This campground is set amongst the native plants on the south side of the island. There are 7 sites that are marked by railroad ties. A table and picnic table are located at each site. A bathroom sits near the entrance to the campground.

Primitive camping is available (seven sites; $15 per night per site; reservations required). Picnic table, food storage box, and pit toilet are provided. No water is available. Distance from landing to campground is one-half mile and includes a 157-stair climb. WARNING: Western gulls nest on Anacapa Island From April through mid-August. During this time, visitors will encounter seabird rookery conditions: guano, strong odor, constant noise, bird carcasses, and birds protecting their territory.

Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For six of the sites on Anacapa Island, this fee covers up to four people. For one of the sites, it covers up to six people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/

Anacapa Island Campground Fee

Within a field of yellow flowers lie tents that overlook historic buildings and the ocean.

Anacapa Island Campground by Tim Hauf

Anacapa Island Campground

Anacapa Island campground is open year round.

A narrow trail, flanked by dry grasses and giant yellow coreopsis plants with thick branches topped with tufts of feathery green leaves and yellow, daisy-like flowers in springtime, and a shaggy, brittle, brown mop of dead leaves in the drier seasons, leads to the San Miguel campground. Perched on a plateau, the campground offers incredible views of the ocean to the north and, in good weather, of Santa Rosa to the northeast. If you are standing at campground, Cuyler Harbor Beach is a mile to the north, by trail. The ranger station is about half a mile away to the southwest. The Lester Ranch site is about halfway along that trail. To the west, in the distance, is Green Mountain. At the campground, there are nine, slatted wooden U-shaped fences or windbreaks that stand about five feet tall. A metal storage box on legs is positioned in a corner of each windbreak. A wooden and metal picnic table is adjacent to each campsite. A wooden restroom building is at the south end of the campsite. It is about 5 feet by 6 feet, with a shingled roof, a lockable door, and a single pit toilet inside. The sign on the door shows symbols for a man and a woman. On the exterior, attached to one side, is a low box with a hinged lid. On another side of the building is a bulletin board with updateable information posted behind glass. On the fourth side of the building is a panel of regulations titled “San Miguel Island Campground” with its own, separate audio description.

Primitive camping is available (nine sites; $15 per night per site; reservations required). Wind shelter, picnic table, food storage box, and pit toilet are provided. No water is available. Distance from landing to campground is one mile up a steep canyon (400 ft. climb).

Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For San Miguel Island, this fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/.

San Miguel Island Campground Fee

Camping tents in grassland overlooking a foggy ocean.

San Miguel Island Campground by Tim Hauf

San Miguel Island Campground

Although San Miguel Island campground is usually open year round, it is currently closed as all of San Miguel Island is closed to the public. In the interest of public safety, the U.S. Navy has closed San Miguel Island until further notice due to recent concerns of possible unexploded ordnance. San Miguel Island was an active bombing range from WWII through the 1970s. San Miguel Island is owned by the U.S. Department of Defense and is managed by the National Park Service under a memorandum of agreement.

A trail from the Santa Barbara Visitor Center leads out onto a flat area perched on a plateau, overlooking the ocean. This campground is in a field with a mix of grass, scrub brush and coreopsis, which looks like a stunted tree. In the spring and early summer, the grass is green, the shrub brushes are generally grey-green in color, and the thick branches of the coreopsis are topped with tufts of feathery bright green leaves and yellow daisy-like flowers. In late summer and fall, the grass is brown, the brush looks brown and brittle, and the branches of the coreopsis are brown with shaggy dark brown tufts at the tips. A dirt and gravel trail through the camping area connects ten sites, each with a picnic table and a metal food storage box. If you stand at the edge of the campsite at the cliff facing the ocean, the Landing Cove is visible in the distance to the left or north, cut into the base of a steep cliff.

Primitive camping is available (seven sites; $15 per night per site; reservations required). Picnic table, food storage box, and pit toilet are provided. No water is available. Distance from landing to campground is one-quarter mile and includes a steep climb.

Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For Santa Barbara Island, this fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/

Santa Barbara Island Campground Fee

Small tent perched on bluff overlooking the ocean.

Santa Barbara Island Campground by Tim Hauf

Santa Barbara Island Campground

Santa Barbara Island campground is open year round.

This small campground contains 4 sites that are nestled within oak trees and grasslands. They sit up on a ridge that provides sweeping coastal views of the island and ocean.

The Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry Campground is currently the only backcountry campground on Santa Cruz Island. The hike to the campground is 3.5 miles from Prisoners Harbor and 12 miles from Scorpion Anchorage. It has four primitive campsites (four persons per site) and users must camp within these designated sites.Reservations are required ($15 per night-per site). A picnic table, food storage box, and pit-style toilet are provided (campers must bring their own toilet paper).

Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For the Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry Campground, this fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/.

Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry Campground Fee

Campground picnic table on green grass overlooking ocean, coastline, and blue sky with white clouds

Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry Campground by Tim Hauf

Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry Campground

Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry Campground is open year round.

