Comprised of five of the eight California Channel Islands, Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources. Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park. However only four mammals are endemic to the islands, one of which is the deer mouse which is known to carry the sin nombre hantavirus. One hundred and forty-five of the 2,000 species are unique to the islands and found nowhere else in the world. Marine life ranges from microscopic plankton to the endangered blue whale, the largest animal to live on earth.
Archeological and cultural resources span a period of more than 10,000 years. The park consists of 249,353 acres, half of which are under the ocean and include the islands of San miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa and Santa Barbara. Even though the islands seem tantalizingly close to the densely populated southern California coast, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped, making them an exciting place for visitors to explore.
History & Culture
Archeological and cultural resources span a period of more than 10,000 years. First came the seafaring Indians; then the explorers, fur traders, adventurers and settlers; finally the scientists and sightseers of today. Seafaring Indians plied the Santa Barbara Channel in swift, seaworthy canoes called “tomols”. The Chumash or “island people” had villages on the northern islands and traded with the mainland Indians. The Gabrielino people lived on the southern island of Santa Barbara.
In 1542, the explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo entered the Santa Barbara Channel. Cabrillo, commanding an expedition in service of Spain, was the first European to land on the islands. While on his northbound odyssey of exploration, Cabrillo wintered on an island he called San Lucas (San Miguel or possibly Santa Rosa Island). He died as a result of a fall on that island and may have been buried on one of the Channel Islands, but his grave has never been found. Subsequent explorers included Sebastian Vizacaino, Gaspar de Portola and English Captain George Vancouver, who in 1793, fixed the present names of the islands on nautical charts.
Beginning in late 1700’s and into the 1800’s, Russian, British and American fur traders searched the islands’ coves and shorelines for sea otter. The otter was almost hunted to extinction. The hunters then turned toward the seals and sea lions. Several of these species faced extinction as well.
In the early 1800’s, the Chumash and Gabrielino people were removed from the islands and settled in mainland missions. Hunters, settlers and ranchers soon came to the islands. By the mid-1800’s, except for fishermen, ranching became the economic mainstay.
In the early 1900’s, the US Lighthouse Service (later the US Coast Guard) began its stay on Anacapa Island. The US Navy took control over the Island of San Miguel just before World War II.
Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources. Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park. However only four mammals are endemic to the islands. One hundred and forty-five of these species are unique to the islands and found nowhere else in the world. Marine life ranges from microscopic plankton to the endangered blue whale, the largest animal to live on earth.
History & Culture
Archeological and cultural resources span a period of more than 10,000 years. First came the seafaring Indians; then the explorers, fur traders, adventurers and settlers; finally the scientists and sightseers of today. Seafaring Indians plied the Santa Barbara Channel in swift, seaworthy canoes called “tomols”. The Chumash or “island people” had villages on the northern islands and traded with the mainland Indians. The Gabrielino people lived on the southern island of Santa Barbara.
In 1542, the explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo entered the Santa Barbara Channel. Cabrillo, commanding an expedition in service of Spain, was the first European to land on the islands. While on his northbound odyssey of exploration, Cabrillo wintered on an island he called San Lucas (San Miguel or possibly Santa Rosa Island). He died as a result of a fall on that island and may have been buried on one of the Channel Islands, but his grave has never been found. Subsequent explorers included Sebastian Vizacaino, Gaspar de Portola and English Captain George Vancouver, who in 1793, fixed the present names of the islands on nautical charts.
Beginning in late 1700’s and into the 1800’s, Russian, British and American fur traders searched the islands’ coves and shorelines for sea otter. The otter was almost hunted to extinction. The hunters then turned toward the seals and sea lions. Several of these species faced extinction as well.
In the early 1800’s, the Chumash and Gabrielino people were removed from the islands and settled in mainland missions. Hunters, settlers and ranchers soon came to the islands. By the mid-1800’s, except for fishermen, ranching became the economic mainstay.
In the early 1900’s, the US Lighthouse Service (later the US Coast Guard) began its stay on Anacapa Island. The US Navy took control over the Island of San Miguel just before World War II.
Channel Islands National Park is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources. Over 2,000 species of plants and animals can be found within the park. However only four mammals are endemic to the islands. One hundred and forty-five of these species are unique to the islands and found nowhere else in the world. Marine life ranges from microscopic plankton to the endangered blue whale, the largest animal to live on earth.
