California – Exploring the Bird-Filled Anacapa Island, Channel Islands NP
In the summer of 2021, I made a vow to head out to get out to the Channel Islands more often, if not yearly. I thought to myself, “late-winter and early spring would be a great time to visit when the grass is green.” Luckily, I looked into going out to Anacapa Island in January because the Natural Park was about to close down the dock for 3+ months for repairs. After another stroke of luck (check out the next section for the full details), I made it onto the small East Anacapa Island. The part of Anacapa Island that you can visit is VERY SMALL, and what it lacks in trees, it more than makes up for in silly bird antics, an inspirational view, lighthouse, and sense of accomplishment.
Anacapa, A Mini Introduction
Anacapa is made of three islets (East, Middle, and West), of which you can visit East Anacapa Island. It is roughly in a rectangle that is only about ¾-mile long and ¼-mile wide. With this in mind, I hiked the entire island in just a few hours. Also notable about the island is its bird inhabitants. Anacapa is the nesting site of 22 bird species and is the primary breeding ground of Western Gulls. With no natural predators on the island, East Anacapa Island is COVERED with Western Gulls. Head down to my “Birds, Birds, Birds” section for my thoughts on my day with them.
If you’d like more information on securing your tickets in advance (which I highly recommend), head to the “Getting to the Channel Islands” section. Or, if you’re interested in reading about the other islands, head over to my blog post about my Santa Rosa Day trip.
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Fate: Getting onto Anacapa Island
As I mentioned in the introduction, I wanted to visit Anacapa Island while the grasses were green. I opted to go on February 6, but Island Packers canceled the trip that morning due to high winds. I began to worry that it wasn’t going to happen. One departure was left on February 12, 2022, before the dock closure, and I added my name to the waitlist but didn’t hear anything. The Friday before, I gave Island Packers a call. They suggested that I show up at 8:00 or 8:30 AM to get on the in-person waitlist. I decided to take a chance and drive down to Ventura to get on the waitlist at 7:45 AM.
With nearly 2 hours to burn before the 9:30 AM departure, I made a detour to Target and a gas station to fill up for my drive home. At 8:45 AM, I got the call to get on the boat that day!
Jumping ahead, I had to get lucky one more time. Upon arriving at Anacapa Island, the dock is in a little cove. The water abs and flows, making it difficult to stabilize and allow people to get off the boat. After about 5 minutes of watching the swell, our captain decided it would be safe to deboard. Finally, I was able to see Anacapa Island!
At a Glance:
- Rating: 4 (out of 4) stars, would go again!
- Intensity: Hiking Clothes, Hiking Shoes
- Location: Channel Island National Park
- Cost: $62/adult round trip fare on Island Packers ($31.50 each way and slightly more if camping overnight)
- Restrooms: Some bathrooms are behind the visitor’s building, halfway down the island near the campgrounds, and on the boat.
- Timing: 5.5+ hours
- Distance: Depends on how much doubling-back to revisit areas that you do. If you simply make the figure-eight trail, it is 2.5 miles.
- Elevation gain: 390 ft
Highlights:
- You get to see the entire island and all of the sights at a leisurely pace.
- Inspiration Point is genuinely inspirational.
- The birds and lighthouse were a constant source of sound, but they also provided entertainment and scenery to photograph.
- Dolphin sightings in both directions on the boat ride.
- Shorter, 1-hour boat ride.
Lowlights:
- Kelp flies covered everyone and everything as we waited to board the boat back to Ventura. They mainly disappeared by the time we returned to shore, but some stuck with us the entire ride!
Initial Impressions of Anacapa Island
The boat ride from Ventura to Anacapa Island is relatively short – only one hour. On the way, we got to see a megapod of playful dolphins. This time, I was on the boat’s upper deck and had a different view of the dolphins, which was fun. Another fun view is the final approach to Anacapa Island, where you can see the iconic archway on nearly all Channel Islands National Park merchandise. You can also see the lighthouse as you approach the dock, but you also lose the view of the lighthouse as you get closer to the steep walls that make up Anacapa Island.
