Best time to visit Channel Islands National Park
The short answer
Best months to visit Channel Islands National Park: July–November. Daily highs run about 65–70°F, with about 80% of July's visitors.
How we picked these months: each month is scored on daily highs (65–82°F is ideal), rain, snow and seasonal closures, then reduced by up to 30% for crowds, measured against the park's busiest month. We list the months within 15% of the top score (at most 5).
Weather and crowds by month
Channel Islands National Park month by month
Park-wide averages across 6 locations. Crowds compare each month with the park's busiest month: Quiet is under 35% of it, Moderate under 60%, Busy under 85%, Peak above that.
| Month | Rating | High / low | Rain | Crowds | Closures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Good | 59° / 52°F | 2.4 in | Quiet | – |
| February | Good | 58° / 52°F | 1.7 in | Moderate | – |
| March | Good | 58° / 52°F | 2.0 in | Moderate | – |
| April | Good | 59° / 52°F | 0.4 in | Busy | – |
| May | Good | 59° / 53°F | 0.2 in | Busy | – |
| June | Good | 62° / 56°F | 0 in | Peak | – |
| July | Best | 65° / 59°F | 0.1 in | Peak | – |
| August | Best | 67° / 60°F | 0.1 in | Peak | – |
| September | Best | 68° / 61°F | 0.2 in | Busy | – |
| October | Best | 67° / 60°F | 0.2 in | Busy | – |
| November | Best | 63° / 56°F | 0.7 in | Busy | – |
| December | Good | 59° / 53°F | 2.4 in | Moderate | – |
Weather by location
Parks with a big range of elevation can differ a lot from one area to another. Open a location to see its own numbers.
Park-wide (center of the park)
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 62°F | 53°F | 2.5 in |
| February | 62°F | 53°F | 1.8 in |
| March | 62°F | 54°F | 2.2 in |
| April | 64°F | 54°F | 0.4 in |
| May | 64°F | 55°F | 0.2 in |
| June | 68°F | 58°F | 0.1 in |
| July | 71°F | 62°F | 0 in |
| August | 72°F | 63°F | 0.1 in |
| September | 73°F | 63°F | 0.2 in |
| October | 72°F | 62°F | 0.3 in |
| November | 67°F | 57°F | 0.8 in |
| December | 62°F | 54°F | 2.6 in |
Anacapa Island
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60°F | 53°F | 2.5 in |
| February | 59°F | 52°F | 1.9 in |
| March | 59°F | 52°F | 2.3 in |
| April | 61°F | 53°F | 0.5 in |
| May | 61°F | 55°F | 0.2 in |
| June | 65°F | 58°F | 0 in |
| July | 68°F | 62°F | 0.2 in |
| August | 69°F | 63°F | 0.3 in |
| September | 70°F | 63°F | 0.2 in |
| October | 68°F | 61°F | 0.3 in |
| November | 64°F | 57°F | 0.6 in |
| December | 60°F | 54°F | 2.6 in |
Santa Cruz Island
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57°F | 48°F | 2.5 in |
| February | 57°F | 48°F | 1.8 in |
| March | 57°F | 48°F | 2.2 in |
| April | 59°F | 49°F | 0.4 in |
| May | 59°F | 50°F | 0.2 in |
| June | 63°F | 53°F | 0 in |
| July | 66°F | 56°F | 0.1 in |
| August | 67°F | 57°F | 0.1 in |
| September | 68°F | 58°F | 0.2 in |
| October | 67°F | 57°F | 0.3 in |
| November | 62°F | 52°F | 0.8 in |
| December | 57°F | 49°F | 2.6 in |
Santa Rosa Island
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57°F | 50°F | 2.5 in |
| February | 57°F | 50°F | 1.6 in |
| March | 57°F | 50°F | 2.1 in |
| April | 58°F | 50°F | 0.4 in |
| May | 58°F | 51°F | 0.3 in |
| June | 61°F | 53°F | 0 in |
| July | 64°F | 56°F | 0 in |
| August | 65°F | 57°F | 0 in |
| September | 66°F | 58°F | 0.1 in |
| October | 66°F | 57°F | 0.3 in |
| November | 62°F | 53°F | 0.7 in |
| December | 58°F | 50°F | 2.5 in |
San Miguel Island
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 57°F | 54°F | 2.4 in |
| February | 56°F | 53°F | 1.8 in |
| March | 55°F | 53°F | 1.9 in |
| April | 54°F | 52°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 55°F | 53°F | 0.2 in |
| June | 57°F | 55°F | 0 in |
| July | 59°F | 57°F | 0 in |
| August | 61°F | 59°F | 0 in |
| September | 62°F | 60°F | 0.1 in |
| October | 62°F | 60°F | 0.3 in |
| November | 60°F | 57°F | 0.6 in |
| December | 58°F | 55°F | 2.3 in |
Santa Barbara Island
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 59°F | 56°F | 1.6 in |
| February | 58°F | 55°F | 1.1 in |
| March | 58°F | 55°F | 1.5 in |
| April | 59°F | 56°F | 0.3 in |
| May | 59°F | 57°F | 0.2 in |
| June | 62°F | 59°F | 0 in |
| July | 65°F | 63°F | 0.1 in |
| August | 66°F | 64°F | 0.3 in |
| September | 67°F | 65°F | 0.2 in |
| October | 66°F | 64°F | 0.1 in |
| November | 63°F | 60°F | 0.5 in |
| December | 60°F | 57°F | 2.1 in |
Channel Islands National Park by season
Spring (March–May)
Spring (March–May) is a good time to visit Channel Islands National Park. Daily highs average 58–59°F and lows 52–53°F. Expect about 0.9 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 58–71% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
Summer (June–August)
Summer (June–August) is a good time to visit Channel Islands National Park. Daily highs average 62–67°F and lows 56–60°F. Expect about 0.1 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 85–100% of the busiest month, which is peak by this park's standards.
Fall (September–November)
Fall (September–November) is among the best times to visit Channel Islands National Park. Daily highs average 63–68°F and lows 56–61°F. Expect about 0.4 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 68–80% of the busiest month, which is busy by this park's standards.
Winter (December–February)
Winter (December–February) is a good time to visit Channel Islands National Park. Daily highs average 58–59°F and lows 52–53°F. Expect about 2.2 in of rain a month and little or no snow. Visitor numbers run 32–46% of the busiest month, which is moderate by this park's standards.
For what to do in each season, see our guides to trip planning, fees and hours, trails, camping and things to do, where the planning page also has our written advice on when to go. In-depth topic guides cover individual places and hikes.
What the National Park Service says about the weather
In general, the islands have a Mediterranean climate year-round. Temperatures are relatively stable, with highs averaging in the mid-60s (°F) and lows in the low-50s. However, there are seasonal differences that visitors should take into consideration when visiting the park. In addition, visitors also should be aware that ocean and weather conditions vary considerably from day-to-day and island-to-island. For more information visit: http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/weather.htm
Weather: modeled monthly averages for 2014-2023 (Open-Meteo Archive API), averaged over 6 locations. Modeled grid cells can read cooler than weather stations in deep canyons and deserts, and warmer or colder at high elevation. Visits: monthly recreation visits for 2021-2024, National Park Service.
