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Skip to content Island Packers Cruises Cruising the California Channel Islands for Education, Recreation and Research Since 1968. Menu Home Trips Anacapa Island (AI) East End Landing Cove – Anacapa Island Day Trip Anacapa Island Camping Santa Cruz Island (SCI) Scorpion Anchorage – SCI Day Trip Scorpion Anchorage, SCI – Camping Prisoners Harbor Day Trip – SCI Two Island Day Trip Del Norte Campground | Prisoners Harbor – SCI Seasonal Santa Cruz Island Trips Willows Anchorage – SCI Cueva Valdez, Santa Cruz Island Fry’s Harbor – SCI Fraser Point – SCI Whales and Wildlife Cruises Island Wildlife Cruises Winter Whale Watching Summer Whale Watching Birding Excursions Santa Rosa Island (SRI) Santa Rosa Island Day Trip Santa Rosa Island Camping San Miguel Island (SMI) San Miguel Island Day Trip San Miguel Island Camping Santa Barbara Island (SBI) Harbor Cruises Fares Information FAQ Camping | Overnight Gear Guidelines Driving Directions Driving Directions | Ventura Harbor Driving Directions | Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard Marine Mammal Sightings Hiking & Interpretive Guides Anacapa Island Hiking Guide & Interpretive Trail Guide Santa Cruz Island Hiking Guide & Interpretive Guide Santa Rosa Hiking Guide & Interpretive Guide San Miguel Island Hiking Guide & Interpretive Trail Guides Santa Barbara Island Hiking and Interpretive Trail Guides Gift Shop Signature Items Links to National Park Info Policies Grab A Bite Contributing Photographers The Story of Island Packers. Write-Ups and Reviews Marine Protected Areas K-12 Education East End Landing Cove – AI | K-12 Education Scorpion Ranch, SCI – K-12 Education Prisoners Harbor, SCI K-12 Education Wildlife & Whale Watching | K-12 Education MAKE A RESERVATION Kayaking Outer Island Kayaking Meet Us Contact Us General Information Group Sales Contact K-12 Education Retail Sales Comments Search for: Search Button Home Island Packers has Resumed Transportation to the Channel Islands and for Wildlife & Whale Watching Island Packers Cruises is the Official Boat Concessionaire for the Channel Islands National Park. We offer year round transportation to the “local islands” Santa Cruz and Anacapa. We offer trips to the “outer islands”, Santa Rosa, San Miguel and Santa Barbara from March through November on a limited schedule. Island Packers Cruises also offer trips that get close to the islands without going ashore which are designed so you can to view the abundant wildlife found in the waters of the Channel Islands National Park and the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Seasonally, in summer and winter we offer Whale Watching trips. Other special trips for birding and trips to special areas of Santa Cruz island that are property of The Nature Conservancy are available as scheduled. We also have Harbor Cruises with dinner and live music during the Summer months. During the current pandemic, some trips like harbor cruises have had to be cancelled due to social distancing considerations. We hope to return to these trip in 2021. Covid-19 Information Island Packers will continue to provide service to our passengers as long as it is permitted. We will meet all government guidelines as we provide safe travel to the Channel Islands National Park and National Marine Sanctuary. Click the button below for complete Covid -19 guidelines and requirements. Covid-19 Travel Requirements Island Trips and Wildlife Viewing Options Visited Year-Round Click for Large Map Santa Cruz Island -SCI Scorpion Anchorage Opens Limited Campsite Availability Please visit Camping Reservations to view availability. Due to required tree trimming, campsites will remain limited to 8 Family sites (max 6 persons) and one group site “F’ (max 15 persons). Tree trimming is expected to be completed by mid March. NPS controls campsite availability. Santa Cruz Island is the largest of all the Channel Islands. At over 24 miles long and six miles at its widest, Santa Cruz is over 62,000 acres (96 square miles) and has 77 miles of shoreline READ MORE View Schedule \ Reserve a Trip Available Through Mid April Winter Whale Watching Island Packers’ Gray Whale Watching departs from both the Channel Islands and Ventura Harbors. This 3-3.5 hour cruise takes you to the Southern California waters of the Santa Barbara Channel. READ MORE View Schedule \ Reserve a Trip Visited Year-Round Click for Large Map Anacapa Island – AI Anacapa Island is the second smallest island in Channel Islands National Park, only slightly larger than Santa Barbara Island. Although approximately 4 miles tip to tip, Anacapa includes just under a square mile of land. Anacapa is the closest island to the mainland. From either harbor of departure, it lies 12 to14 miles offshore. Due to its close location, READ MORE … View Schedule \ Reserve a Trip Available – Limited Year-Round Prisoners Harbor, SCI w/ Painted Cave Excursion Departing the Ventura Harbor this 1.5 hour trip to Prisoners Harbor will drop off day and campers passengers before heading out to view Painted Cave. You will return to Prisoners Harbor for a READ MORE View Schedule \ Reserve Trip Available – Year-Round Channel Islands Wildlife Cruises This 3.5 hour cruise will take you through the waters of the Santa Barbara Channel, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary and the Channel Islands National Park.in, Pacific White Sided Dolphin and Dall’s Porpoise. READ MORE … View Schedule \ Reserve a Trip Available – February through November Click for Large Map Santa Rosa Island – SRI At 84 square miles, 53,000 acres, Santa Rosa is the second largest of the eight Channel Islands. There are two relatively high mountains on the island; Black Mountain, 1298 ft (396 m); and Soledad Peak 1574 ft (480 m). READ MORE … View Schedule \ Reserve a Trip Visited July-November in 2020 Click for Larger Map View San Miguel Island – SMI San Miguel island ranks third in size at 9,500 acres.Transportation is primarily for camper drop of and pick up. In the Fall Island Packers takes day passenger out while the weather is at its READ MORE … View Schedule \ Reserve a Trip News & Announcements | Things You’ll Want to Know The NEW Scorpion Anchorage Pier is OPEN! Limited Campsite Availability Please visit Camping Reservations to view availability. Unstable trees in the campground’s lower loop will limit the number of available campsite. A total of nine sites are available until March 15, 2021. The National Park Service controls campsite availability. Updated 2/10/21 View Santa Cruz Island Schedule Get the App! Channel Islands National Park The Official Channel Islands National Park Mobile App (Free) Enrich your visit to Channel Islands National Park with the official, free app from the National Park Service (NPS). Digitally explore the park—by map or by topic of interest. Discover the natural and cultural stories in context with their locations. Find the information you need about visitor centers, events, services, and self-guided tours and trails throughout the park The app is free and available on the App Store and on Google Play . Get the Latest Weather in our Area Weather is important. It can cause cancellations, a rough boat ride or a truly beautiful day. Have the latest information to help plan your trip. Click the Buttons Below to View the latest Marine Weather Forecast from the N ational W eather S ervice. This map is a representation of the map you see when you click the Marine Forecast button below. The small green oval is the area we travel to in the winter months. The actual map on the NWS site is interactive and you can click in the general area of the green circle and get the marine weather forecast for the area you will be traveling in today. NWS – Marine Forecast The button below will give you the forecast temperatures on the mainland coast. Temperatures can be 10 degrees less on the water. Island Day Trip Preparation Please arrive at your harbor of departure 45 minutes before your scheduled mainland departure. Pack f...