Campsite #22 at Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground, Channel Islands National Park, CA

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$15

Tent Site #22

20 reviews

Walk-In	6 people
0	fair

8/7

Campsite #22 Features: Walk-In access, Back-In parking, Food Storage Locker, Picnic Table, Tent Site, No Pets Allowed

Campsite Reviews (19)

5.0 out of 5

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@IvanA4790D1AAC · Camped on Jun 4, 2025 at Campsite #22

Amazing well-spaced out campground with plenty of water spigots. Rangers are awesome and explain things well. Hikes were great and camping allows you to do more of the park! Ravens and foxes will eat your stuff if you leave it out, very opportunistic.

@lindav5763447 · Camped on May 14, 2025 at Campsite #22

The campground was very quiet and peaceful. I loved having the orientation upon our arrival. It made me feel better having that information as a second time visitor, first time camper there. I would highly recommend this trip to friends and family who are interested in visiting the Channel Islands.

@KristinaM52819 · Camped on May 10, 2025 at Campsite #22

Such a great experience!! Book your trip to Santa Cruz Island asap! We backpacked from Prisoners and only spent one night in Scorpion but I cant wait to come back. We were in campsite 22 which was nice but a little close to bathrooms. Pottable water, pit toilets. Island is beautiful!

@JaminBDB902E1D · Camped on Apr 21, 2025 at Campsite #22

Our site was just a short walk from the pier, close to the outhouse and potable water was nearby. The campground is convenient for access to hiking trails too. Beware of foxes and ravens which are smart enough to open backpacks to access items. All food should be stored in the critter boxes ( we also put our stove and other kitchen items away).

@HarrisonLAC648 · Camped on Jan 25, 2025 at Campsite #22

Really awesome campsites just a short walk away from the dock.

@KelleyW883B489 · Camped on Jan 11, 2025 at Campsite #22

Fantastic Campground on a remote island. Hooray.

@Madeleine78CDD · Camped on Dec 20, 2024 at Campsite #22

Montaon Ridge was so beautiful and very worth the hike, but the downhill towards Smuggler's Cove was "off-trail" and a little steep. Pit toilets were so clean and had a light, tp, and hand sanitizer. Great spot!

@PaulG9606243 · Camped on Dec 3, 2024 at Campsite #22

Had the entire campground to myself. Awesome experience. Campground is in great shape

@JamesM9879118 · Camped on Sep 17, 2024 at Campsite #22

Short flat easy walk from boat to camp. Always shaded. Watch out for thieving ravens and cute but thieving channel island foxes. Dont forget to sign up for kayaking.

@MariannaZ41445 · Camped on Mar 28, 2024 at Campsite #22

I stayed at the lower campground, which is in a valley with eucalyptus trees. Campsites were a short 10 min walk from the anchorage, and are well-positioned for a variety of hikes. It got pretty windy at night; the valley acts as a wind tunnel. The sites are good sized and have soft ground for staking tents, and eucalyptus trees give some branches to hang wet clothes if you go kayaking or snorkeling, although their branches could fall so don't recommend pitching a tent right underneath them. Everyone is along the same trail in a valley, so adjacent sites are within hearing distance of each other, not super private. Campground pit toilets were surprisingly not too bad, perhaps because they're only really used by campers. Water spigots were available to fill up empty water bottles you bring. Do use the fox/bear lockers for storing food. I made the mistake of eating some snacks inside my tent to avoid the wind and had a curious fox sneak under my rainfly - we each gave the other a little scare.

@GregoryS158769 · Camped on Mar 21, 2024 at Campsite #22

Waking up to the smell of the eucalyptus trees in the Lower grove felt like a dream - the views just up the hill were incredible - and the water/facilities were good.

@Aljester3FEE3B · Camped on Oct 28, 2023 at Campsite #22

AMAZING PLACE. It's like visiting the past, before the cevelazation took over and it's local animals that are lurking around.

@AniketB53F934A · Camped on Jul 6, 2023 at Campsite #22

Neatly maintained site

@BruceH7382571 · Camped on Jun 6, 2023 at Campsite #22

excellent facilities maintenance.

@PaulaH4688450 · Camped on Jun 5, 2023 at Campsite #22

We spent four days camping on Santa Cruz Island and loved it! The Scorpion Campground is an easy walk from the dock. Kids loved playing in the sand on the beach. Adults really enjoyed the kayaking into the sea caves. Even with lots of school kids on their end-of-year trips, the campground felt spacious enough for all. Highly recommended!

@MelissaR426533 · Camped on Mar 28, 2023 at Campsite #22

The beauty and quiet of a small campground after day trippers leave can’t be beat. Site 22 is very well shaded which is great for shelter on sunny days but doesn’t bode well for rainy weather as the ground doesn’t dry out and the useable parts of the site are in a slight depression due to trees around the perimeter. Deep mud puddle directly in front of fox box made use a challenge. It does have privacy on one side due to large bush that blocks off the vault toilet and trailhead up the road.

@MonikaH154 · Camped on Jan 1, 2022 at Campsite #22

Fantastic island. Given how remote the location is, we were impressed with the park's amenities (very clean bathrooms). Would highly recommend to anyone looking to spend some time in nature!

@TracyB488 · Camped on Oct 3, 2021 at Campsite #22

Great get away.

@MollyB387 · Camped on May 12, 2021 at Campsite #22

It was a lot of work to plan for this camping trip but well worth it! I wish I had understood that it is only a 10-minute walk from the pier to the lower loop of the campground. Most campers were treating it like a backcountry experience but it doesn't have to be that way. There were several water spigots in the campground so plenty of water and decent pit toilets. Be aware that the ravens and foxes are cute but wily. Secure your zippers on your backpacks and tents with safety pins or twist ties. And never leave anything unattended outside of the fox boxes! We really enjoyed the 5-mile loop to Potato Harbour. There were great views and it wasn't too challenging with kids under 10. You can rent full snorkeling gear from the kayak outfitters on the island and we enjoyed snorkeling in the kelp forests right by the pier. Next time we will plan ahead and reserve a space on the kayaking tour. Two nights and three days on the island was just right for our family. We hope to go again one day and try one of the other islands!

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Campsite #22 at Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground, Channel Islands National Park, CA

Tent Site #22

Campsite Reviews (19)

5.0 out of 5

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