This Skunk Doesn't Stink

Hiking to Skunk Point on Santa Rosa Island in Channel Islands National Park Southern California

On Santa Rosa Island, an all-day hiking expedition to Skunk Point unfolds like chapters of a geographic fairy tale. You’ll cross several distinct terrains on a 11-mile lollipop loop tracing the coastal crescent of Bechers Bay—from grasslands and pine woodland to coastal marsh and shipwreck-strewn beaches. Starting at the campground, head east on Coastal Road through erosive grassland and its ecotone with a hillside grove of ultra-rare Torrey pines. Your eyes will be drawn to Bechers Bay, whose white beaches and turquoise shallows could double as the Caribbean on sunny days. Just as the dirt roadway starts to wear on you, a left fork leads to a coast-hugging singletrack that merges onto a sandy beach littered with shipwreck and backed by alien, wind-whipped dunes and a marine terrace.

On the far side, you’ll come across the remains of the Jane L. Stanford, the largest wooden ship to wreck in the Channel Islands. A rocky headland rises beyond, with bizarre jutting rocks (one shaped like a human head) and tide pools harboring an eye-popping array of marine life: periwinkles, crabs and jumbo-sized sea anemones. Then the grand finale: the sprawling white sand and prolific back dunes of Skunk Point. Some days, you’ll be alone here for miles in every direction. Coveted by select surfers, the point sees large swells with powerful offshore winds spraying foam high in the air. The dunes are a seasonal breeding ground for the snowy plover, a threatened shorebird. You can continue along the beach all the way to East Point or bail out early, cutting inland near Abalone Rocks Marsh, a large wetland, to rejoin Coastal Road and head northwest back to camp.

TIP: Be sure to hike to Skunk Point only on moderate to lightly windy days. Strong winds will kick up stinging sand.

CAMP: The island has only one established campground, located 1.5 miles south of the pier, and situated in Water Canyon, just a few hundred yards inland from the beaches of Bechers Bay. The camp has 15 sites—each with a wooden wind shelter, picnic table, and food storage locker (owing to the thievish island fox)—plus an impressive solar-powered outhouse with warm water and an outdoor sink basin. $15 per night. Reserve a site.

Book boat passage to Santa Rosa through Island Packers, the park's only concessionaire, which will ferry passengers to the island two or three days a week until November 20. Schedule and fares on their site. No dogs.

Trending Stories NorCal

View all Stories
  1. All right, Almaden!

    Take a trip through time on this 5-mile loop in Almaden Quicksilver County Park. Explore the ruins of an old cinnabar mine and enjoy the first hints of wildflower season.

    View
  2. Waterfalls and Wine Pours

    Cooler temps, green hills, and the return of our magnificent waterfalls! This family-friendly 2-mile hike at Uvas Canyon County Park in Morgan Hill is a great way to get the most out of a short hike post-rain.

    View
  3. Woman hiker is climbing up the ladder in the Steep Ravine section of the Dipsea Loop Trail on Mount Tam

    Misty on Mount Tam

    Mount Tam’s 3.9-mile round-trip Steep Ravine and Dipsea Trail Loop weathers the wets and wilds with some confidence, sheltered in parts by redwoods, and wowing with a waterfall.

    View
  4. Mile-Long Cataract Club

    In winter after heavy rains, the north flank of Mount Tam glows with flows. The nearly mile-long series of waterfalls—Cataract Falls—transforms into a supercharged spectacle. Starting at Alpine Dam, a 1.6 mile (one-way) narrow trails threads through redwoods and ferns along Cataract Creek.

    View

Trending Stories SoCal

View all Stories
  1. Sponsored

    Hidden Gems of Reno Tahoe

    Step into a land where adventure meets relaxation. Reno Tahoe is where the spirit of the great outdoors and the energy of vibrant city life inspire you to live with no limits.

    View
  2. Peace Labyrinth

    Hidden in LA’s historic West Adams district, the Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens is a welcome respite from the norms of urban noise.

    View
  3. Weekend Sherpa Podcast: Take It Outside

    Adventure for your earbuds. What's new in the world of the outdoors? Listen to Weekend Sherpa co-founders discuss local hikes, beaches, bike rides, camping spots and all kinds of travel and adventure in California and beyond!

    View
  4. Hikers sitting on a large rock slab next to Three Sisters Falls in Cleveland National Forest Southern California near Julian

    Three Sisters

    Good things come in threes at this hike to a lovely trio-tiered waterfall in Cleveland National Forest. The 4.25-mile out-and-back hike rambles among rolling hills, with rocky mountain views as switchbacks take you down to a lush canyon and the falls.

    View