There are two campgrounds that provide family and group camping, the lower campground is about a half mile from the pier. Continuing on the road for an additional half mile is the upper campground. Both areas are flat and have shade provided by large eucalyptus trees, picnic tables and food boxes.

Primitive camping is available (25 individual sites at $15 per night-per site and 6 group sites at $40 per night-per site; reservations required). Picnic table, food storage box, potable water, and pit toilet are provided. Distance from landing to campground is one-half mile.

Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for the 25 individual sites at Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground. This this fee covers up to six people. For the six group sites the fee is $40.00 per site-per night and covers up to 15 people.

Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground Fee

Blue camping tent in green grass with picnic table and tall trees

Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground by Kathy deWet Oleson

White flowers on green grassy hillside overlooking campground in tall trees below.

Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground by Tim Hauf

Santa Cruz Island Scorpion Canyon Campground

Santa Cruz Island campground is open year round.

Dispersed backcountry camping in the parks wilderness along beaches.

Backcountry camping on Santa Rosa Island is currently limited to certain beaches between August 15th and December 31st. Hiking is along the beach and rugged, unsigned (and sometimes unmaintained) dirt roads. The closest beach for camping is 8 miles from the boat/plane drop-off location. Reservations are required ($10 per night-per site). No services are provided.This is primitive, dispersed, backcountry camping. Visitors must backpack to all locations and carry all of their own gear, food and water.

Advanced camping reservations are required for all camping in the park. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $10.00 per site-per night is charged for backcounrty beach camping on Santa Rosa Island. This fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/.

Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach Camping Fee

Island coastline with tan sand beach leading out to rolling hills in the distance with green water.

Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach Camping

January 1 - August 14 
Backcountry beach camping is closed to protect pupping seals/sea lions and nesting seabirds.

August 15 - September 15 
Only East Point to South Point Beaches (Southeast Quadrant) are open to backcountry camping for boaters, kayakers, and backpackers.

September 16 - December 31 
Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest Quadrant beaches are open to backcountry camping. Beaches around Sandy Point, at Lobo Canyon, and Northeast Quadrant beaches (between Carrington

Closed dates for Backcountry Beach Camping on Santa Rosa Island

You are standing in the campground, near the wide mouth of a canyon. The campground is in a field of grass, nestled between two hills dotted with scrubby shrubs. At the southern edge of the campground is a creek that runs at the base of the canyon. A distant view of the ocean can be seen beyond the mouth of the canyon. At the lowest part of the campground, if you are facing up-canyon, the restroom building is on your right. A short cement sidewalk leads up toward this single-story wooden building with a gabled, or simple peaked, roof. The roof has two solar panels on the roof. One is a solar hot water panel—a grey metal box, about one foot high, with two pipes attached, one with a spigot. The other is a photovoltaic panel, only about 2 inches high. The building has reddish brown, horizontal, wood plank siding. A shallow porch, with railings, wraps around two sides of the building, covered by a roof overhand, supported by posts and beams. You can access the porch two ways. On the building’s left side is a handicapped accessible ramp. The front side of the building has stairs with railings and five risers. On the ground next to the stairs is a metal box with two thick brushes that face inward. On the front side, the porch has a bulletin board on the wall, flanked by doors for two unisex restrooms. On the side of the porch is a large deep sink, with an adjacent wide wooden counter with a backboard, that overhangs and slants down toward the sink. From the restroom location, you can see fifteen shelters—three-sided wooden structures with grey shingled roofs. Each structure is shaped like a hexagon that has been cut in half, open on the side that faces the ocean. Each wall surface of the exterior of these shelters has a solid sheet of tan-colored siding. The interior walls are unfinished open frame construction. Mounted to one interior side wall is a metal box, about one foot high by two feet wide by one foot deep. Metal pegs and hooks on the walls are used to hang clothing and gear. A translucent fiberglass panel at the top of the back wall provides some natural light. Each shelter site has a picnic table located in or near the shelter. Tents are pitched in or near the shelters as well. The shelter sites are about 40 feet apart from each other. At the edge of the campground, on the downhill side, is a water station. This is a two and a half foot tall wooden post, with a pipe running up it to a faucet on top. Surrounding it on the ground is a wooden frame filled with rocks. The post has a water faucet, a small metal box screwed into its side. A wooden plaque with a sign that reads, Please help protect our wildlife. Please do not rinse dishes, brush teeth, or use soap at the water faucets. Please wash dishes at the large sink next to bathroom. Thank you.

Primitive camping is available (15 sites; $15 per night per site; reservations required). Wind shelter, picnic table, food storage box, toilet, and potable water are provided. Distance from landing to campground is 1.5 miles from the pier and .25 miles from the airstrip.

Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands.

Santa Rosa Island Campground Fee

Campgrounnd wind shelters on dry, grassy terrace looking down canyon to blue ocean.

Santa Rosa Island Campground by Tim Hauf

Santa Rosa Island Campground

Santa Rosa Island campground is open year round.

Channel Islands National Park encompasses five remarkable islands and their ocean environment, preserving and protecting a wealth of natural and cultural resources. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal southern California as it once was.