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Channel Islands National Park › California
› Ventura County
› Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground
› Campsite #16
Campsite #16 at Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground, Channel Islands National Park, CA
$15
Tent Site #16
| Walk-In | 6 people |
| 0 | weak |
3/7
3/31
Campsite #16 Features: Walk-In access, Back-In parking, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, Tent Site, No Pets Allowed
Campsite Reviews (25)
5.0 out of 5
| 5 star | | 96% |
| 4 star | | 4% |
| 3 star | | 0% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 0% |
@SarahP6892621 · Camped on Oct 14, 2024 at Campsite #16
Rangers were super helpful and everything was clean and maintained.
@RUBENO5E512359 · Camped on Oct 12, 2024 at Campsite #16
This was a uniquely different National Park experience. It involved a ferry crossing with amazing marine wildlife sightings, helping unload the ferry, and opportunities for water activities such as snorkeling and kayaking. The campground was perfect and just the right distance from the beach. The hikes were beautiful.
@CHRISTOPH55817 · Camped on Mar 17, 2024 at Campsite #16
This was the most surprising national park I have ever been to. Such a magical experience. Shoutout to Doug who delighted us with his guided star tour and enchanted us with his National Park songs.
@AudreyF1213466 · Camped on Mar 12, 2024 at Campsite #16
It was great! Heads up - I called and asked ahead of time if I could bring a hammock instead of a tent, and it is allowed, but some campsites do not have enough/ properly spaced out trees. So it's a gamble. I believe site 16 had at least one spot where a hammock could be put up
@AllisonT103086 · Camped on Mar 8, 2024 at Campsite #16
One of my favorite national park trips yet for many reasons, and March was a perfect time to visit. Before even getting to the island, we were already blown away. We were fortunate enough to see two grey whales on our Island Packers ferry ride along with plenty of friendly dolphins. When you pull up to the island, it feels like another world. The lush green landscape, flowers blooming, and crashing waves takes your breath away. We camped at site #16 in the lower campground which was clean, well-maintained, and a short walk from the ferry dock and hiking trails. We hiked the Potato Harbor trail which wasnt too strenuous and offered some gorgeous cliff side views. Once the sun went down, volunteer ranger Doug put on a star gazing info session in which a group of us laid on the pier while Doug talked about the constellations and the close Native American historical ties of the island. This was my favorite part of the trip - Doug has a special way of making you perfectly connected to this beautiful national park, and provided a chance to reflect on how lucky we are to experience something like this. If anyone has a chance to attend one of Dougs talks, this is your sign to do it! You will not be disappointed. Thank you Doug and thank you Channel Islands!
@GabeB55F4CD035 · Camped on Jun 29, 2023 at Campsite #16
Cool campground with lots of foxes, but it was noisier than I would have liked for such a remote place
@RitaW2026502 · Camped on Apr 8, 2023 at Campsite #16
Incredible stay and special place!
@BrianG7865186 · Camped on Jan 21, 2023 at Campsite #16
Great experience!
@CarlH7311691 · Camped on Dec 9, 2022 at Campsite #16
Absolutely one of the most beautiful camping experiences
@JosephB6747928 · Camped on Jun 9, 2022 at Campsite #16
Campsite was well kept, plenty of restrooms, mostly quiet. We had a great time!
@JohnW4841416 · Camped on May 9, 2022 at Campsite #16
Great campsites - plenty of space between sites. Smooth areas for tents, good picnic tables at sites, and good pit-toilets. Potable water was easy to access in campground and tasted fairly decent with no treatment. The curious island foxes and birds are no joke - button down your gear! Looking forward to returning.
@DaveC9955006 · Camped on Apr 7, 2022 at Campsite #16
The one caution is that campsites #16 does not have shade during the day, but we found it cooled down quickly once the sun went down and was relatively close to both water and bathrooms without heavy traffic. The island trails are quite exposed, so be prepared for that, but the kayaking and hiking was a great experience because we were prepared for lots of sun, and generally we felt quite alone most of the time, which is so rare in a National Park.Surprisingly, there is cell service, though it's limited to the beach. But I'd limit usage to emergencies and enjoy your vacation free of the real world.
