Santa Rosa Island

The Island Less Visit! Santa Rosa Island is one of the least visited (but amazing to visit) islands in Channel Islands NP, and a must-do in your lifetime pretty much anytime of the year. You need to take a ferry from Ventura Harbor via Island Packers (or take a plane) and be sure to get your NPS permits. There's only one campground in Water Canyon, but it is awesome.

Three day stay at Santa Rosa was wonderful for the whole family. We hiked the Black Mountain and to the East Point the other day. All the views were breathtaking. Camping was a great experience. Potable water and flushable toilets in the campground were a big plus. Wooden windbreakers and food boxes were very helpful. Found it as very safe and amazing place to stay. Watching island foxes and elephant seals was a bonus. Also during Island Packers ride we were able to watch dolphins, flying fish, lot of seabirds and visiting the Painted Cave on Santa Cruz on the way back was a very pleasant surprise. We'd like to return to the Channel Islands.

Beautiful island . We anchored in Johnson's lee and we had pretty much that whole side of the island to ourselves and the whole beach to ourselves. However it was a surf landing in the dinghy and we did flip the second day which was scary. The beaches are gorgeous and there's a bunch of elephant seals around. One even came up on the beach while we were walking

Awesome place. The weather at the beach was phenomenal. The sound of the crashing waves were very relaxing. The hike from the pier to South Point was quite arduous with our gear. There were parts of the trail where the scenery helped motivate us, but there is a 2 mi stretch of a never ending road with dead grass and limited scenery. On top of the at there is no water source in the South. So make sure you have plenty of water when you go south of the pier. There is a spring called Clapper Spring but it is the middle of nowhere and the water needs to be filtered. A lot of the hikes you are exposed to the sun. There is little shade to rest in. Bring a hat and lots of sunscreen and water if you are doing some backcountry activities.

Excellent place. The Parks Service does a great job here, and it feels like a unique NP. It's a hiker's destination first and foremost. See the Torrey Pines and Lobo Canyon, a slot canyon with lush greenery and epic windcut walls that empties to a little smuggler's beach on the ocean. Go prepared to stay overnight, with at least a 3-season tent if it's windy. Otherwise blowing dust will be a nuisance.

One of the most beutiful places I've ever been. I'd like to go back and just spend a week roaming around camping and kayaking.

It is a trip to get there, but worth the journey. A part of untouched nature. This island bring you into another world, and is further brought to life by the great staff and volunteers that make this place run.

It was like little Ireland right now. The ranger said it does not happen too often, but after a good rain season the islands can turn super green and right now they feel like you are in another country try like Scotland or Ireland or Switzerland. It was total cool. And the groups that go out to Santa Rosa are smaller so less people go out there. The guided hike was just three people in my family and the guide. I posted some pics from the hike. We saw a ton of flowers. There was a seasonal creek that typically does not have much water, but right now looks and flows amazingly for a creek. I wanted to camp there but we are on vacation and we were not prepared for camping. But next time, I will totally camp there for a few days.