Upon getting onto the dock, there are a series of stairs. After the first set of stairs, there is a large gathering area, where a volunteer (shoutout to Morgan – @mckelpish) gave us an introduction to the island and what to expect. She also informed us how to interact with the birds on the island respectfully. After giving us some initial details, she let us free to climb up the stairs to the top of the island. I can’t remember exactly how many steps it was, but it was about four or five staircases worth.
At the top of the stairs, there is a little bit of a hill, and as you climb it, you will begin to see more and more of the island. There are no big trees, so you can practically see across the entire island. More immediately, there were a few buildings with the bathrooms (just pit toilets – don’t get excited) and a “visitors center,” which was only two rooms large and had information on the walls and a lighthouse bulb. Also, Western Gulls are everywhere.
Birds Birds Birds
No matter where you turn on Anacapa Island, there will be birds. Specifically Western Gulls. I didn’t find them particularly loud. Instead, I found them quite amusing and silly – on top of the buildings, cliffside, flying around, on the trail, fighting with each other, etc. In some ways, I felt terrible that they would get up and walk away or fly away when I got near them on the trail, but they were also utterly unavoidable. Last year, I thought about doing an overnight backpacking trip to Anacapa Island, but I am glad I experienced the birds before committing to it. Something to note if you are thinking about backpacking on Anacapa!
For the most part, the birds would simply sit there and watch you pass without a sound or perhaps a few warning squawks. I utilized them as a focal point in many of my pictures and enjoyed watching them fly around at Inspiration Point. Other times, I would get sucked into watching their antics and found it particularly cute when two were sitting together, like a romantic pair or best buds.
Leisurely Hiking the Entire Island + What to See
There is an elongated figure 8 trail on the island, which is about 2.5 miles according to this AllTrails map. We had about five hours on the island, so I knew I could do the entire trail twice during that time. There is no need to rush! At the same time, I was excited to get some space from other people that I was close to on the boat. I honestly don’t think one way is better than another regarding trail direction. I opted to go up the hill first and describe the key sights in no particular order.
In addition to the bathrooms at the main buildings, there is one more bathroom near the campground in the middle of the island. It’s at one of the main junctures of the trails, so you cannot miss it.
Pinniped Point
Upon going up the hill from the main buildings, one of the first sights has a flat open space with a bench. From the spot, you get a fantastic view of the lighthouse in the distance and the cove below you. The National Park Service labels this spot as Pinniped Point in the East Anacapa Trail Guide (you can pick up a printed guide at Island Packers). I watched some divers far below me and could also see some seals or sea lions (I’m not sure) moving around in the water. If you’re solo, like I was, this bench was a good place to put my tripod in and capture myself with the lighthouse.
Cathedral Cove
If you take the lower trail from the main building or the downhill trail from the camp bathrooms, you’ll come to a roped-off viewpoint of Cathedral Cove. This viewpoint is incredibly gorgeous, where you can watch the ocean move kelp around, the birds fly through the air, and admire the steep cliffs that drop into the ocean. There are benches here to appreciate the view.
Inspiration Point
A big reason I wanted to go to Anacapa Island was to view Inspiration Point. It’s at the farthest point from the dock on the island, but oh so worth it. On your way there, the higher trail crests a hill, where you can see (almost) the entire island and Santa Barbara/Ventura in the distance.
Although Inspiration Point does not have a unique name (there seems to be a million Inspiration Points out there — I’ve even written about one in Yosemite already), the view is stunning. It’s the most inspired I’ve been at an Inspiration Point. You can see the other two islands that make up Anacapa island from this point. The islands and the rocks in between are incredibly rugged, sharp, Jurassic-looking, with dramatic drop-offs, and surrounded by the bright blue ocean. Making it feel even more alive, various bird species catch wind under their wings and fly around the area and near you at the point. It’s a marvel.
