Channel Islands Kayaking Map
Sea caves, island foxes & the world's largest sea cave, 90 minutes from LA.
3-day sea kayaking and camping weekend on Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the Channel Islands. Camp at Scorpion Canyon, kayak the Scorpion sea caves on a guided tour, and hike the Cavern Point Loop, just 90 minutes from Los Angeles.
“I’ve requested to book a Chain Lakes Loop guide on ExplorOFF, and it was the best idea ever! I highly recommend going with their guided option since you get a real human connection on the trail and don’t have to worry about a thing. Yulia was great to talk to!”
11 stops on a real mapEvery stop pinned in order→Channel Islands: every stop pinned in order.
Scorpion Anchorage · sea caves · Cavern Point · Santa Cruz Island
Channel Islands in photos: 4 of the stops.
Plan and book your 3 days in Channel Islands, one step at a time
How 3 days in Channel Islands split up
Plan 3 days for Channel Islands. Activity: Sea kayaking. Difficulty: Moderate. Permits: NPS + ferry. For a 3-day sea kayaking weekend in Channel Islands National Park, base your logistics out of Ventura Harbor and take the Island Packers ferry to Santa Cruz Island, the largest of the eight Channel Islands. You'll camp two nights at Scorpion Canyon Campground and paddle the dramatic sea caves along the north coast.
Day 1: Ferry to Santa Cruz Island & Scorpion Anchorage
4 stops · Day one
Day 2: A Guided Kayak Tour of the Scorpion Sea Caves
4 stops · Day two
Day 3: Cavern Point Loop & Ferry Home
3 stops · Day three
Ferry to Santa Cruz Island & Scorpion Anchorage
Your Channel Islands weekend begins with an early morning Island Packers ferry from Ventura Harbor to Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island. The hour-and-a-half crossing is part of the experience, with regular dolphin and whale sightings. Check in about 45 minutes before departure and have all your gear packed and ready to load.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0Drive from~90 min to Ventura Harbor · car required · DriveDrive to Ventura Harbor, the departure point for the Island Packers ferry to Channel Islands National Park. It is about 90 minutes from Los Angeles (1.5–2 hours from LAX) on US-101. Allow extra time for the paid harbor parking and to check in about 45 minutes before departure.
Island Packers ferry to Scorpion Anchorage~1.5 hr crossing · wildlife viewing · activityBoard the Island Packers ferry for the roughly hour-and-a-half crossing to Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island. Watch for dolphins, whales, and seabirds along the way. Reservations are required, and kayaks can be carried for an additional fee with their own reservation.
Operator info →- Scorpion Canyon Campground
$15/night · ~0.5 mi from pier · potable water · lodgeCarry your gear about half a mile from the pier to Scorpion Canyon Campground and pitch camp for two nights. It is a primitive site with pit toilets and potable water but no showers, electricity, or trash service. Store all food in the critter-proof boxes and pack out everything you bring in.
- Explore Scorpion Ranch & visitor center
1–2 hr · easy walking · historic ranch · ViewpointSpend the afternoon getting oriented around Scorpion Anchorage. Tour the historic Scorpion Ranch buildings and the small visitor center, learn about the island's history and ecology from the rangers, and prep your kayaks and dry bags for tomorrow's paddle.
A Guided Kayak Tour of the Scorpion Sea Caves
Today is the highlight: a guided kayak tour with Channel Islands Adventure Company from Scorpion Beach, right below camp. Dozens of sea caves, arches and hidden passages sit a short paddle from the launch, and the tour includes all the gear. Book it with your ferry, because there are no kayak rentals on the island.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Guided kayak tour of the Scorpion sea caves
Channel Islands Adventure Company · launches from Scorpion Beach · all gear included · activityChannel Islands Adventure Company launches its sea cave tours from Scorpion Beach, below camp, with dozens of caves, arches and hidden passages a short paddle away. All the gear is included, and there are no rentals on the island, so book it with your ferry.
Operator info → - Optional: Painted Cave by boat
~15 mi west of Scorpion · not a paddle · Island Packers add-on on its Prisoners Harbor departure · ViewpointPainted Cave, near the island's western end, is a 1,227-foot sea cave, one of the largest in the world, named for the lichen and algae that streak its walls. It sits about 15 miles from Scorpion, so many paddlers reach it on a guided or boat-assisted trip. Enter only when the swell is calm and safe, and bring a headlamp for the dark interior.
