Wander Here: Exploring Channel Islands National Park with Kids

Jan 31

Wander Here: Channel Islands National Park, California

The six of us took turns in the tiny, wooden outdoor changing stall, clumsily yanking on our wetsuits as fast as we could, knowing our time on the island was ticking down faster than we wanted it to. We had just been dropped off by the ferry, determined to maximize every minute exploring this paradise off the coast of California.

Visiting the Channel Islands is Like Stepping Back in Time

Channel Islands National Park was at the top of our list of places we were most excited to visit on our 50 state/50 national park roadtrip. Known as the Galapagos of the United States, it is a special and unique place. Described so perfectly here, “the park’s five islands are the loveliest step back in time; a wondrous world where housecat-size foxes scamper through fields of Dr. Seuss-like flowers, and moon and sun shine down on, well, nothing.”

It’s the most magical feeling to stand on the edge of the island, the vast pacific stretching out in front and the wild + remote peaks of the island at your back. The kelp reaching down below the surface of the teal blue water, waving back and forth peacefully with every wave that comes + goes.

Swim + Snorkel at Scorpion Cove

With wetsuits on, we headed excitedly down to the water’s edge by the pier. We were told to go on the west side of the pier for the best experience snorkeling along the edge of the kelp bed. After chatting with the ranger, we had our hopes up to see lots of fish, maybe some seals or sea lions and even a ray. The warm, December air outside made the first plunge off the rocks into the water feel even icier, and I sucked breath in sharply through my snorkel tube as I floated out along the surface toward the kelp.

For the first couple minutes in the water, all my energy went to regulating my breath and relaxing my body. The dark forms of the kelp closed in around me as I floated further out. They seemed to be waving an eerie hello as they swayed back and forth in the tide. It was magical and kind of terrifying all at the same time.

We didn’t end up seeing any ocean life, and after getting shoved onto the rocks one too many times, we switched to the other side of the pier, which was a little less painful. But the adventure of it all and the fact that we can now use the phrase “kelp forests” intelligently in a sentence has us riding a high for the rest of the day.

But nothing could have prepared us for what came later.

After hiking around the cliff edges of the island - looking out as far as we could see into the Pacific, spotting the little island foxes, and soaking up the sun, we boarded the ferry to head back across the channel to the mainland.

About halfway through the ride, the captain came over the intercom and announced that he’d be taking a little detour because he had spotted something that looked like wildlife in the distance. I immediately grabbed the kids and headed to the front of the boat. My biggest wish was to see at least some dolphins, but whales would be more than I could have hoped for.

The boat slowed up as I scanned the water, and suddenly there it was. A massive gray whale rose to the surface, blew spray into the air and rolled to the side, waving its flipper in the air and disappeared back under the surface. We continued to watch as it played in a giant patch of floating seaweed, rolling around, waving at us, splashing its tail and spraying mist.

What an insanely lucky way to end our experience of the islands. You never know what you’re going to get when you do a tour like this, but we couldn’t have hoped for anything more memorable. Here' s a little list of our favorites on the islands and off…

Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center - this is actually located in Ventura, California on the mainland, so you can visit it even if you don’t have tickets to ride the ferry out to the actual islands. We did this the first time we came to Ventura because life happened and we weren’t able to make it out there
Snorkel around the kelp forests at Santa Cruz Island - the park rangers might disagree, but I say stick to the left side of the pier (if you’re on the boat + facing the island) for best results. We brought our wetsuits and our own snorkel gear, which we were able to leave in the fox boxes (like bear boxes but for the little island foxes:) while we hiked.

Explore the historic Scorpion Ranch complex - it dates back to the late 1800s. Discover the blacksmith shop, old farm equipment, and the visitor center located in the Scorpion ranch house. And don’t forget to get your passport stamp!

Hike the Potato Harbor Overlook Hike - this hike has the most insane views!! It’s 5 miles long, so by the time we snorkeled and changed to start the hike, we were nervous that we might not have time to make it back. But it was worth the risk lol! Definitely do the extra little jaunt to see Potato Harbor…we could have hung out there all day.

Eat a picnic lunch - there’s just nothing better than eating crackers + hummus, some cut up fruit and bell peppers, and drinking an ice cold sparkling water while watching for island foxes and enjoying the ocean breeze coming into the cove.
Pray + hope for whale and dolphin sightings on the way to and from the island. We never had the expectation of seeing whales, but deep down I was hoping! We have taken a couple of different whale watching tours, and we saw more whale action on this ferry ride than any tour we’ve ever been on. The Santa Barbara Channel is an official Whale Heritage Area, so the odds are in favor of some sightings!