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Channel Islands National Park

Friday, July 25, 2025 - Friday, August 1, 2025 -- $2300 ★


Off the coast of California lies an other worldly group of islands called the Channel Islands National Park. Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals and plants over 100 of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Few people visit the park because it can be difficult to get to and as such is one of the least visited National Parks in the system. Because of this, you can expect solitude if you seek it. There are no services such as food stores or gear rental shops (well, they do have scuba and kayak rentals) on the islands so we will be largely self-reliant.


Our entire trek will be spent on the Island of Santa Cruz. We will visit Scorpion Beach, Potato Harbor, Smugglers Cove, Montanon Ridge and Chinese Harbor and we'll kayak or snorkel in the Pacific Ocean one afternoon. Expect many unobstructed views into the Pacific Ocean and on the island itself.


What a great way to spend part of the Summer. If you want to day-hike the Channel Islands, this is the trip for you. Why not join us for an unforgettable week?



Weather

Weather is always an important concern when hiking. Expect daytime hiking temperatures in the high 60s / low 70s with nighttime temperatures around 50. However, be prepared for the possibility of day temperatures as high as 90 and as low as 40, with a chance of passing afternoon thunderstorms. Here is the historical weather for the National Park. Be prepared with lots of sun protection and water containers that add up to 8 liters of capacity.



Probable Trip Leaders

Beau Devlin
Any Other Guide(s) TBD

Difficulty


The trails in Acadia are well marked and well maintained. However, many of them can be rocky and/or steep in places. In fact, in some areas you are walking on gigantic rock slabs or rock staircases and the trail is marked by rock cairns in the shape of an 'A' (yes, really). There's usually clear and solid footing with rock or even iron staircases in some places. Carrying only a day-pack will make the trek much less strenuous, but on some days expect a fair amount of climbing and descending sometimes steep trails.



Cost

$2300 per person pre-trip single occupancy, post trip double occupancy. Here, double occupancy means that you will share a hotel room with another trip participant. You will also be responsible for transportation to and from Las Angeles, CA (LAX) as well as personal equipment, restaurant meals (typically 2 dinners) and any gratuities for guides.


Covered expenses include 2 hotel nights, 3 nights in a front country campground, 2 nights in a backcountry campground, storage fees, 6 days of trail meals, airport transfers, water and ground transportation to/from/within the National Park, park permits, park entrance fees and awesome guides.


Tipping: In order to keep our prices competitive with (and hopefully favorable to) other outfitters, we shamefully can’t pay our guides as much as we think they deserve. Like most other guiding services, we rely on the generosity of our participants to make up this shortfall by tipping the guides. Gratuity can comprise a significant and important part of a guide’s compensation. The industry recommended gratuity amount is 10-20% of the trip cost. Gratuities are always optional and based on level of satisfaction but generally account for 30-60% of a their income through gratuities. Fitpacking supports tipping to the greatest extent possible while remaining tactful and professional. Guides are not permitted to solicit tips in any way other than doing an exceptional job supporting and providing exceptional customer service to our participants. If your guides have served you well, please support them with gratuities so they can continue living their extravagant lifestyles of eating powdered meals, sleeping in the dirt and pooping in smelly outhouses and small holes they've dug.



Notes


This is a hybrid backpacking / day-hiking trip. It is primarily day-hiking / base camping. However, we will carry full (heavy) packs a total of about 7 miles spread over 2 days


This trip will includes your choice of kayaking or scuba


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Itinerary
Weather
Guides for this trip
Cost
Important Note
Difficulty (Please Read)
 
 

Itinerary


Friday, July 25, 2025

Drive or fly into Los Angeles Airport (LAX). The best time to arrive is between around 9AM-Noon. However, if you have completed your online shakedown and will arrive fairly ready to go, you can fly in a little later.

Take the free airport shuttle to our local hotel to gather the group

We will assemble at: TBD, To Be Determined

Mini-equipment shakedown, following up your virtual shakedown done prior to the trip

Make-Your-Own Trail mix bar

All the items that you won't bring on the trail will be set aside and put in storage

At around 3PM, shuttle to campsite: TBD, To Be Determined Site(s) TBD

Shuttling will take about 2.5 hours

Guides prepare dinner in camp. On some trips with longer shuttle times, we may opt to go out for an opening dinner at a local restaurant. (Cost of restaurant dinner not included in trip price)

Camp at TBD, To Be Determined Site(s) TBD


Saturday, July 26, 2025

Ground shuttle 2.5 hours to Ventura

We will eat breakfast in the shuttle vehicle(s)

Board the Noon Island Ferry, to Santa Cruz Island in the Channel Islands National Park

Have a picnic lunch on board

Arrive at Scorpion Beach, sea level

Carry all your stuff about 0.2 miles to Scorpion Camground, group site TBD. Potable water available.

