My top five Channel Islands hikes for wildflower blooms are all found in Channel Islands National Park, which encompasses the five northern islands. More specifically, the hikes are located on Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island, and Anacapa Island.
Below, you will find my top five hikes as well as information for how and when to visit the islands to see the most flowers. These are all day hikes, doable on a day trip with the right planning (I have an additional recommendation for campers at the end!).
Once you decide on a location, you can use my Quick Channel Islands Wildflower Reference Guide at the bottom of the page to try to get familiar with common flowers you might spot on your journey.
Read on and let’s get exploring!
What's So Special about Channel Islands Flowers?
The Channel Islands archipelago, off the coast of southern California, is a unique and fragile environment. Having never been connected to the mainland, the few species that made the journey across the channel had to adapt and evolve to survive in their new and different habitat.
Consequently, there are over 150 endemic species of plants and animals unique to the Channel Islands chain, and sometimes they’re only found one island! In the winter and spring after a good rain, many of these native plants flower, resulting in a vibrant display of color sweeping across hillsides and through canyons.
Luckily, having worked as a guide on the Channel Islands for five years, I know which hikes are best for immersing yourself in fields and canyons full of island wildflowers (even on drier years).
My top five Channel Islands hikes for wildflower blooms will get you up close to unique flower species you can’t find anywhere else in the world!
#5 Scorpion Canyon: Santa Cruz Island
Difficulty: Easy to Strenuous (depending how far you hike)
Let’s begin with my last place (but still incredible) Scorpion Canyon hike located at Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island. I love this hike because it always brings out my inner explorer!
The first third of this hike follows the dirt road through the campground to Scorpion Canyon trailhead, located at the back of the upper campground. The middle third is easy and follows a well-defined single track trail up the canyon. Before the main Scorpion Canyon Loop Trail begins winding up and out of the canyon, you will take a right at an inconspicuous junction point labeled “Upper Scorpion Canyon” which will drop you down into the creek bed.
From here, the remainder of the hike involves scrambling and rock-hopping through a creek bed up Scorpion Canyon itself! Go as far as you feel comfortable then come back the way you came. I usually stop at a large Santa Cruz Island Ironwood about three-quarters of a mile up the creek bed.
Altogether, plan to hike about three to four miles round trip from the pier on this adventure.
Important Things to Note
During a heavy rain year, you might be walking through rock pools of water past little waterfalls, so I’d recommend bringing water shoes if it has rained recently! If you aren’t stoked on the strenuous and potentially wet portion of the hike, I’d still recommend taking the short detour to the creek bed where you will still encounter plenty of wildflowers and can listen to the relaxing sounds of nature.
Afterwards, you’ll probably have plenty of time left, so consider checking out one of the other hikes I recommend below.
Scorpion Canyon Wildflowers
While hiking Scorpion Canyon from February to May, you can usually expect to find island morning glory throughout the entire canyon, bush sunflower along the initial road through the campground as well as invasive purple salsify and black mustard, bush lupine, and wild hyacinth along the grassy single track trail.
In the canyon itself, you’ll find lots of and Santa Cruz Island buckwheat, island monkeyflower, island deerweed, and more wild hyacinth and giant coreopsis right on the cliff edges if you take the detour to the bluffs.
More Recommended Hikes at Scorpion Cove
If you still have time after exploring Scorpion Canyon, consider finishing the 4.5-mile moderate Scorpion Canyon Loop, or taking a one-mile detour to Cavern Point on the way back. Both Channel Islands hikes will take you up to incredible panoramic ocean views and wind you across expansive bluffs where you can spot whales and even the mainland!
The bluff ecosystem is much different than the canyon ecosystem with different flower species on display, especially giant coreopsis and seaside woolly sunflower whose bright yellow flowers line the cliff sides. You’ll also see fields of purple wild hyacinth here too!
#4 Inspiration Point Loop: Anacapa Island
Difficulty: Easy
My fourth favorite Channel Islands hike for seeing wildflowers is Inspiration Point Loop on Anacapa Island. This 1.5-mile easy hike is more of a figure 8 than a loop, but regardless which direction you choose to hike, you’ll end up at the breathtaking Inspiration Point.
Anacapa Island is very small and ribbon-like, so you’ll have ocean views the entire way, sometimes off of both sides. You’ll really feel like you’re on an island while hiking on Anacapa!
Anacapa Island Wildflowers
In terms of Anacapa’s wildflowers, you can expect to see endemic giant coreopsis and northern island mallow, native dudleya, gumplant, and goldfields, as well as multiple species of invasive iceplants which are undergoing ongoing removal.
