Greeted by the sounds of seals and seabirds, you drop anchor and complete your journey to shore in a small skiff just as Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo did in 1542. Cabrillo, a Portuguese explorer sailing for Spain, landed on the Channel Islands after exploring the coast of present-day California.

In 1980, Congress designated fie of the eight Channel Islands (Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara) as the center of a national park that also includes some 125,000 acres (50,600 hectares) of underwater seascape.

Because the park lies offshore, it isn't crowded except in the spring, when countless seals, sea lions, and seabirds squeeze onto the islands to mate. Spring is also a time of special beauty in the park, with masses of yellow coreopsis, pink mallow, and other wildflowers adorning the cliffs.

 

The islands offer superb scuba diving and snorkeling, as well as fishing, bird-watching, and a chance to see whales and other marine mammals. Most isitors begin their trip at the park's mainland headquarters in entura, north of Los Angeles. Arrangements for boat serice to the islands and rental of scuba-diving equipment can be made nearby. overnight camping is permitted on Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara.

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