Channel Islands National Park

 Oct 6th, 2025

I woke up around 6 a.m. in Santa Barbara city near West Beach, where my Airbnb was located, though, honestly, I don’t remember falling asleep. The Airbnb itself was nice, but the location was terrible. The constant noise of cars and trucks on the highway made it impossible to rest. I tried using my AirPods, but it didn’t help. It was a difficult night.

I pulled myself together and started driving toward Ventura, about 40 minutes away. My ticket to Santa Rosa Island was at 8 a.m., but I wanted to arrive as early as possible.

Arriving at Ventura Harbor Village was very easy, and there was plenty of parking. I checked in and went for a walk until boarding time at 7:45 a.m. The ferry ride was about three and a half hours, with an estimated arrival time of 10:30 a.m.

Channel Islands National Park is a collection of five islands off the coast of Southern California. My destination was Santa Rosa Island, the second-largest island, and the only one I was able to find a one-day ticket.

Leaving the harbor was very smooth. The ferry was packed; most people were heading to Santa Rosa Island, and some to San Miguel Island. There were also many campers and a large group of students going to the Santa Rosa Island Research Station.

On the ferry, I met a couple originally from Sidney, Nebraska, who now live in Denver. They were on vacation, and we had a long conversation since we had plenty of time ahead.

The time on the ferry was priceless. I enjoyed every moment: the cold ocean breeze, the wind, and the sound of the water. Then I heard the captain say, “We are about to see hundreds, maybe thousands, of dolphins coming our way.” Everyone stood up to watch. They didn’t come very close, but we could still see them. Beautiful!

The captain shared some fascinating facts about dolphins, how they must keep swimming because they are conscious breathers and use a unique form of sleep called where half the brain sleeps while the other half stays awake to keep them moving and surfacing for air. The captain was optimistic that we would see a whale, but we had no luck. The weather was cloudy but beautiful.

We arrived at the island around 10:20 a.m. After everyone disembarked, we went through a safety orientation with a park ranger, who explained the weather conditions, general island information, and the hiking trails. Day visitors, including myself, had to be back by 2 p.m. to catch the boat, though the ferry wouldn’t leave until 2:45 p.m.

The ranger recommended not hiking more than five miles, but I decided to hike to Carrington Point, which is almost 10 miles round-trip.

I have been on a few populated islands before, such as Langeoog in Germany and Adalar in Turkey. However, Santa Rosa Island was nothing like those places. It gave me the true feeling of being alone and lost in the wilderness and nature.

I started hiking a little before 11 a.m. As I walked toward my destination, I realized I was the only one on this trail, which I didn’t mind at all. I cherish seeing people on trails, but I also enjoy being far away from human activity and fully merging with nature.

The weather was excellent, with the skies clearing up. The landscape was unlike anything I had seen before: golden, swaying fields, wildflower blooms, and so many different plant species. The grasslands dominated much of the terrain. Purple wildflowers and many types of succulents covered the land, while rolling brown hills stretched toward the ocean, where pale cliffs and headlands met deep blue water. It was a peaceful, sunlit view of coastal wilderness. It truly felt heavenly.

I arrived around 11:44 a.m. at a rocky coastal cliff where the land drops sharply into the sea. The sunlight cast warm tones on the rocks. Since I was ahead of schedule, I spent about 45 minutes on the beach. The ocean scene was peaceful: deep-blue water, gentle waves, and seabirds flying overhead. The feeling was serene and airy, with a wide, open sense of space. I saw only one sea lion far in the distance, but I was still able to take a photo.

At one point, the idea came into my head to stay there, build a hut, and live there forever, maybe one day.

It was time to head back. I hiked quickly, stopping only to take a few photos of flowers that I couldn’t resist. I arrived back at the dock around 2 p.m. with about 30 minutes to spare. I went to the beach, took a 15-minute nap, walked along the shore, and enjoyed my last moments on the island. The rocks were covered with black mussels and patches of green seaweed along the sandy shoreline. My hike was 9.37 miles for 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Before boarding, I chatted with some other hikers, and everyone seemed tired and ready to leave. I was very impressed with the services of Island Packers staff; they were very professional and followed full safety standards. They even collected propane tanks from campers and stored them separately from the seating area.

On the return trip, the ferry passed by Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island. It was beautiful and magical. About 40 minutes into the ride, the captain announced that dolphins were heading our way again. This time it was real, they swam all around us and even under the boat. It was amazing. I had never seen anything like that before. For almost 10 minutes, countless dolphins swam alongside the boat on all sides. My adrenaline was at its highest. After seeing so many incredible things on this trip, this moment was probably the best. Unfortunately, we still didn’t see a whale, even though the captain tried steering the boat in different directions.

The ride back was long, but I took a few naps and enjoyed the cool ocean breeze. Very special moments.

We arrived back on the mainland around 5:30 p.m. I didn’t know where I would stay for the night, but as usual, I started driving toward my next destination which Joshua Tree National Park, about three and a half hours away. I was very tired and planned to keep driving until I couldn’t anymore.

After about two and a half hours of driving, passing through Los Angeles, I decided to stop in Riverside, California, for one main reason: a Middle Eastern restaurant that was still open called Mandi Xpress. I hadn’t eaten good food in weeks.

I arrived at the restaurant around 8:30 p.m. The owner was from Egypt. I sat outside on the patio, ate, and enjoyed the early autumn breeze. It was a lovely night in downtown Riverside.

During the hour I spent there, I couldn’t help but overhear three women sitting nearby, who were clearly good friends. They were smoking hookah and talking about many things: dogs versus cats, buying a home versus buying land, their kids, and nephews. I felt a little jealous of their friendship and companionship.

I left the restaurant with a full and happy stomach and drove to the nearest hotel, Hampton Inn Riverside Downtown.

I checked in around 10 p.m., exhausted. It was time to get some rest.
It was a long day.