The Harsh Reality of Anacapa Island
Anacapa Island is a harsh environment for plants and animals alike. There is very little water, so plants must soak up what they can from morning dew and fog. The salty wind and spray erodes the ground and makes it challenging for a plant to take root.
As a result, invasive species like iceplant were introduced by the Coast Guard in the 1950s to stabilize the soil, which caused a further reduction in native plants.
While hiking on Anacapa Island, you’ll notice evidence of ongoing plant restoration efforts, so please stay on trail to help these rare and fragile plants survive.
**LOCAL TIP: Anacapa Island is a critical seabird nesting ground, especially for thousands of western gulls. They build nests right on the ground, sometimes right on the trail between March and June (wildflower season), and aggressively defend said nests. Respect the wildlife and keep as much distance as possible, but prepare to be thoroughly harassed by birds while hiking to Inspiration Point in the during this time of year.
#3 Becher's Bay Coastal Trail: Santa Rosa Island
Difficulty: Easy
Some of the best wildflower displays in all of the Channel Islands are waiting for those willing to brave the wild unpredictable nature of Santa Rosa Island.
My third favorite wildflower hike on the Channel Islands is the Becher’s Bay Coastal Trail. This 2-mile trail is relatively new to Santa Rosa Island and will take you on an easy walk along coastal bluffs through historic ranch pastures. You can make it a loop and come back via the Coastal Road or go back the way you came.
If you have some extra time, check out Water Canyon Beach— a white sand dune covered beach at the far end of the trail.
Coastal Trail Wildflowers
While hiking along Becher’s Bay Coastal Trail, you can expect to find a high diversity of native flowers lining the bluffs as well as invasive ones due to the centuries of ranching influence. Wildflower species along the trail include giant coreopsis, California poppies, wild hyacinth, wild radish, caterpillar phacelia, and gumplant.
#2 Pelican Bay Trail: Santa Cruz Island
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
The Pelican Bay Trail is a 4.5-mile out-and-back trail at Prisoner’s Harbor on Santa Cruz Island. Located on private property belonging to The Nature Conservancy, a waiver is required to embark on this Channel Islands hike. Island Packers (the ferry company) guides can get you the waiver upon request.
The first mile of the trail (until marker 11) can be considered moderate hiking through canyons and across bluffs. The remaining portion hike traverses steeper and more eroded canyons resulting in a strenuous trail.
Pelican Bay Wildflowers
The Pelican Bay Trail is my second favorite Channel Islands hike for wildflower blooms. The wildflower diversity on this trail is pretty incredible and can be attributed to the diversity of ecosystems as you wind in and out of canyons.
Based on wildflower diversity alone, it’s debatable whether this could be #1, but it is a strenuous hike which makes it less accessible for some.
You’ll traverse through oak woodlands, coastal sage scrub, chaparral, grasslands, and bishop pine forests all within 2-ish miles!
You can expect to see giant coreopsis, ceanothus, multiple species of lupine, endemic monkeyflower, island deerweed, dudleya, wild hyacinth, island cucumber, canyon sunflower, Humboldt lilies, golden stars, white globe lilies, Santa Cruz Island silver lotus, Indian pink, and much more on your hike, depending on the stage of bloom. You’ll even catch a glimpse of endemic Santa Cruz Island Ironwoods at marker 11!
#1 Cherry Canyon Trail: Santa Rosa Island
Difficulty: Moderate
This 3.5-mile Channel Islands hike is my absolute favorite trail for finding wildflowers! Cherry Canyon Trail is located on Santa Rosa Island which means a three-hour ferry ride is mandatory to get there.
Luckily, you’ll usually run into whales and dolphins on the way! Then, once on the island, you’ll only have about three hours to explore the island, which goes by way too quickly.
Keep in mind, Santa Rosa Island is usually very windy—regularly 20+mph—and the channel crossing is often quite bumpy, but that’s all part of the adventure!
This trail can be hiked as a loop if you have time. Otherwise, if you’re a slower hiker, I’d recommend hiking counterclockwise and beginning at the bathrooms rather than Water Canyon Campground. This way, you’ll hike the wildflower-filled canyon portion first and can turn around if need be.
Completing the loop takes you up out of the canyon across grassy bluffs that descend to Water Canyon Campground, where you can return via the Coastal Road or Coastal Trail (#3).
