Channel Islands National Park guide · 2 min read
Scorpion Anchorage to Cavern Point and Potato Harbor
Ferries from Ventura and Oxnard Harbor reach the dock at Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island in just over an hour.
More visitors come ashore here than anywhere else in the park, whether for the day or overnight. A ranger greets arrivals with a short orientation. Reaching the kayak tour office takes a stroll of about a quarter mile from the pier.
The Cavern Point Loop Hike covers about two miles round trip from Scorpion Beach and is rated moderate. Walking it clockwise helps you skip the steepest stretch of climbing. Start near campground site 22 and loop back to Scorpion Anchorage. Clifftop views reach far over the water, and gray whales migrate past in winter and spring. From Cavern Point, the North Bluff Trail runs west for two miles to Potato Harbor.
The Potato Harbor Hike is a 5.2 mile loop with about 600 feet of elevation gain, and it is rated moderate. Plan on around two hours and forty-five minutes at a relaxed pace. Those wanting a longer outing can combine Potato Harbor with Smugglers Cove for a bigger loop, while a shorter walk can end at Cavern Point.
Between the dock and the kayak office sits the Scorpion Ranch Historic Area, where buildings date back to the late 1800s. Visitors can look over a blacksmith's workshop and old agricultural machinery, and the ranch house holds a visitor center. Kayakers can explore nearby sea caves, including Scorpion Rock Cave, known as the Green Room, where sunlight casts a green glow.
Santa Cruz Island is home to the island fox, which exists nowhere else in the world, and the Santa Cruz Island scrub-jay, a bird that lives nowhere but here. Wildlife watching is a highlight near the picnic area and visitor center at Scorpion Ranch. Visitors can also reach the island by private boat or with the concessionaire Island Packers.
