Have you had a chance to read the national parks feature in this month’s issue? I’ve been collecting stamps on my National Parks Passport for a while now and have made significant progress through the pandemic. My next visit is to Channel Islands National Park.

Photo 10342522 © Andre Nantel | Dreamstime.com

If you don’t already know, the Channel Islands are an eight-island archipelago off the coast of Southern California. The eight islands are Anacapa, San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Clemente, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara and Santa Catalina. The national park is made up of five of those including Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rose, San Miguel and Santa Barbara Island. Fun fact: The dorms at my alma mater, University of California, Santa Barbara, are named after the Channel Islands.

Back on the islands, visitors will find no amenities except water. You must bring all your food and gear and are encouraged to bring reusable water bottles to fill up on the island. This is one of those hard-to-get-to destinations because you can only reach it via ferry. Be ready, there are limited departures. We discovered easier access to the island by booking a kayaking expedition with a tour operator; this guaranteed our spot on the ferry.

Photo 16377912 © Hotshotsworldwide | Dreamstime.com

Kayaking is certainly just the tip of the iceberg of what you can do. This is the ideal destination for those looking for full-on adventure and disconnecting from the hustle and bustle. You can go backpacking and see the island on hikes. You can also expect beautiful wonders on the water. Off Anacapa Island you can snorkel through the Kelp Forest, and on Santa Cruz Island you can explore sea caves. As you can expect on an island, you will also be able to enjoy some endemic species like the island fox and deer mice on San Miguel Island.

I’m heading off to the Channel Islands this Memorial Day weekend for a day trip, and I cannot wait to report back. Happy holiday weekend!

— Maria Angeles, account executive