Frommer's National Parks of the American West - Don Laine [119]
Visitors land at Cuyler Harbor, a half-moon-shaped cove on the island's east end. Arriving here is like arriving on earth the day it was made: perfect sand, outrageously blue water, seals basking on the offshore rocks. The island's caliche forest appears otherworldly. Created by caliche (calcium carbonate) sand castings, these natural stone sculptures are all that remains of a once-living forest.
As it did on most of the other islands in this chain, a long history of ranching nearly destroyed native vegetation. The removal of the imported grazing animals has given the island's recovery a major boost. Today many native species are reclaiming their ancestral lands.
Though widely hunted during the 19th century, the island's seal and sea lion populations have clearly recovered and can be seen on ranger-guided hikes. At certain times of the year—June is often the best—as many as 35,000 animals, including California sea lions, northern elephant seals, and northern fur seals, occupy the beach at Point Bennett, making it one of the largest concentrations of wildlife in the world. The Guadalupe fur seal and Stellar sea lion, former island residents, also appear occasionally. Harbor seals haul out on other island beaches.
Prince Island, just outside the mouth of Cuyler Harbor, is an important nesting area for western gulls, brown pelicans, cormorants, and Cassin's auklets. And San Miguel's inland bird species can once again count the peregrine falcon among their number. After years of decimation by the pesticide DDT, the falcon has been reintroduced to the island and is now nesting successfully.
The waters around San Miguel are the richest but most dangerous surrounding the Chanel Islands—this island is exposed to wave action from all sides. Harsh sea conditions have resulted in a fair number of shipwrecks, including the luxury liner Cuba, which went under on September 8, 1923. Fortunately, everyone on board was rescued, along with $2.5 million in gold and silver bullion.
Swimming among the wrecks are a wide variety of sea mammals. In addition to the pinnipeds (seals and sea lions), dolphins, porpoises, gray whales, orcas, and even blue whales can sometimes be seen off the island's shore.
The boat concessionaires' schedule to San Miguel is sporadic in summer and almost nonexistent in winter, so call ahead.
Historic & Man-Made Attractions. Like Santa Rosa, San Miguel has more than 500 Chumash archaeological sites.
The island also holds the remains of the earliest modern structure on any of the islands. In the 1850s, Capt. George Nidever established a sheep, cattle, and horse ranch on the island. The adobe he built is barely visible today.
In the 1930s, Herbert and Elizabeth Lester became the island's caretakers. During his time on the island, Herbert became known as "the King of San Miguel." After being asked to leave San Miguel during World War II by the navy, which owned the island, Herbert committed suicide in 1942. Both he and Elizabeth are buried on San Miguel. Today only a few fence posts and small piles of rubble near the trail mark the Lester Ranch Complex. Technically the navy still owns San Miguel, and the Park Service manages it.
Day Hikes. Outside of the Cuyler Harbor/Lester Ranch Area, hikes on San Miguel must be led by a ranger. There are three trails, all of which meet at Lester Ranch. Due to terrain, length, and the tiring effects of walking in all that wind, all three are rated moderately strenuous.
If you don't feel up to a serious trek, you can make the relatively easy walk from the landing at Cuyler Harbor to Cabrillo Monument and Lester Ranch, the starting point for the three official hikes.
The first trail heads north to Harris Point, allowing marvelous views of Prince Island to the east and Simonton Cove to the west. Taking the trail southeast from Lester Ranch will lead you to Cardwell Point.
San Miguel's most popular hike is the 7-mile round-trip trek along the Point Bennett