Booking Island Packers Ferries and Island Campgrounds

Its ferries leave from Ventura Harbor or Oxnard Harbor, about fifteen minutes apart by car, so confirm which one your sailing uses. The trip to Santa Cruz Island takes just over an hour each way, and Anacapa crossings follow a comparable schedule. Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara lie farther out, so those crossings run longer and on fewer dates.

Begin with your boat seat, since concession boats fill far faster than campgrounds do. Secure transportation first, then choose a campsite. Every island campground requires an advance reservation, and popular dates can sell out well ahead. Island Packers lists current schedules and availability on its website, so check there before you settle on dates.

Each of the five islands has one established campground. The largest sits on Santa Cruz, where Scorpion Ranch Campground offers 31 sites roughly a mile from the landing pier. Santa Barbara Island has its campground above Landing Cove, Anacapa's is on the eastern islet, Santa Rosa's is at Water Canyon, and San Miguel's sits above Cuyler Harbor. On Santa Cruz, Scorpion Anchorage is the busiest spot in the park for both day trips and camping, though ocean conditions and ferry availability influence how often it is reached. Overnight guests usually come ashore at Prisoners Harbor on the north shore and head into the valley beyond.

The islands offer no services at all, so there is nothing to buy once you land. There are no roads, no cell coverage and no camping supplies for sale, which means you need to carry every meal, drop of water and piece of gear you will use. The park works on a pack in, pack out basis, so everything brought ashore must leave with you. Backcountry camping, which is limited, is possible on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa for visitors wanting a quieter, more remote night.