santa cruz island

需坐船去加州外海的四個島上,去看鳥,FOX,健行,野餐,運氣好船上可看到Dolphin, whale..etc.需化一整天時間,週末最好先定票,但定票後三天前取消方可退全额.http://www.islandpackers.com/AIGeneral.html

Spend time hiking or camp overnight...very peaceful island...i sea kayaked into the caves with an outfitter...only 3 are allowed on the island...if you visit LA, take a side trip an hour away

As my wife and I were planning a four night anniversary getaway we decided on CA and stumbled on the Channel Islands as an idea. As I began researching it looked like something worth checking out so we booked our boat ride and the anticipation built. But our anticipation could never prepare us for how beautiful this place actually is. We were floored and in awe throughout our hike, wishing we could have a few extra hours. It's our new favorite place that we've been in 13 years of marriage.It started with a great boat ride out with Island Packers. We saw a bit of wildlife and had some good laughs listening to the captain. The day we went was a short day on the island, 4.5 hours (allot about 30 min for ranger talk and getting back early). Wish it was 6 or 7, we felt a little rushed. But the following day was only 3.5 hours so we chose the longer of the two. We ended up hiking 8 miles (Smuggler's Road-Scorpion Canyon Loop-Potato Harbor Road-North Bluff Trail) and we saw everything we wanted to. But we hiked pretty fast and took few breaks other than photo ops. It was a nice day, about 55-65 degrees while we were there. Between the two of us we drank about a gallon of water. We started off going up the Smugglers' Road. It's the big switch back on the left when you arrive. Right away the views were astounding. It's a two lane trail that climbs steadily to about 1000 ft I'm guessing. There were no crazy hands on your knees climbing this way, just steady uphill. We then took at right, then another right onto Scorpion Canyon Loop trail. This is the highest point on the hike, about 2 miles in, and like everywhere, had amazing views. The trail descended very rapidly for about .5-1 mile down to the campground. I felt that we picked the right direction since the counter-clockwise route would have been much steeper (quad blaster on the way down!). We saw 5-6 little foxes just hanging out in the campground. They are very tame and you can walk right up to them and they'll pretty much ignore you. There is a restroom here in the campground. We're about 3 miles in at this point. At the end of the campground we turned left (and uphill again) to Potato Harbor. This mile stretch was my least favorite. Compared to the rest of the hiking, it was slightly dull. But WOW, once you get to Potato Harbor, it's all worth it! The view here is the prettiest I've ever seen. If time allows, allot about an hour to just soak it up and explore a little bit. We were rushed to get back so we had to go. From here it was 2.5 miles back to the boat and we had about 55 minutes to do it in. Heading back we hopped on the North Bluff Trail and took the most direct route down. We skipped Cavern Point, wish we would've hit it, but my wife was ready to be back and we were cutting it close. I figured it would have added about 3/4 of a mile to our hike back. Oh well, something for next time.The boat crew had a roster when we climbed aboard and we pushed off early. Guess we had everyone accounted for! We ran into a huge group of dolphins that swam with us which was really cool. The ride back was relaxing while we sat inside the galley and looked at pictures, snacked and had a drink. If you're going to CA you NEED to do this day trip. You won't regret it!

We took Island Packers out of Ventura to visit Santa Cruz Island. On the way over to the island we saw California Grey Whales and Pacific Grey Whales (though I couldn't tell the difference). We followed them for a bit and watched them coming up for air. On the island we saw lots of birds and many foxes. We hiked over to Potato Harbor which was beautiful. On the way back to Ventura we saw two pods of dolphin and that was amazing! We also saw sea lions playing in the water. The boat crew was very knowledgeable about the marine life and narrated during our encounters with the wildlife during our one-hour crossings. A few things to remember: it's chilly in the morning aboard the boat so wear layers. There are unlocking "lockers" on the island that you can use to put overcoats and stuff you think you won't need. Also, you need to bring lots of food and water. There is NOTHING to buy on the island. You pack everything you'll need, and pack out your trash, too. Wear comfortable shoes. The ground is uneven.

Pure nature just a short one hour boat ride away. Lots of hiking trails and picturesque views. This was the first time I went when I wasn't scuba diving and it really blew me away. Really felt like we were away from civilization, very relaxing. Almost no amenities outside of composting toilets so bring a pack with food and water. Island Packers has very nice and clean boats to get you there.

