Park Essentials

Accessibility

The Channel Islands Visitor Center is fully accessible. The islands themselves have few facilities and are not easy to navigate by individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. Limited wheelchair access is available on Santa Rosa Island via air transportation.

Admission Fees and Permits

There is no fee to enter Channel Islands National Park, but unless you have your own boat, you will pay $32 or more per person for a ride with a boat operator. The cost of taking a boat to the park varies depending on which operator you choose. Also, there is a $15 per day fee for staying in one of the islands' campgrounds.

If you take your own boat, landing permits are not required to visit Channel Islands because there are no public moorings; if you anchor in a nearby cove, at least one person should remain aboard the boat at all times. Boaters who want to land on the Nature Conservancy preserve on Santa Cruz Island should call 805/898-1642 for permit information or visit www.nature.org/cruzpermit; allow 10 business days to process your permit application. To hike on San Miguel, call 805/658-5711 to be matched up to a ranger, which must accompany you there. Anglers must have a state fishing license; for details, call the California Department of Fish and Game at 916/653-7664. Thirteen Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) with special resource protection regulations surround the islands, so read the guidelines before you depart.

Admission Hours

The islands are open every day of the year. Channel Islands Visitor Center in Ventura is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Channel Islands National Park is located in the Pacific time zone.

ATMs/Banks

There are no ATMs on the islands. ATMs can be found in Santa Barbara, Oxnard, Ventura, and the Camarillo Airport. Santa Barbara and Port Hueneme have banks.

Santa Barbara Bank and Trust (583 W. Channel Islands Blvd., near Channel Islands Harbor, Port Hueneme, CA, 93041. 888/400-7228.)

Santa Barbara Bank and Trust (1960 Cliff Dr., Santa Barbara, CA, 93109. 888/400-7228.)

Ventura County Federal Credit Union ATM (withdrawals only) (In Ventura Harbor Village, 1567 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, Channel Islands National Park, CA, 93001.)

Cell-Phone Reception

In general, cell-phone reception is spotty. The rangers rely on satellite phones. Public telephones are available on the mainland near the Channel Islands Visitor Center but not on the islands.