California

The Wildlife & Wonders of Channel Islands National Park

Program No. 14758RJ
Explore the pristine ecology of Channel Islands National Park, discovering a wealth of unique flora, fauna and geology as you learn the islands’ story from local naturalists.

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At a Glance

Relatively untouched by modern culture, California’s Channel Islands National Park is an oasis of natural splendor. Journey by boat and experience two days inside the national park and enjoy the sea life along the way. Get up close to the island’s rich array of plant life, sea birds and mammals — some found nowhere else in the world – and explore Ventura like a local as you immerse yourself in the treasures of this region.
Activity Level
Keep the Pace
Walking up to two miles on uneven terrain. Travel to islands by boat, weather permitting. Climbing ladder and stairs.

What You'll Learn

  • Join local naturalists who add expert insight during expeditions to Channel Islands National Park.
  • Discover how the islands’ isolation has created a unique ecosystem as you study endemic plants and geology.
  • Trace the human history from the native Chumash people to explorers, fur traders, ranchers and scientists.

General Notes

This program visits the Channel Islands two days during the week. Landing locations and islands will vary by date. Our program is planned far in advance, and the exact landing locations for 2025 will be determined when tide schedules are made available later in 2024 in conjunction with our vendor’s schedule. Boat trips to the Channel Islands are dependent on sea conditions, which can be rough, and subject to cancellation by the boat’s captain depending on ocean swell and wind conditions. Alternate plans on the mainland will be in place if an island field trip is cancelled.
Featured Expert
All trip experts
Profile Image
Margery Spielman
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.

Please note: This expert may not be available for every date of this program.

Profile Image of Margery Spielman
Margery Spielman View biography
Margery Spielman is an accomplished environmental artist, lecturer, naturalist and professional diver. As a scuba instructor and stunt diver, she worked underwater on numerous television productions and for many years, worked on freelance assignments for The Cousteau Society, doing research, logistics, diving, speaking and illustrating. Described as a visionary realist, she’s exhibited her artwork in major Marine Art Expos from Hawaii to Paris. For over 25 years, Margery’s been the leading Naturalist in Road Scholar’s Channel Islands programs.
Profile Image of Ken McAlpine
Ken McAlpine View biography
Ken McAlpine is an award-winning author who has written for various magazines ranging including National Geographic, winning three Lowell Thomas awards — travel writing's top award. Ken was born in Hong Kong and spent his childhood in Southeast Asia. He continued to travel throughout his life while writing, working on assignments from diving with white sharks to running the Inca trail to Machu Picchu. Ken currently lives in Ventura and likes to stand in his yard at night, looking at the stars.
Profile Image of Don Morris
Don Morris View biography
Don Morris retired in 2001 after enjoying a forty-one year career as a National Park Service archeologist, the last 16 years of which he spent at Channel Islands National Park. There he investigated and reported upon subjects ranging from historic shipwrecks and farmhouses to what are currently the oldest known human remains in North America, the Arlington Woman. In 1994, he worked as the project archeologist on the excavation of the most complete (94% or thereabouts) pygmy mammoth ever located on the Channel Islands.
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While we make every effort to ensure the accuracy of our published materials, programs are typically advertised more than a year prior to their start date. As a result, some program activities, schedules, accommodations, personnel, and other logistics occasionally change due to local conditions or circumstances. Should a major change occur, we will make every effort to alert you. For less significant changes, we will update you during orientation. Thank you for your understanding.
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6 days
5 nights
13 meals
5 B 3 L 5 D
DAY
1
Registration, Check-in, Orientation, Welcome Dinner
Ventura, California
D
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach

Activity note: Hotel check-in from 4:00 p.m. Remember to bring your nametag (sent previously).

Afternoon: Program Registration: 4:00 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. After you have your room assignment, join us at the Road Scholar table in the lobby to register with the program staff, get any updated information, and confirm the time and location of the Orientation session. If you arrive late, please contact your group leader. Orientation: 5:30 p.m. The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. Weather in the Channel Islands can be unpredictable; indicated times should be considered provisional. Refer to the document attached in your information packet, “What to expect on your island days!” for more detailed information about the islands we will be visiting. Bring your personal, reusable water bottle on field trips. Periods in the schedule designated as “Free time” and “At leisure” offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

DAY
2
Channel Islands National Park, Largomarsino Visitor Center
Ventura, California
B,L,D
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1/4 hour. Walking up to 1/2 mile; generally flat terrain. Note: Islands accessible by park concessionaire boats. No island transportation; all areas accessed on foot; bicycles not allowed.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We start our morning with a geology lecture at the hotel. We will be joined by a local expert for a lecture about the geologic past of the Channel Islands. Trace the islands' history back millions of years and learn about the how the islands came to be where they are now.. After the lecture, we will board a motorcoach at the hotel and ride to the Channel Islands National Park Largomarsino Visitor Center in Ventura Harbor. There, we’ll watch a short movie, “Treasure in the Sea,” narrated by Kevin Costner. We’ll also meet and talk with park personnel, walk through the native plant garden, and view exhibits that highlight the natural and cultural features of the islands. We’ll then have some time for independent exploration to browse and enjoy the scenic view from the tower before walking into Harbor Village.

Lunch: At a local restaurant.

Afternoon: We will be joined by our naturalist for an orientation covering the logistics and details of our Anacapa Island trip the next day. Learn about the geologic history and the animals that live in and around the islands.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: After dinner we will learn about the local Chumash community from a local expert. The Chumash have lived in, what we now call, the Southern California area for generations and have a connection with the Channel Islands. There are several communities of Chumash that live from the coast to the mountains with their populations in the thousands prior to European contact.