@MichelleL80751 · Camped on Mar 22, 2022 at Campsite #16
The island is absolutely gorgeous! Our campsite was comfortable, with easy access to water and bathrooms. We loved having the Santa Barbara Adventure Company on the island to provide snorkel and kayaking gear...they were wonderful to work with, and provided an excellent kayak tour of the sea caves.
@JonathanG61769 · Camped on Feb 24, 2022 at Campsite #16
The campsite was nice, the water tasted perfectly fine, and there were hikes of various skill levels and lengths. China pines was worth the distance and a beautiful variation from the rest of the island. Great views from Montaan ridge. Smugglers cove was peaceful and a great picnic spot with tables and a bathroom.The bathrooms are pretty luxurious for camping in my opinion - they are stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer and have locking doors.The adorable foxes on Santa Cruz are quite sneaky and when the ranger tells you that they will get anything you leave unattended they mean it! I saw a number of people think that "just a minute" was ok and they came back to a fox trying to make off with their trash or food. So take the fox protection boxes seriously and you won't have any disappearing items!
@RendaG796 · Camped on Nov 2, 2021 at Campsite #16
My husband and I camped at Santa Cruz Scorpion campground for two nights November 2-4. We had a great time! Loved the hiking trails and our sea cave kayaking adventure. The Island fox was exciting to see as was the island scrub jay. I highly recommend!
@RendaGE48D4D20 · Camped on Nov 2, 2021 at Campsite #16
My husband and I camped at Santa Cruz Scorpion campground for two nights November 2-4. We had a great time! Loved the hiking trails and our sea cave kayaking adventure. The Island fox was exciting to see as was the island scrub jay. I highly recommend!
@GabrielaC40733 · Camped on Oct 30, 2021 at Campsite #16
Well laid out campground, sites are fairly level and nearly all have shade. Cute island foxes run around all the time. There are some overly "friendly" ravens in the vicinity, too. Just keep a close eye on your food. Beautiful, relaxing, so lovely!
@GabrielaC880 · Camped on Oct 30, 2021 at Campsite #16
Well laid out campground, sites are fairly level and nearly all have shade. Cute island foxes run around all the time. There are some overly "friendly" ravens in the vicinity, too. Just keep a close eye on your food. Beautiful, relaxing, so lovely!
@AyeshaB863 · Camped on Oct 22, 2021 at Campsite #16
Nice campground under eucalyptus trees. However a lot of campers bring ultra-bright lanterns that destroy everyones night vision!
@AyeshaB2D5E2B3 · Camped on Oct 22, 2021 at Campsite #16
Nice campground under eucalyptus trees. However a lot of campers bring ultra-bright lanterns that destroy everyones night vision!
@DanielC8838163 · Camped on Oct 19, 2021 at Campsite #16
Small campground and very quiet. Close to the beach and anchorage. Nice clean flush toilets. Great hikes and views. Highly recommend bringing or renting a kayak and snorkel. There are so many cool sea caves to explore. Can't wait to come back!
@DennisF795 · Camped on Sep 22, 2021 at Campsite #16
My friend and I spent two nights at the campground at Scorpion Cove. The area is mostly covered by tall Eucalyptus trees, each site has a picnic type table. The restrooms were adequate and cleaned daily. Our fellow campers we found were friendly and sociable. We had the opportunity to take guided hikes or hike with out guides. Trails are clearly marked and there were plenty to go off and tour around the island. We also took advantage of a kayak tour we added to our visit of which we paddled to various sea caves. Overall it was a grand experience.
@DennisF4255863 · Camped on Sep 22, 2021 at Campsite #16
My friend and I spent two nights at the campground at Scorpion Cove. The area is mostly covered by tall Eucalyptus trees, each site has a picnic type table. The restrooms were adequate and cleaned daily. Our fellow campers we found were friendly and sociable. We had the opportunity to take guided hikes or hike with out guides. Trails are clearly marked and there were plenty to go off and tour around the island. We also took advantage of a kayak tour we added to our visit of which we paddled to various sea caves. Overall it was a grand experience.
@KelseyPE384670 · Camped on Sep 7, 2021 at Campsite #16
Easy walk from the doc. Beautiful spaced out, quiet campground.
@KelseyP848 · Camped on Sep 7, 2021 at Campsite #16
Easy walk from the doc. Beautiful spaced out, quiet campground.
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