Cherry Canyon Wildflowers
There are so many unique and colorful flowers in bloom on this trail, especially in the canyon. I find myself stopping every minute to get a close-up look at yet another beautiful flower.
You’ll usually see giant coreopsis, bush lupine, red buckwheat, California buttercup, common yarrow, miner’s lettuce, indian paintbrush, dudleya, island deerweed, California poppy, cobweb thistle, Santa Rosa Island sage, padre’s shooting stars, and many more on your hike!
Why is Cherry Canyon Trail My Favorite of the Channel Islands Hikes?
All of my top 5 Channel Islands hikes for wildflower blooms are pretty incredible choices, each boasting incredible views with lots of diverse flowers, so what sets Cherry Canyon Trail apart from the rest?
1. A Day at Santa Rosa Island is an Adventure
First, I just love the wild nature of Santa Rosa Island. It’s an adventure just crossing the Santa Barbara Channel to set foot on the island.
Then, when you finally arrive, you’re greeted with sand dunes and incredible geological weathering of the bluffs and canyons, and usually a whole lot of wind. The harsh marine environment has noticeably shaped the rugged landscape. It’s a miracle that any plant or animal has made it there, much less survived and thrived!
Additionally, you’ll catch a glimpse of the endemic Torrey Pine forest in the distance!
2. Wildflowers Thrive on Santa Rosa Island
Second, the flowers that thrive here are beyond beautiful. To me, they seem brighter and more unique than the flowers on the other islands.
For example, buckwheat flowers on the other hikes are generally the beige to pale pink variety, but the endemic red buckwheat, prevalent on Santa Rosa Island is strikingly bright red!
Additionally, you might see indian paintbrush here and there on the other Channel Islands hikes, but the expansive fields of vibrant paintbrush in Cherry Canyon can’t be found anywhere else I’ve hiked!
I could go on, but you’ll just have to go see for yourself!
3. Wildflower Blooms in Cherry Canyon are Longer and More Diverse than the Coastal Trail
The third thing sets Cherry Canyon apart from Becher’s Bay Coastal Trail, also on Santa Rosa Island.
Cherry Canyon can hold moisture for much longer than exposed areas on Santa Rosa Island, and benefits from morning fog banks rolling up through the canyons. More moisture means more flowers and longer blooms! Even in the late summer, you’ll still find some stray lupine and poppies here and there in Cherry Canyon when the flowers on the Coastal Trail have been dormant for months.
Additionally, Cherry Canyon was not impacted as hard by historic ranching as the Coastal Trail which was once used for pastures, making this the clear winner on Santa Rosa Island!
Bonus! Carrington Point Trail: Santa Rosa Island
Difficulty: Moderate to Strenuous
Located on the northeast tip of Santa Rosa Island, Carrington Point Trail will grant you some of the best flower displays in Channel Islands National Park!
Regularly engulfed in fog from prevailing winds, the flower blooms at Carrington Point are diverse and abundant. including a glimpse at the extremely rare and endangered soft-leaved island paintbrush.
In addition to the endemic paintbrush, you can expect to find Indian paintbrush, owl’s clover, bush lupine, California poppies, red buckwheat, and many more flowers covering the grassy bluffs!
Too Long for a Day Hike?
To complete this trail, camping is required. Due to its length, you won’t have enough time to reach Carrington Point in a day trip unless you are an avid trail runner.
I would consider this trail more moderate than strenuous in term of difficulty, as the trail is mostly flat with a couple short, steep sections. However, keep in mind this hike measures 8 miles round trip from the pier, but 10.5 miles round trip from Water Canyon Campground, making Carrington Point Trail a full day excursion.
Fun fact: A nearly intact pygmy mammoth skeleton was found near Carrington Point in 1994!
Best Time to See Flowers on Channel Islands Hikes
The best time to visit the Channel Islands if you’re looking for the unique wildflower blooms is from February to May.
Different flowers bloom at various times throughout the spring and they vary each year based on amount of rain and timeframe of the rainy season.
Usually, island cucumber, lemonade berry, ceanothus, and manzanita bloom first, closely followed by giant coreopsis, deerweed, wild hyacinth, lupine, buttercups, goldfields, and monkeyflower. Flowers like golden stars, Indian pink, indian paintbrush, buckwheat, Humboldt lilies, and globe lilies usually cover the hillsides on the tail end of the bloom later in spring.
Regardless when you visit between January and June, you’ll see wildflowers on these Channel Islands hikes, especially during years with lots of rainfall.