I ate part of my sandwich to refuel and pondered how to photograph the scene. I wanted to capture the sense of scale at Inspiration Point by getting a photo of me from a distance. This was tough because people were coming and going at a leisurely pace, and there wasn’t a safe place to set up a tripod as a gust of wind could easily knock it off the cliff. As I got halfway through my sandwich, I noticed another solo female hanging out at the exact spot to frame the photo. I ran over to her, and she was super down to help me get the shot. We bonded the rest of the day because she also has a travel Instagram account! Check out @sarah.mcgraw.explores
Lighthouse and Visitor’s Center
Returning from Inspiration Point, I recommend taking the path you haven’t taken before, just to be sure that you’ve seen everything possible. Since I took the high trail over to Inspiration Point, Sarah and I took the lower trail back. You have a slightly better view of that Santa Barbara and Ventura coastline on the lower trail.
Back at the main buildings, I recommend walking over to the lighthouse. You can’t get too close, as a sign states potential ear damage from the regular foghorn noise. The foghorn was going throughout the day, but I didn’t always notice it. It’s kind of funny how you can tune out sounds when exploring. The foghorn is another thing to note if you were thinking of a Backpacking Anacapa Island! The volunteer who joined our trip said that some people sleep fine with the fog horn, while others are bleary-eyed at miserable the day after.
Also, be sure to poke your head into the small visitor center and read the information on the walls. You can find the Anacapa/Channel Islands National Parks passport stamp inside. It’s a fun stop.
The Return Boat Ride
The least enjoyable part of the day was waiting to board the boat back. There were kelp flies everywhere. Luckily, they didn’t bite, but they landed on everyone and everything in the area. I didn’t have much hope for the boat itself because I could see people swatting flies away. Even once we reached full speed, we could stand in the wind and get away from the flies.
Upon leaving the dock of Anacapa, Island Packers took a slight detour to get a better view out of the iconic arch. The lighting was even better than in the morning, and it was incredible to see the arch a little closer.
I kept my eyes peeled for whales but didn’t see any on this trip. We did see more dolphins, but not as many in the morning. It was still fun to watch them jump in the wake of the boat – so ridiculously charismatic!
Anacapa Island Recommendations
My Anacapa day officially began at 9:30 am and ended at 4:30 pm. With this in mind, you will want to prepare for a FULL day of food and water. Here’s a shortlist of good things to bring:
- Download a map or the Alltrails Map in advance, if you plan to do any hiking
- Anything you need to reduce motion sickness while on the boat
- Backup battery – you might be filming quite a bit on the boat, depending on what wildlife is swimming around
- Wind resistant jacket for the boat rides
- Hat and sunscreen as there is little shade on the trails
- Comfortable hiking or trail running shoes
- At least 2 liters of water – there is no potable water on the island, so you will want to carry as much as you need for the time on the island. You can refill once you get back on the boat.
- Lunch and food for the day
- Small tripod for photos
Getting to the Channel Islands
To get to Anacapa Island, you’ll need to take a boat! You can, of course, go privately or even charter a flight, both of which come with a hefty price point. The most typical way is to go with Island Packers, who have been working with the National Park Service for years to provide transportation to the islands. Island Packers is a well-organized company that has always been a pleasant experience. I’ll say it time and again – BOOK YOUR TICKETS EARLY!! Not only do they have a tendency to sell out on weekends, but Island Packers does not have boats going out to Anacapa Islands every day, and it changes by the season.
Head directly to their website at: https://islandpackers.com/home/ Their reservations pages will have the most up-to-date information. And if you have any questions, give them a call – they have been super helpful on the phone in addition to the help they provide in person.
Overall Thoughts: Anacapa Island Day Trip
The Anacapa Island day trip’s leisurely pace was a stark contrast to my breathless visit to Santa Rosa Island last year. It was phenomenal to see Anacapa covered in green shrubs and watch the silly birds. I also liked seeing the entire island in one day, which made me feel very accomplished. The boat ride to the islands is always such a fun part of the experience, and I’m glad I got to see more of my dolphin friends. Overall, this was a grand day trip island, and I would recommend it to almost anyone. I would need to seriously consider the birds and the foghorn if staying overnight.
According to this press release from the National Park Service, the Anacapa dock project will take 3+ months. However, Island Packers expects it to take 5-6 months and has tickets available starting in September 2022.
Anacapa is a great introductory island, and I loved being able to see all of it in one day trip. Have you been to Anacapa or any of the other islands? Let me know in the comments!
Happy Travels,
Hanna