DAY
3
Anacapa Island Full-day Field Trip by Boat
Ventura, California
B,L,D
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1/4 hour. Getting on/off a boat, riding about 1 hour each way, weather permitting. Walking up to 2 miles; climbing approximately 150 steps to island plateau, uneven terrain. Layered clothing, rubber-soled shoes recommended. Note: The boat captain will make the decision about setting out depending on current conditions. Should the field trip be cancelled, we will have alternative activities.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We will hop aboard the motorcoach for a short ride to the harbor and board the Island Packers boat (foil assisted catamaran) for our full-day field trip to Anacapa Island. Upon arrival, we will be assisted from the boat to the ramp that connects to the pier. From the landing we will climb 157 steps to the island’s plateau and set out on a naturalist-led walk. The Chumash called it Anyapakh — “mirage.” Anacapa is 12 miles from the mainland. It is home to 265 species of plants and a bevy of seabirds with the largest brown pelican rookery on the Pacific Coast. On the night of December 2, 1853, the sidewheel steamer “Winfield Scott” crashed into the rocks off Middle Anacapa and sank. The Coast Guard built a light beacon in 1912 and a light station in 1932. Note: Trips to the Channel Islands are weather-dependent and subject to cancellation by the boat’s captain depending on circumstances. Should the island field trip be cancelled, we will have other activities planned.

Lunch: At a scenic spot on the island, we’ll have bag lunches. There are few trash cans on the island. Our lunches are packed so that all trash can fit in a pocket to carry away. Please be sure you bring your reusable water bottle to the island.

Afternoon: Our field trip on the island will continue through the afternoon. The boat will return to the mainland late afternoon between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Dinner: At the hotel.

Evening: At leisure.

DAY
4
Channel Islands Lecture, Ventura Botanical Gardens
Ventura, California
B,D
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach

Activity note: Walking a total of 1 mile at the botanical gardens on dirt well maintained paths with a slight inclince, total of 200 feet elevation gain. Walking 12 blocks to gardens from hotel and to lecture site from gardens; city streets and sidewalks. Any additional walking and other activities during independent exploration will be based on personal choice.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll walk from the hotel to downtown Ventura for our first field trip of the day to the Ventura Botanical gardens. Explore the well maintained dirt paths with curated gardens that represent five Mediterranean climate zones, which includes California. Enjoy beautiful views of the coast with the Channel Islands on the horizon. After our field trip we’ll gather with our expert for a presentation to continue learning about what makes the Channel Islands so special and get an orientation about Santa Cruz Island. About 1/3 the size of Rhode Island, these islands contain archaeological wonders. They have since been inhabited by Native American populations, who use tumols — canoe-like boats — to travel between the islands and the mainland. The oldest skeleton found in North America, believed to be nearly 13,000 years old, was discovered on Santa Rosa Island in 1959.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to have what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions.

Afternoon: The remainder of the afternoon will be free for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests each of us most in Ventura. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: At Aloha Steakhouse.

Evening: We will be joined by a local expert for a presentation on the Island Fox, an endemic species to the Channel Islands. This species almost went extinct from a shift in the ecosystem due to human use of DDT. Learn about the recovery story and current state of fox populations.

DAY
5
Santa Cruz Island Full-day Field Trip by Boat
Ventura, California
B,L,D
Crowne Plaza Ventura Beach

Activity note: Getting on/off a motorcoach; driving about 5 miles, approximately 1/4 hour. Getting on/off a boat, riding approximately 1 hour each way (weather permitting). Walking up to 2 miles; elevation change up to 300 feet, uneven terrain. Layered clothing, rubber-soled shoes recommended. Note: The boat captain will make the decision about setting out depending on current conditions. Should the field trip be cancelled, we will have alternative activities.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: We’ll board a motorcoach, ride from the hotel, and take the Island Packers boat for a full-day field trip to Santa Cruz Island. With its pristine beaches and grass-covered hills, Santa Cruz is the largest island of the five islands comprising Channel Island National Park and a miniature of what Southern California looked like 100 years ago. Upon arrival at the island, we will be disembark from the boat to the pier then set out on a naturalist-led walk of about a mile. We expect to see good examples of native and endemic plants through Scorpion Cavern. The expert naturalists will tell us about the isolation of the island, animals, plants, restoration projects, ranch history, and the marine environment at stops along the trail. Those who would like to go on a more rigorous elective hike can join expert naturalists who will lead a 2-mile roundtrip hike to Cavern Point. It involves a 300-foot climb on to the top of Cavern Point and then flattens out, providing expansive vistas of the Santa Barbara Channel.

Lunch: At a scenic spot on the island, we’ll have bag lunches. Water will be available on the island to refill personal water bottles. There are few trash cans on the island. Our lunches are packed so that all trash can fit in a pocket to carry away.

Afternoon: Our field trip on the island will continue through the afternoon. The boat will return to the mainland late afternoon between 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Dinner: At a local restaurant. Share favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends during our farewell dinner.

Evening: At leisure. Prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

DAY
6
Wrap-up Session, Program Concludes
Ventura, California
B

Activity note: Hotel check-out 11:00 a.m.

Breakfast: At the hotel.

Morning: Channel Islands National Park and its 175 miles of pristine coastline are within 60 miles of 18 million people, yet it has fewer than 300,000 visitors a year — quite low for an American national park. In our closing session, we will join a local author to hear about his journey of discovery on the islands. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Don’t forget to join our Facebook page and follow us on Instagram. Best wishes for all your journeys!






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