How to Get to the Channel Islands
As I mentioned previously, these five hikes are located in Channel Islands National Park. To get to the park, you must take a passenger ferry run by Island Packers—the park’s transportation concessionaire. Island Packers has been shuttling visitors to the Channel Islands for over 50 years!
Ferries leave from both Channel Islands Harbor and Ventura Harbor, depending on your island destination, so make sure to arrive at the correct harbor. The harbors are located about a 15-minute drive from one another, and both harbors have plenty of free parking.
The ferry ride will take approximately one hour to reach Anacapa Island or Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island, two hours to reach Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island, and three hours to reach Santa Rosa Island depending on wildlife sightings. Island Packers is known to go out of their way to show off the local wildlife!
Due to the unpredictability of the Santa Barbara Channel, oceanic conditions shift quickly, especially in spring when high winds are frequent. These winds cause rough seas, and occasionally trips are cancelled.
Be sure to call Island Packers to find out your trip status at 5:30am the morning of your departure. Even if your trip is still good to go, the recorded message will warn of rough seas if present, and remind you of other important information to make your day go as smoothly as possible!
You can find ferry tickets and other transportation information here!
How to Prepare for a Day in Channel Islands National Park
Preparing for a day in Channel Islands National Park means preparing for a long day on the ocean and on an island with minimal amenities and minimal cell phone coverage. Bring everything you will need for a full day of adventuring including food, extra water, extra layers, and sun protection.
On the Island
On the island, the only amenities are pit toilets and a kiosk with trail maps. There are no trash cans on any island, so prepare to pack out all trash. There are no restaurants and minimal indoor areas other than a tiny visitor center at each location. Anacapa Island and Prisoner’s Harbor on Santa Cruz Island do not even have potable water.
Luckily, Scorpion Ranch on Santa Cruz Island and Santa Rosa Island have potable water spigots in the campgrounds if you really need to top up.
There is generally a volunteer, Island Packers guide, or National Park Ranger at each location as well to give you a full island orientation upon arrival, to respond to an emergency, or to answer any questions, but keep in mind the islands are considered a wilderness area with medical attention at least two hours away.
You can refill water bottles and purchase snacks on the ferry, but don’t expect anything more extravagant than microwave burritos and trail mix (there is draft beer though!).
Additional Resources
On the Water
Your day in the park as much on the water as it is on land, and rightfully so, as more than half of the park is actually underwater!
Crossing the Santa Barbara Channel is an exciting rollercoaster over swells. Additionally, you might see whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, sharks, sunfish, seabirds, or all of the above! The ferry frequently stops for “traffic” like this, especially on the nicer days.
For some, racing through waves isn’t as pleasant. If you are prone to seasickness, eat a light, healthy breakfast, take the proper medication in advance, sit outside on the lower back deck of the boat, keep your eyes on the horizon, and bring extra electrolytes to refuel once on the island if you do get sick.
It’s common to feel nauseous on the way to the island, but uncommon to feel nauseous on the way home due to the direction of the prevailing wind and swells, so once you make it to your destination, you should be good to go for the rest of the day!
Remember, the best views of Channel Islands National Park aren’t only from land but from the ferry as well!
For a Santa Barbara Channel Whale Watching Guide, click here!
Quick Channel Islands Wildflower Reference Guide
To get you started, I’ve compiled a small guide to common flowers (and a few other plant species) you might encounter on one of these Channel Islands hikes.
Click on each thumbnail for a full-sized photo and find out if the flower is native, endemic, or invasive!
Hopefully this guide can point you down the right path to find more wildflowers than you could ever count! I am blown away each and every spring as more and more flowers pop up that I don’t remember from previous years. The islands are a very special place to me, and I really hope you find time to get out there and explore some of these hikes.
If you have any additional questions about planning your trip, don’t hesitate to contact me via the contact form at the bottom of the page! I’m happy to share my love for the Channel Islands any way I can!
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, designed to allow The Unremarkable Climber (me) to earn a small commission if you choose to book through them, at no extra cost to you. This really helps support the site and lets me know you find this information valuable! That being said, all of the experiences I recommend, commission based or not, are genuine recommendations for some of my favorite activities, so I hope you enjoy them as much as I have! Feel free to contact me with any questions.
More to Explore on the Channel Islands
Your adventure doesn’t have to stop here! Looking to explore more of Channel Islands National Park? Not only can you go hiking, but you can also go whale watching, kayak through sea caves, snorkel through kelp forests, see more of the 150+ endemic species that call the island home, and even camp overnight!
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