Who hasn't dreamed about owning an island located far away from the day-to-day hassles of modern life? An island to explore, with its own unique vistas revealing thousands of acres untouched by the marks of modern life. No bulldozers, no road construction, no pavement, and no car horns adds up to one prescription for a blissful life. Paraphrasing Kevin Costner's character in the movie Field of Dreams, "I know a place like that. It's close by, and you are welcome to play there." That place is Santa Rosa Island, one of the five Channel Islands in the Channel Islands National Park.
Santa Rosa Island is the only one of the Channel Islands that visitors can fly to, but there's a catch: Fly-in visitors must buy a seat on Channel Islands Aviation's (CIA) Britten Norman Islander — privately owned aircraft are not permitted to land on the island. Flights depart from the Camarillo and Santa Barbara airports. Half-day, surf-fishing, and camping trips are typical CIA Santa Rosa Island trips. Round-trip tickets for the half-day and surf-fishing trips are $129.95 for adults, with children from ages 2 through 12 riding for $104.95. Camping trips cost $199.95 per passenger.
Although the Islander is light on creature comforts and heavy on noise (pilot Tom hands out earplugs before each takeoff), this is not a heavy burden because the scenic flight lasts only 30 minutes; besides, every pilot should ride in a twin-engine Islander at least once. This airplane, which can carry eight passengers, is the ultimate utility-style twin. Check out these numbers — best rate of climb (V X) is 65 knots; best angle of climb (V Y) is 65 knots; single-engine minimum control speed (V MC) is 39 knots! And the demonstrated maximum crosswind component is 30 knots.
On a clear day — which is common every month of the year except for May and June, when marine layer fog often doesn't burn off until late afternoon — the views are spectacular. Hundreds of blue whales ply the channel and are easy to see as the Islander flies westward at 3,500 feet msl. The sea teems with dolphins and sea lions. The thin finger of land that is Anacapa Island, with its lighthouse, appears first, followed by Santa Cruz, the largest of the Channel Islands.
U.S. Park Service volunteer David Begun, who has volunteered at the park for more than 12 years, escorted my wife, Audrey, and me around the island and was an invaluable resource for us, first-time visitors to the park.
The volunteers discuss topics ranging from the successes by the park service in restoring the bald eagle and island cat-size fox populations to which of the many plants are endemic to the island. These island experts also are experienced at suggesting which hikes to take, and they will drive hikers or beachcombers to the best starting places. Groups that don't or can't hike may choose to spend their time on the island being driven to one of the island's unique picnic spots for a leisurely lunch before boarding the Islander for a ride back to the mainland.
Within minutes we realized that this national park visit was going to be a lot different than past visits to other more well-known parks. The only sounds we heard were an occasional bird song over the steady pulse of surf and the wind. Views are uninterrupted from the white sand beach at East Point clear around to the headlands of Carrington Point. Hills, cleaved by water-carved canyons and covered with knee-high grasses moved by the wind, rise up behind. With the exception of three others who had flown over with us, we didn't see another "two-legged" animal during our three-hour tour. The Channel Islands is one of the least visited of America's national parks.
Because the 20-mile-wide Santa Barbara Channel serves to isolate the island chain from other species and fauna, the Channel Islands is home to more than 145 plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. A small stand of Torrey pines on the north-facing slopes of the island is an example — the only other place these trees are found is in the La Jolla area near San Diego.
Middens, or refuse piles, of the Island Chumash, named after the original inhabitants of the islands, can be seen at the eight Chumash village sites on the island. The word Chumash is derived from Michumash, which has been roughly translated to mean "makers of shell bead money," which was used as currency in trading with other indigenous peoples up and down the coastline.
The creek that flows down from the high country in Water Can-yon empties into the sea at Water Canyon Beach in Bechers Bay. It's the canyon that's located closest to the landing strip, and it and the beach are spectacular. Nearby there's a 15-site camping ground with potable water, toilets, windbreaks, and showers. Park entrance is free but camping permits cost $15 per night. Reservations can be made by calling 800/365-2267 or visiting the Web site. Backcountry camping also is permitted but is currently limited to certain beaches from June 1 through December 31. To relax after a day of hiking, go down to the beach when the tide is out and look down. There's a world of life to discover and watch in the tide pools.
Guidelines for campers and visitors are printed on the National Park Service Web site. Visitors also can call the headquarters of the park at 805/658-5730.
The best weather occurs during the late-summer months, but visitors should always be prepared for rapid changes in the weather. Winds of 30 to 40 mph can come up at almost any time of the year.
For a true time-warp change from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, visit the Channel Islands. A visit to these islands offers enough natural magic to calm the savage beast in all of us.
E-mail the author at [email protected].
Where?
Santa Rosa Island is the second largest of the five Channel Islands located off the coast of Santa Barbara, 45 miles west of Ventura. A national park, it is protected from development.
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