPS.gov/chis.