Experience Santa Rosa Island
**Events may have been canceled or postponed. Please contact the venue to confirm the event.
Date & Time
Tue, Sep 22 All day
Address (map)
Santa Rosa Island
Venue (website)
Santa Barbara
Channel Islands Restoration is excited to bring you a trip to the beautiful and remote Santa Rosa Island, where you will enjoy spectacular views, great company, and ample time to enjoy island life among friends. Learn about the island’s history, geology, and ecology among peers and like-minded environmental enthusiasts! Join us in exploring sandy white beaches, hiking the breathtaking Cherry Canyon, and much more! We’re looking forward to the island adventure!
The island cruise is available to everyone. You don’t have to be a CIR member to join us.
Proceeds from this trip will fund work on Santa Cruz Island, including restoration at Cavern Point in partnership with Channel Islands National Park.
Enjoy The Pristine White Beaches of Bechers Bay & Water Canyon
Water Canyon offers exceptional island views, access to hiking opportunities, and white sandy beaches. High mountains with deeply cut canyons give way to gently rolling grass-covered hills, extensive beaches, and coastal wetlands. Our day-trip options include an easy beach walk through Water Canyon to see the array of plant and animal species that make up the island’s unique environment.
Explore The Cherry Canyon Trail
The Cherry Canyon Trail takes you through a small canyon filled with unique plants and leads to a vista point that offers fantastic views of Santa Cruz Island in the distance, Becher’s Bay, and the Santa Rosa Island shoreline. Like most of the island’s drainages, this canyon was once almost completely devoid of vegetation, except for non-native grasses and weeds. Today, it has transformed into a thriving riparian habitat, showcasing many unique and colorful flowers, especially within the canyon itself. You’ll find yourself stopping every few minutes to get a closer look at yet another beautiful flower and interesting plant, many of which grow only on the Channel Islands and nowhere else in the world! During your hike, you can expect to see a variety of species, including giant coreopsis, bush lupine, red buckwheat, California buttercup, common yarrow, miner’s lettuce, Indian paintbrush, Dudleya, island deerweed, California poppy, cobweb thistle, Santa Rosa Island sage, padre’s shooting stars, and many more!
Botany Walk with Steve Junak
Join renowned botanist Steve Junak for a leisurely guided walk through the lower part of Cherry Canyon on Santa Rosa Island. This easy hike, planned as a 2.2-mile round-trip loop from the Historical Ranch to the Cherry Canyon Loop, will cover about 1 mile with frequent stops to observe and discuss the island’s unique plant life.
Steve Junak, an active researcher and expert on the flora of California’s islands and Baja California, Mexico, brings decades of experience to the walk. With a master’s degree in botany, over 25 years of leading field trips, and several co-authored books on Channel Islands flora—including “A Flora of San Nicolas Island, California” and “A Flora of Santa Cruz Island”—Steve offers unparalleled insights into the region’s botanical treasures.
Whether you’re a seasoned plant enthusiast or simply curious about the island’s native flora, this walk offers an engaging and educational experience in one of Santa Rosa Island’s most scenic canyons.
Learn About Archaeology and History
Santa Rosa Island, known as wimaɬ by the Chumash, the island’s native inhabitants, has a history of human occupation that dates back at least 13,000 years. These earliest known sites date to the Pleistocene, when the northern islands were all connected by lower sea levels, and provide key evidence for early watercraft and the peopling of the Americas. After the Chumash, various groups utilized the island, including European explorers, Chinese abalone fishers, sea mammal hunters, commercial fishermen, ranchers, sport hunters, oil companies, and the military, all of whom left traces of their presence.
Hike to Carrington Point
The hike to Carrington Point on Santa Rosa Island offers one of the most scenic coastal adventures in Channel Islands National Park. This approximately 8-mile round-trip trek follows rolling grasslands and rugged ocean bluffs to a windswept point known for its spectacular views, dramatic sea arch, ocean blowhole, and abundant wildlife. Along the way, hikers may spot harbor seals, California sea lions, nesting seabirds, and the rare soft-leaved island paintbrush, a federally endangered plant found only on Santa Rosa Island. This strenuous hike rewards visitors with unforgettable coastal scenery and a unique blend of natural and cultural history.
Plus Unique Geology, Ecology, and History Found Nowhere Else On Earth….
There is much to discover on Santa Rosa Island; we’ve only begun to scratch the surface! Santa Rosa Island is the second-largest island in California, at approximately 53,000 acres. It includes several plant and animal species found nowhere else on earth, over 100 birds, and the endemic Channel Islands Fox. Evidence of fossils discovered on the island includes miniature mammoths only around 5 feet tall. During our visit, you may see some of their remains! The island also has a long history of various inhabitants that have shaped the way the island’s culture has developed over time. Our guides will speak about the rich history of Santa Rosa Island and the relics of the historical ranch found at Becher’s Bay.