Ken Lund from Reno, Ne / CC BY-SA 2.0Afternoon at Scorpion AnchorageBeach, snorkel & wildlife below camp · activityBack on the beach after the tour: snorkel the cove if you brought a wetsuit, watch for seals, sea lions and seabirds, and look for the island fox around camp.
Ken Lund from Reno, Ne / CC BY-SA 2.0Second night at Scorpion Canyon Campground$15/night · dark-sky stargazing · lodgeBack at Scorpion Canyon, cook dinner and enjoy a well-earned evening under some of the darkest skies in Southern California. Refill your water for tomorrow, and critter-proof all food and trash in the storage boxes before turning in.
Cavern Point Loop & Ferry Home
Spend your final morning on a scenic hike around Scorpion Anchorage. The Cavern Point Loop is a short, roughly 2-mile clifftop loop with panoramic views of the coastline, the sea caves below, and, on clear days, the mainland. It is a prime spot to catch an island fox trotting through the coastal scrub.
Not the order you want? Drag a stop, or use the arrows beside it. Stops move between days too.
- Cavern Point Loop
~2 mi loop · ~300 ft gain · panoramic views · HikeTake a morning hike on the Cavern Point Loop, a short clifftop loop starting just past the visitor center. It delivers panoramic views of the coastline, the sea caves below, and the mainland on clear days, plus a good chance to spot an endemic island fox in the coastal scrub.
See the trail → 
Ken Lund from Reno, Ne / CC BY-SA 2.0Island Packers ferry to Ventura HarborAfternoon · return crossing · activityBreak down camp, do a final leave-no-trace sweep, and carry your gear to the pier for the scheduled afternoon ferry back to Ventura Harbor. Arrive about 30 minutes early and confirm the schedule in advance, ferries run on a fixed timetable and missing the boat can strand you overnight.
Operator info →- Drive home to Los Angeles
~90 min from Ventura Harbor · end of trip · DriveBack at Ventura Harbor, collect your vehicle and drive home, about 90 minutes to Los Angeles on US-101. Stop for a meal in Ventura if time allows, and plan for a good gear rinse and dry once you are back, everything will be salty.
Sort where you sleep each night
Most nights on this trip are in a tent. Reserve any campsite the route needs, and the room either side of it if you want one.
Tell us your dates and we will do the calling: the rooms either side, and the guided days in between. Nothing is charged and you decide at the end.
Request to bookWhat to pack for Channel Islands
Built from this route, not a generic list. Every line says why it is here.
On every day of this trip
On your feet
Because you are sleeping out 2 nights
For the drive to the trailhead
Specific to Channel Islands
Essential island rules & planning.
Ferry & permits, book together
Every visitor reaches Santa Cruz Island on the Island Packers ferry from Ventura, and any overnight stay needs a wilderness camping permit ($15/night) through Recreation.gov. Reservations open about six months out and weekends in peak season fill fast, so book the boat and the permit at the same time. Kayaks carried on the ferry require an extra reservation.
Cold water, real sea conditions
Water temperatures stay 50–65°F year-round, so wear a wetsuit or drysuit even in summer. The paddle is in open ocean; experience with sea kayaking, self-rescue, and reading swell and currents is essential. Only enter a sea cave when the swell is low, and check the marine forecast before and during your trip.
Pack it in, pack it out
There is no trash service on the island, so everything you bring, including all food scraps and trash, must be packed back out. Store all food and scented items in the campground's critter-proof boxes to protect the endemic island fox. Open fires are prohibited; only self-contained camp stoves are allowed.
No cell service, tell someone
There is no cell service anywhere on the Channel Islands. Leave a detailed itinerary with someone on the mainland before you go, and do not rely on your phone for navigation or emergencies on the water.
Water, no showers
Potable water is available at Scorpion Canyon Campground, but bring refillable containers and a filter or purifier as backup, and carry extra water for the paddle. There are pit toilets but no showers or electricity, so plan for a genuinely primitive two nights.
Getting there needs a car
Ventura Harbor is about 90 minutes from Los Angeles (or 1.5–2 hours from LAX) via US-101. You drive to the harbor, park in the paid lot, and take the ferry from there, so a car to reach Ventura is required. Go April through October for the calmest, clearest paddling; the shoulder months of April–May and September–October have the fewest crowds.
