One half of Channel Islands National Park is comprised of the waters surrounding the islands and extending one mile offshore. The park waters provide numerous recreational opportunities to include sailing to secluded anchorages, fishing, scuba diving, kayaking and exploring over 175 miles of coastline in the park. Private boaters may land on all five islands within Channel Islands National Park throughout the year. This web page provides a general overview of landing procedures and permit requirements. Please refer to specific island web pages for information on the unique features of each island. The mainland visitor center, located at 1901 Spinnaker Drive in the Ventura Harbor, is open daily. For more information contact the park at: (805) 658-5730; or visit our web site: http://www.nps.gov/chis/homepage.htm
Planning Your Trip
To help you decide which islands to visit, specific island information is available on the park web site or at the visitor center through publications, exhibits and the park movie.
Certain park waters at Anacapa Isalnd and San Miguel Island are closed to boating to protect wildlife. Information on these closures can be found in the detailed descriptions of the Channel Islands Marine Protected Areas. Additionally, all waters within the National Park are closed to personal watercraft under Title 36 CFR 3.24(a).
Detailed boating information on the channel and the islands may be obtained from the US Coast Guard's "Local Notice to Mariners" publication by contacting Coast Guard-Long Beach at (310) 980-4300 extension 509 or online @ the USCG 11th. District's Web Site. Guides to the Channel Islands are available from the visitor center bookstore, and nautical charts are available at local marine stores. Refer to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Ocean Survey charts 18720, 18721, 18725, 18727, 18728, 18729, and 18756.
Weather
Conditions in the Santa Barbara Channel are variable and the ocean is unforgiving. Only experienced skippers with vessels capable of withstanding severe weather are advised to make the passage. Boaters should obtain the latest weather broadcast provided by the NOAA Weather Service by calling (805) 988-6610 or online at http://www.nwsla.noaa.gov/, and by monitoring weather radio on VHF-FM 162.475 MHz (weather station 3) for marine forecasts and VHF-FM 162.55 MHz (weather station 1), and VHF-FM 162.40 MHz (weather station 2) for land-based observations.
There are no all-weather anchorages around the islands. It is recommended that one person stay on board the boat at all times. Boaters are responsible for any damage to the resources caused by their boat.
Safety
Boaters should always file a formal float plan with the harbor master before departing. Family and/or friends should also be informed of your float plan. Remember to be flexible with your plans. Weather should always determine your course of action.
Major shipping lanes lie between the islands and the mainland. Private boaters should be aware of their location and use caution when crossing them. All boaters should listen to the Coast Guard notice to mariners broadcast on VHF channel 22 since the waters in and surrounding Channel Islands National Park are often closed for military operations.
Hantavirus
A strain of Hantavirus has been found in deer mouse populations on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands within Channel Islands National Park. Hantavirus does not occur on Anacapa or Santa Barbara Islands. No one has been infected by Hantavirus on the Channel Islands. However this is a potentially fatal disease, and some basic precautions should be taken: avoid contact with rodents, do not feed wildlife, keep food and drinks in rodent-proof containers, and if camping prevent entry of mice into your tent. Infection by Hantavirus causes flu-like symptoms followed by acute respiratory distress. Contact a physician immediately if these symptoms develop.
Landing and Procedures
There are no landing permits required for the islands administered by the National Park Service, however there are closed and restricted areas on each island. A landing permit is required to land on The Nature Conservancy property on Santa Cruz Island.
Boaters should contact the park ranger on each island before landing for an orientation, information on daily events, island safety, landing instructions or camping check-in.
Park rangers monitor VHF Channel 16. Channel 16 is a hailing frequency only and rangers will instruct you to switch to another channel upon contact. If you cannot hail the park ranger on the island on which you plan to land, try contacting one of the other island rangers on a neighboring island, as island canyons and mountains sometimes obscure radio transmission.
Boaters may land according to the following procedures. Please note that rocks or islets on or near any of the islands are closed year round to any landing.
A permit is not required to land or hike on East Anacapa Island or at Frenchy's Cove. West Anacapa Island (except at Frenchy's Cove) is a protected research natural area and is closed to visitor access. Visitors are allowed on Middle Anacapa only when accompanied by a park ranger. There are two moorings near the landing cove at East Anacapa Island. These are reserved for use by the National Park Service, the Coast Guard and the park concessionaire. Private boaters must anchor a reasonable distance from these moorings. This is not an all-weather anchorage. It is recommended that one person stay on board the boat at all times. The landing dock is available for unloading purposes only. No craft, including kayaks and inflatables, should be left moored to the dock. Please lift your inflatables and kayaks up to the lower landing and leave room for others who may come behind you.
Santa Barbara Island:
A permit is not required to land or hike on Santa Barbara Island. Access to the island is permitted only at the landing cove. The landing dock is available for unloading purposes only. No craft, including kayaks and inflatables, should be left moored to the dock. Please lift your inflatables up to the upper landing or beach them on the rock shelf on the seaward side of the dock.
San Miguel Island:
There are no piers or moorings at San Miguel Island, therefore, all private boaters must anchor. Overnight anchorages are restricted to Cuyler Harbor and Tyler Bight.
Visitors may land only on the beach at Cuyler Harbor. No landing is allowed on rocks or islets. Visitors may walk the beach at Cuyler's Harbor and hike up Nidever Canyon to the Ranger Station. To hike beyond the ranch site a permit for a ranger guided hike must be obtained from park headquarters prior to mainland departure. For landing assistance, weather conditions, and to arrange a meeting time and place, contact the San Miguel Island Ranger at Cuyler's Harbor on VHF Channel 16.
Santa Rosa Island:
Boaters may land along coastline and on beaches without a permit for day-use only. Beaches between & including Skunk Point and East Point are closed from March 1st to September 15th in order to protect the threatened snowy plover. Sandy Point at the west end is closed to landings year round.
For landing assistance, weather conditions, and orientation contact the Santa Rosa Island Ranger at Becher's Bay on VHF Channel 16. Boaters may not use the mooring buoys in Becher's Bay. They are reserved for the National Park Service, the park concessionaire, and the private ranch.
Santa Cruz Island:
Private boaters may land on the eastern 24% of Santa Cruz Island without a permit at any time. This area is owned by the National Park Service and is east of the property line between Prisoners Harbor on the north side and Valley Anchorage on the south side.
Boaters may contact the Santa Cruz Island ranger via VHF Channel 16 for information prior to landing. A landing pier is avaliable at Scorpion, but dingies are not to be left tied to the pier. Boaters should be prepared for beach landings at all other island locations. Due to surf and swell conditions, boaters should use extreme caution when making surf-landings at any beach, especially Smugglers Cove and those beaches facing south and southeast between San Pedro Point and Valley Anchorage. The pier at Prisoners is unsafe and is not to be used at any time. It is planned to begin reconstruction of the pier in late 2001. Buoys are reserved for the National Park Service and the U.S. Coast Guard.
A permit to land on the western 74% of Santa Cruz Island is required from The Nature Conservancy. A fee is charged and no overnight island use is permitted. It may take 10-12 days to process the request. Permit applications are available at the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center or by contacting the Santa Cruz Island Preserve, 213 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, (805) 898-1642.
Special fishing and closure regulations apply to several areas within Channel Islands National Park and Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Please refer to the National Marine Sanctuary Program Synopsis of Regulations brochure, available at the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center, for maps and specific information, or the Sanctuary Web Site's Regulation Page. To protect the island wildlife, including the island foxes from introduced disease and parasites dogs and other pets are not allowed ashore on any of the islands.
http://www.nps.gov/chis/boating.htm
Last Update: 07/18/2005-7
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