Nature & Science
Ecology
For many plants and animals of the Channel Islands National Park, life is not possible without both the land and the sea. Pelicans fish for anchovies from the ocean but nest on the dry bluffs of West Anacapa. Low growing sand verbena needs the sandy soil of San Miguel Island to grow, but it also needs salt from the ocean air. Giant kelp fastens its root like hold on the shallow rocks of islands nearshore reefs, yet this seaweed also needs nutrients from the deep ocean. Isolation from the mainland and the mingling of warm and cold water currents in the Santa Barbara Channel help form the Channel Islands special character. The plants and animals are similar to those on the mainland but thousands of years of isolation in unique island environments have resulted in size, shape or color variations. The Channel Islands are home to 65 plant species that do not exist anywhere else in the world. All of the larger islands are home to the island fox, a close relative to the mainland’s gray fox. Because it evolved in isolation, the islands fox is no larger than a house cat. These foxes prey upon deer mice that are slightly larger than their mainland relatives. Both creatures are well adapted to the harsh island environment.
Remoteness from the mainland has buffered the island from the rapid changes wrought by modern humans. While most mainland tidepools are practically devoid of life because of heavy human use, sea stars, sea urchins, sea anemones and limpets thrive in the islands intertidal areas. White plumed sea anemones still cover underwater rocks at San Miguel and vivid purple hydrocorals filter water for food near Santa Cruz Island. Though used by fishermen and sport divers and subject to mainland water polluntants, the kelp forests of the Channel Islands harbor great numbers of plants and animals. Today the islands support some of the last remnants of coastal southern California plant communities rapidly disappearing from the mainland.
During the last Ice Age, the northern Channel Islands were part of one vast island geologists called Santarosa. Sea levels were much lower and large areas of today’s sea bed were dry. The northern islands were linked together, though probably not connected to the mainland. When the continental ice sheets melted, rising water seperated the islands.
During the Pleisocene era, a dwarf species of mammals roamed Santarosae and pine and cypress forests stood on several islands. Today, fossilized remains of dwarf mammoths on San Miguel and Santa Rosa and the forests of brittle sand castings, known as caliche (pronounced kah-lee-chee) that are found on San Miguel remind us that the islands were very different long ago. Some plants and animals developed special adaptations over time to cope with the isolated environment, others remained unchanged. The giant coreopsis is found on all five park islands and on the coastal mainland. Its common name, tree sunflower, suggests its size and trunck like stem. Its bright yellow blossoms are sometimes visible from the mainland during the winter and spring.
The introduction on non native plants and animals to an island ecosystem can devastate native species. One exotic is a tenacious South African species of iceplant that found its way to Santa Barbara Island before 1900. Highly salt tolerant, it thrives in arid soil by capturing moisture from sea breezes. It subsequently leaches salt into the soil, producing concentrations of salt that few native plants can tolerate. Today, the iceplant spreads its thick mats over much of the island. Introduced livestock, food animals and pets have similar impacts on island environments. Escalating feral sheep, hog, cat and rabbit populations led to damage to, and sometimes elimination of, native plants and animals. The National Park Service seeks to restore native populations where possible.
Recreation
Visitors to the park may enjoy a variety of recreational opportunities, such as SCUBA diving, snorkeling, swimming, bird watching, kayaking, whale watching and sailing. On the islands, one may camp, hike, picnic and explore tide pools, isolated beaches and rugged canyons. Park naturalists conduct interpretive hikes on the islands throughout the year.
Inform yourself about the park, its features and safety concerns before visiting, by contacting the park for brochures and the boat and air concessions for schedules. Because of the time involved in traveling from the mainland to the islands, a full day is recommended to visit the park. Anacapa is a great island for your first visit; it is the closest island to the mainland (1.5 hour boat ride) and consists of dramatic, steep cliffs, with hundreds of sea birds and marine mammals. Snorkeling, kayaking and diving are all excellent in the rich kelp beds around Anacapa.
For a multi-day visit, Santa Rosa is a good destination. Rangers will take you to various parts of the island to explore canyons and beaches.
For a feel of a wilderness experience, San Miguel, the furthest out from the mainland, may be your choice. The island often is fog-covered or very windy. Access to many areas on the island is limited due to fragility of the terrestrial and marine resources.
The islands have no stores, restaurants, or overnight accommodations; you must bring all your own food, water and camping equipment.
Traveler Facts
Contact Information
Channel Islands National Park
1901 Spinnaker Drive
Ventura, CA 93001
Phone: 805-658-5730
Fax: 805-658-5799
Operating Hours & Seasons
Channel Islands National Park is open all year. The Robert J. Lagomarsino visitor center hours are: 8:30 to 5:00. The visitor center is closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Weather/Climate
Climate is mild, with little variation in temperature year round. However, be prepared for high winds, fog and sea spray at any time. Visitors to the islands should dress in layers, with short and long pants, windbreaker, hat, sunscreen and waterproof outer clothing. Wear sturdy hiking shoes with non-slip soles.
