Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [112]
Other island species have survived. Like the mammoth, the Santa Cruz gopher snake, island spotted skunk, and the endangered island fox (the latter are two of the islands' three endemic mammal species) have all evolved to be smaller than their mainland relatives. At just 4 pounds, the island fox is the smallest fox species in North America. Like Darwin's finches in the Galápagos, the islands' native birds also show marked adaptation: The Santa Cruz Island scrub jay displays "gigantism"—it is one-third larger and a deeper blue than mainland jays—and the orange-crowned warbler and rufous-sided towhee have oversize body parts.
But the diversity of animal life on the islands is outdone by the vast array of native plant life. One of the most spectacular of the islands' plants is the yellow coreopsis, or tree sunflower, which grows on all five islands (as well as the mainland). Other species of plants live nowhere else on earth—the islands support 43 endemic varieties of plants. Like the pygmy mammoth, Santa Rosa's endemic Torrey pine population dates from the Pleistocene era, though a remnant mainland subspecies survives at Torrey Pines State Reserve, north of La Jolla, California.
Marine life around the islands easily wins the diversity award. The islands are the meeting point of two distinct marine ecosystems: the cold, nutrient-rich waters of Northern California and the warmer, clearer currents of Baja California. Everything from microscopic plankton to the largest creature ever to live on earth, the blue whale, calls these waters home. Orcas and great white sharks, anemone and abalone, lobsters and starfish, plus dozens of varieties of fish, live in the tide pools, kelp forests, and waters surrounding the islands. Six varieties of seals and sea lions beach themselves on San Miguel, four of which breed here, making it one of the largest seal and sea lion breeding colonies in the United States. The islands are also the most important seabird nesting area in Southern California.
Avoiding the Crowds. Unlike many of the more popular (and more easily accessible) national parks, the Channel Islands rarely have a crowding problem. In a given year, about 300,000 people stop in at the park visitor center and 600,000 go into the park waters, but only about 100,000 set foot on the islands. Although visitors to any given island rarely number more than a few hundred a day, the open section of Anacapa (the closest and most popular day-trip destination) is so small that it may be difficult to completely separate yourself from the flock. As for the other four islands in the park, you should have no trouble finding a secluded picnic spot or overlook. Santa Barbara Island is the least crowded, Santa Rosa allows for backcountry beach camping, and San Miguel is the most remote (the boat trip takes 5 hr.) and the wildest.
Just the Facts
GETTING THERE & GATEWAYS
Most people travel to the islands by boat from Ventura. Although there are no
park fees, getting there is expensive— anywhere from $26 to $130 per person, the higher price being for a trip by air to Santa Rosa. If you fly, you may leave from the Camarillo airport. Anacapa, 14 miles out, is closest to the mainland, about a 1-hour boat ride.
The Nearest Airport. The closest major airport to the Channel Islands is Los Angeles International Airport, or LAX (☎ 310/646-5252; www.lawa.org). It's served frequently by all major airlines, with connections to almost anywhere you want to go. Los Angeles is 96 miles southeast of Santa Barbara; Ventura is 30 miles southeast of Santa Barbara. All major car-rental companies have vehicles at LAX. Toll-free numbers for airlines and car-rental companies appear in the appendix (p. 661).
Getting to the Islands by Boat. Island Packers, 1867 Spinnaker Dr., Ventura, next to the visitor center (☎ 805/642-7688 for recorded information, or 805/ 642-1393 for reservations; www.island packers.com), is one of the park's two concessionaires for boat transportation to and from the islands. The company will take you on a range