CA's Wild Coast National Park
Kayak the caves at Channel Islands National Park
Its nickname is “North America’s Galapagos,” and Channel Islands National Park lives up to the hype. This less-traveled national park comprises five distinct and isolated islands separated from the mainland by 25 miles of open ocean. The park is home to more than 2,000 terrestrial plants and animals, of which 145 are found nowhere else in the world.
You’re going to need a boat to get to the Channel Islands. Most visitors take the Island Packers ferry (the park’s only concessionaire). Pro guides make it magical from the moment you board, sharing all kinds of trivia about the diverse wildlife you’re seeing or are likely to see: California sea lions, harbor seals, gray whales, bottlenose dolphins, and seabirds like ospreys, western gulls, and brown pelicans.
At the largest of the islands, Santa Cruz, embark on a guided sea kayaking exploration among the caves of the island. The Adventure Sea Caves Kayak Tour is the most popular at the park, and great for beginner kayakers. Paddle through and into sea caves as you witness and learn about the wildlife in the area. Ospreys perch high on cliffs and dolphins sometimes coast next to you. During migration seasons you may even see whales.
Listen for sea lions, who like to use cave shelves to warm up and dry off. When you’re finished on the water you’ll likely have enough time to get in a short hike up to the island’s Cavern Point. There’s a good chance you’ll see the small island fox, endemic to the Channel Islands and found nowhere else in the world.
TIP: On the mainland in Oxnard, head to Channel View Park on Ocean Drive, where it’s common to see a large gathering of sea lions in all their cacophonous glory.
BONUS: At California: State of Nature, the California Academy of Sciences' new exhibition, learn more about the Channel Islands as well as the Academy’s Thriving California initiative to regenerate coastal habitats, from breeding sea stars to supporting an emerging generation of young scientists and sea stewards.
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