Santa Cruz Island is gorgeous! The islands remain pristine. Winter is migration season for the gray whales, and there were plenty to see. The island is also home to some species that exist nowhere else. The island scrub jay can only be found on the island. The island fox is also unique to the islands, with each island having its own subspecies. The trip over by Island Packers is relaxing and scenic. They also offer hikes to parts of the island that are usually closed to the public.

Great day trip with the Island Packers cruise. We were very lucky to encounter humpback whales both on the way to the island and coming back (October 31). The boat crew made a detour and allowed 15-20 minutes for us to admire the whales while providing some useful information. While on the island we did the classic Cavern Point loop trail which is a must, accompanied by a park volunteer.I'm told that doing a guided kayak tour is a must to. Maybe next time..

Took my 8 yr old son for his birthday. The boat ride over by Island Packers was great. Apparently, the weather and water were perfect for early January. Very calm seas and not a lot of wind. On the way to the island, the boat captain detoured to view dolphins, whales and sea lions giving some cool facts about them, too. I can't recommend this trip enough as a day trip or even an overnight camping adventure. The campgrounds looked clean and the rangers were very friendly and helpful. Pit toilets, no showers, but there was drinking water in the campgrounds. Scenic views and great memories.

What a great way to spend the day - whale & dolphin watching, walking the trails, spying the pygmy fox. If I were to go again, I would avoid going on a weekend, there were a few rent-a-mob types there, en mass, travelling in the proverbial pack, making a lot of noise and that bit was not conducive to the nature experience (in my opinion). But if you walk fast (in the opposite direction, preferably!) you should be able to enjoy the tranquility that is so lovely there. Take a picnic (pack in, pack out, don't leave scrap of anything that wildlife may accidentally ingest) and take in all that lovely - quite spare - beautiful coastline & the paths that circumnavigate the perimeter.

We took Island Packers to Santa Cruz Island, Scorpion landing. Either spend the day on the island on a sea cave kayak tour (use Channel Island Outfitters) or hike to the top of the bluffs for great views of the ocean or stay and camp there for a night. We took a guided hike with a naturalist who came over on the Island Packers boat. You can do some snorkeling; the water is very clear. The island is beautiful with green grass covering it in the winter; I bet all of that turns brown later in the year.

We enjoyed a beautiful day at this park as we hiked about 8-10 miles. As others have noted, the views are amazing but there is also that wonderful sense of going back in time. We landed at Scorpion. My wife and I believed it lived up to its claim as "the Galapagos of California" as it is remote and stark in its beauty. We were also impressed with the marine life visible from the boat on the way out and back. Hundreds of common dolphins and quite a few gray whales too. We hope to go back some day to see more of the islands and also to see the progress of the revegetation efforts. Fascinating and beautiful place.

I loved the boat ride over to the island. I wish we had gone during a season where the chances of more marine life being seen in the channel but we will go back again. Great for a day trip from LA and the biggest compliment is that our teenager enjoyed it too!

This day trip to Santa Cruz Island exceeded all expectations. The boat ride with pretty, with hundreds of dolphins swimming around the boat. The trails on the island were numerous and worked well for several hours of hiking. The views were stunning. Next time I'm out in CA I'll do another trip to Anacapa Island.

Chartered a sail boat for 2 days and spent our time in a little cove on the west side of the island. What can I say, maybe we just hit the perfect weekend here but the weather was 80, water temp 70 degrees, glassy and very clear. We spent our time spear fishing, cruising around in the dingy, and hiking. Saw over 100 dolphins, seals, a whale, foxes, bald eagles, and hundreds of fish. It was a truly amazing experience I would recommns to anyone. I think September and October are good due to weather and lack of fog.

Went on a Tuesday and the boat was packed with people. The boat ride to the island takes an hour so prepare yourself if you are prone to sea sickness. Also you must ring back everything you take, so take trash bags if you plan on eating a lot. And bring plenty of water, especially if it is going to be warm. Check the weather. If you plan on hiking and doing the kayak try to get things started early. Apparently the winds change direction and you are advised to kayak certain parts at certain time. The cave point hike was awesome. It is basically a trail along the bluff. With clear blue skies and cool strong pacific wind, the hike was fantastic.