The crossing can be choppy
The Santa Barbara Channel is open water, and the roughly 90-minute ferry ride can get bumpy, especially in the afternoon or on windy days. If you are prone to motion sickness, take a remedy before you board rather than after you already feel queasy, sit low and toward the middle of the boat, and keep your eyes on the horizon. The same swell that rocks the ferry also shapes conditions for your paddle, so a rough crossing is a hint to be conservative on the water.
Channel Islands: questions before you go
Channel Islands ferry: the questions people ask most.
There is no separate permit for kayaking itself, but if you camp overnight you must hold a wilderness camping permit for your campground (Scorpion Canyon is $15/night), booked through Recreation.gov. If you bring your own kayak, you also need to register it with Island Packers to carry it on the ferry.
Not on a day paddle. Painted Cave sits near the island's western end, roughly 15 miles from Scorpion by water, so this trip paddles the Scorpion sea caves on a guided tour, and Painted Cave is an Island Packers boat add-on from Prisoners Harbor. Open-ocean conditions, swell, and currents demand solid sea-kayaking and self-rescue skills.
Book the Island Packers ferry and your Recreation.gov camping permit as far ahead as possible, especially for weekends in peak season (April–October). Reservations typically open about six months in advance and fill quickly. Kayak rentals and guided tours should also be reserved weeks to months out.
Yes. Channel Islands Adventure Company operates a concession at Scorpion Anchorage offering kayak rentals and guided sea-cave tours. Reserve in advance, especially during busy periods. You can also rent in Ventura and carry your boat on the ferry for an extra fee.
Water around Santa Cruz Island stays cold year-round, typically 50–65°F. A wetsuit or drysuit is strongly recommended even in summer to prevent hypothermia if you capsize.
April through October brings the calmest seas, least wind, and clearest paddling. The shoulder months of April–May and September–October offer a good balance of pleasant weather and fewer crowds. Winter (November–March) can deliver strong winds, big swells, and rough seas that make kayaking difficult and unsafe for less experienced paddlers.
Because there is no reliable cell service on or around the islands, plan your own safety net. Carry a marine VHF radio (channel 16 is monitored by the Coast Guard) or a satellite messenger for emergencies, and many paddlers add a personal locator beacon. Paddle with a group rather than solo, keep signaling gear like a whistle within reach, and file a float plan with someone on the mainland before you launch so help knows where to look.
A marine layer can settle over the north coast with little warning and hide the shoreline. If visibility drops, stay close to shore where you can follow the coastline back toward Scorpion, slow your pace, and make noise so nearby boats can hear you. Carrying a compass and a basic chart, and knowing how to use them, matters here since you cannot rely on a phone for navigation.
Yes, on two islands. Santa Cruz Island has Del Norte, a backcountry campground with four primitive sites about 3.5 miles from Prisoners Harbor (or 12 miles from Scorpion Anchorage), with pit toilets and animal-proof food boxes but no water. Santa Rosa Island allows beach camping on designated beaches from August 15 through December 31, with the closest beach about 9 miles from the boat drop-off. Both need a Recreation.gov permit that matches your Island Packers booking, and neither is a beginner trip: carry all your water and expect rugged, unmaintained terrain.
Tell us your dates and we ask a local guide who works this area what they can do on your days and what it costs. If nobody is free, we tell you. Asking is free: no card, no deposit, and nothing is held until you say yes.
Pick how you want to go.
Same 3-day route. Same 7 stops.
- 2 nights, Scorpion Canyon Campground, Santa Cruz Island
- $44
- A private local guide, campsites booked
- Included
- Airport pickup and every drive
- Included
- Park, permit and campsite fees paid
- Included
- All the gear and the trail meals
- Included
Written and walked by Yulia Vasilyeva · Co-founder · Lead planner and guide
Three years leading guided hikes in the Pacific Northwest, rated 5.0 by 20+ verified guests, and she builds every custom itinerary herself. Based in Seattle.
Last checked September 2026
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All reviews are from verified guests. ★★★★★ 5.0 average from 20+ bookings.
"Felt like going out with a really knowledgeable friend who just happens to know everything about the area. No awkward tour-guide energy, just a magnificent day."
"Yulia is an incredible guide. She knew every trail, every viewpoint, and exactly how to pace the day for our group. The photos she took of us were stunning. 100% booking again."
"I was visiting Seattle solo and this was the best decision I made on the trip. Yulia picked me up, had snacks, and took us to a trail I never would have found on my own. Absolute must-do."
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