The Santa Cruz Island day trip with Island Packers

Why it is on the list

Santa Cruz is the largest island in California, over 96 square miles, with the highest peaks of the Channel Islands, 77 miles of cliffs, sea caves and tidepools, and eight plants and the island scrub-jay found nowhere else.¹ Swaxil, the largest Chumash village of the northern islands, stood where Scorpion Ranch is now.¹ The eastern 24 percent is national park; The Nature Conservancy owns the rest.¹ Island Packers has run boats here since 1968 and holds the park's transport concession through 2034.² The crossing to Scorpion Anchorage takes a little over an hour, longer when wildlife is sighted on the way.³ Scorpion Anchorage has the visitor center, the ranch, the beach and the trails to Cavern Point and Potato Harbor; Prisoners Harbor, farther west, sits at the edge of Conservancy land and has no visitor center.³ Gray whales pass from December to mid-February; October and November bring calm seas and fewer people.³

It is the wrong choice for anyone who wants service: there are no shops, restaurants or transport on the island, and Prisoners Harbor has no drinking water.⁴³ Painted Cave is seen from the deck, never landed at.⁴ Wind cancels boats at short notice.⁵ For a quieter day with a guide the whole way, take the docent-led tour at Lotusland in Montecito instead.

How to get it

Book day-visitor tickets online or on 805-642-1393; in April to September the phone queue is long and email to info@islandpackers.com is quicker.⁴⁶ Choose the day-visitor ticket both ways: a camper ticket does not guarantee a seat back the same day.⁷ Boats leave from Ventura Harbor, 1691 Spinnaker Drive, and some from Channel Islands Harbor in Oxnard; the confirmation says which.⁸ Arrive 45 minutes before departure.³ Cancel at least five days ahead for a refund, for parties of up to 32.⁵ If the sea is bad, the trip is cancelled at 5:30 am; call 805-642-1393, option 4, for the status, and choose a refund or another date.⁵ There is no park entrance fee.⁹ National park volunteers lead free walks on many Scorpion trips, and an Island Packers naturalist leads the Pelican Bay Trail hike from Prisoners Harbor, which needs a signed Nature Conservancy release.³ Kayaks go only by phone booking, and space is short.¹⁰

Discretion

The boat is shared; groups of 20 or more can call about a charter.¹¹ Parking at Ventura Harbor is paid Friday to Sunday and on holidays, with free parking along Spinnaker Drive.⁸ Phone signal on the island is spotty, at best near the beach.⁴