Set up base camp

Start Day Hiking at Scorpion Campground, Elevation 100'

Day-Hike 1.0 miles on the Cavern Point Loop Trail to the North Bluff Trail, elevation 250'

Day-Hike 1.5 miles back to Potato Harbor Overlook, elevation 350'

Day-Hike 0.1 miles back to unnamed trail intersection, elevation 350'

Day-Hike 2.2 round trip miles on the unnamed trail and back, elevation 500'

Day-Hike 1.4 miles back to the Cavern Point Loop Trail, elevation 250'

Day-Hike 0.4 miles back to Scorpion Campground, elevation 100'

Camp at Scorpion Campground, elevation 100'

Miles today: 6.6. Total miles: 6.6

Possible bailout: Scorpion Harbor


Sunday, July 27, 2025

Day-Hike 3.5 miles via Cypress Grove to Smugglers Ranch, elevation along the way 500'/p>

Day-Hike 3.5 back to camp, elevation 100’

Go snorkeling or kayaking. According to the National Park Service "Some of the best snorkeling and diving in the world can be done right here within the park."

Miles today: 7.0. Total miles: 13.6

Possible bailout: Scorpion Harbor


Monday, July 28, 2025

Day-Hike almost 1.5 miles towards Potato Harbor Overlook, elevation 350'.

There is a well-marked left turn just before the Potato Harbor Overlook. The next several miles will be on an unmaintained trail that will just disappear at times. However, following the landforms on past trips we were successfully able to navigate these areas to get to the more established trail.

Day-Hike about 3.0 miles on an unmaintained trail up a ridge to a high point, elevation 1532'. When we top out, we will join an established ridge trail that will take us back to the Montanon Trail.

Day-Hike 4.0 on the Montanon Trail back to camp, elevation 100’

Miles today: 8.5. Total miles: 22.1

Possible bailout: Scorpion Harbor


Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Break Camp and head to the Scorpion Pier

Make sure to be carrying at least 2.5 gallons (10 liters) of water in your full pack. This is all the water we will have for the rest of the trip

Take the 10:30AM ferry to Prisoners Harbor

Backpack 1.4 miles to the Eagle Canyon Trail, elevation 500'

Backpack 2.1 miles to Del Norte Camp, elevation 550'

Base camp at Del Norte Camp, elevation 550'

Miles today: 3.5. Total miles: 27.1

Possible bailout: Prisoners Harbor


Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Day-Hike 7.0 round trip miles on the Del Norte Trail to Chinese Harbor, elevation along the way 1000'

Starting at camp, Day-Hike 1.0 round trip miles on the Del Norte Trail to a restored historical ranch, elevation 1100'

Base camp at Del Norte Camp, elevation 550'

Miles today: 8.0. Total miles: 35.1

Possible bailout: Prisoners Harbor


Thursday, July 31, 2025

Break camp early and backpack 3.5 miles to Prisoners Harbor, elevation Sea Level

Arrive at Prisoners Harbor by 10:00AM

 

Tentative

With the naturalist, day-hike 4.0 round trip miles on Nature Conservancy land to Pelican Bay, elevation Sea Level

 

End of hiking portion of trip

Miles today: 7.5. Total miles: 42.6

Take the 3:30PM ferry back to Ventura

Shuttle back to Los Angeles

Shuttle back to local hotel: TBD, To Be Determined

Gather your off-trail items from storage

Dinner and awards ceremony at a local restaurant (Dinner cost not included in trip price)

Stay in our local hotel (included in trip cost)

This is the official end of the trip. You are welcome to spend the night at the hotel, however if you drove and would like to get on the road or if you flew and would like to schedule a late flight (or a red-eye if this is a West Coast trip) you can definitely do so.


Friday, August 1, 2025

Take free airport shuttle or we will pay for a shared cab/Uber


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