13
Channel Islands National Park › California
› Ventura County
› Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground
› Campsite #13
Campsite #13 at Santa Cruz Scorpion Campground, Channel Islands National Park, CA
$15
Tent Site #13
| Walk-In | 6 people |
| 0 | fair |
5/14
8/7
Campsite #13 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
| 5 star | | 89% |
| 4 star | | 5% |
| 3 star | | 0% |
| 2 star | | 0% |
| 1 star | | 5% |
@RUBENO5E512359 · Camped on May 16, 2025 at Campsite #13
This place is truly a national treasure! We arrived here after a long hike from Del Norte Campground. Once we settled we went on several day hikes, snorkeling and kayaking, all of which were wonderful! The pit toilets are not for the faint of heart, but the National Park Service staff do a phenomenal job keeping them clean and in great condition.
@ChandraS3C922D · Camped on Apr 24, 2025 at Campsite #13
Loved the quiet! Campsite was clean and bathrooms were fine. Having all the wildflowers out was a bonus. Loved how small the campsite was... yet spread out and away from your neighbors for privacy.
@Elizabeth36747 · Camped on Mar 13, 2025 at Campsite #13
Absolutely breathtaking! Wonderful campsites and rangers
@StephenC406899 · Camped on Feb 17, 2025 at Campsite #13
We had a wonderful trip. Winter can be a little tricky due to wind and swell. We had a bit of a bumpy ride over and the first and second day the swell was a bit tough for kayaking. The caves were definitely tricky on the first two days but the third day was glassy and kayaking was amazing. The first and second days were perfect for hiking up Scorpion Canyon to beautiful vistas.We camped for two nights in Scorpion Lower Loop Site 13. It was a great site except that we had a very strong smell from the toilets near the end of the campground when the afternoon winds picked up. I know this was due to the reduced park staff due to DOGE cuts which infuriates me. There was only one ranger on site and there was just too much maintenance for one staff member.
@DarrenH8F8937F · Camped on Jan 10, 2025 at Campsite #13
Short hike to the campsite. Water tasted good. Boat ride to the island was pleasant. Great outing
@LaurenS8749134 · Camped on Nov 10, 2024 at Campsite #13
Clean, good tasting water was the best surprise! Plenty of ravens and foxes, but the rangers give you plenty of guidelines to keep your belongings safe and the animals wild. I was so grateful for the fox boxes by the dock to leave our packs while hiking after checking out from the site and before our evening ferry. Definitely recommend checking out El Montanon Loop if looking for a longer hike. Even though it is technically unmaintained, it was super easy to follow the trail and we never got lost. As an intermediate hiker who burned out toward the end, I would definitely try this hike again going clockwise instead of counterclockwise so that there were more outlooks at the end to keep me motivated! If you've got bad knees, counterclockwise is probably your best bet so that you're going uphill on the steepest incline. Absolute favorite view point was the Scorpion Cove Overlook off of Smugglers Road!
@KhanhD3CCD7067 · Camped on Oct 6, 2024 at Campsite #13
Nice, shady, and spacious campsites less than 1/2 miles from boat dock. This campsite has two water spigots nearby. The vaulted toilets are well maintained.
@HarlanBEC30438 · Camped on Sep 2, 2024 at Campsite #13
I took the boat over from Ventura (which you have to book separately from the campground reservation) and spent one night at Santa Cruz Scorpion campground. Upon landing Ranger Karen (who was totally awesome) gave a camper introduction to us and then let us loose. There is a little awkwardness between arriving on the island around 10:30 and the campground check-out time being 11 am while the boat leaves at 4:30, so on your leaving day depending on your day plans you might have to be proactive with breaking camp, but there are separate fox boxes for campers just for this so it works out. The island is pretty exposed so definitely wear a hat and sunscreen and stock up on water (plenty of trees and a few water spigots at the campground).There is a morning ranger hike that goes through the campground and up towards Cavern Point. In my day and a half on the island I did the loop up there, as well as the one out to Potato Harbor Vista Point, for some fantastic views and then the Smuggler's Cove trail on the second day (afterward relaxed and did the Junior Ranger handbook in the time before the boat return). Check out the visitor's center on the island for some cool historical info! You can also do various kayaking or snorkeling or swimming, and you can schedule ahead of time a boat ride into the caves on the other side of the island. Check out the Harbor Cove Cafe in Ventura and order to pick up a packed lunch/dinner the morning you leave (I got a turkey sandwich and it was awesome at the end of the first day of hiking).Spending the night overnight on the island was an awesome experience. I've camped a lot and being at a campground so isolated and free of predators (you're not gonna run across a bear on the way to the bathroom at 2 am) and no cars shining lights was wonderful. The island foxes are adorable and really show up in the evening. I got up early to watch the sun rise on the beach. I'd love to return.
@JenniferL39143 · Camped on Apr 28, 2024 at Campsite #13
We got to spend 2 nights on this beautiful island. It was the perfect amount of time. We hiked to Smuggler's Cove and Potato Overlook, watched the sunset from Cavern Point, and did a kayak tour. It was windy but manageable. The water is good to drink. Site 13 doesn't have much shade during the day but it wasn't very hot so it was ok. I can't wait to come back some day.
@AprilJ5968259 · Camped on Feb 24, 2024 at Campsite #13
With all the rain, the island was beyond beautiful. The facilities were fantastic. I attended the Ranger movie night and really appreciated the two island films. The orientation on the first day was wel-done. I was traveling alone and my second night was at Del Norte. I appreciated that the ranger kept me informed and knew where I was scheduled to be. The overall experience was fantastic.
@McKennaB5BB88D · Camped on Jul 30, 2023 at Campsite #13
This campground exceeded my expectations. What a beautiful corner of the world. The only thing I would complain about would be that the campsite smelled like sewage due to its proximity to (what I'm assuming is) a septic tank. It is also ridiculously difficult to get a seat on the ferry.
@PeytonMA00EA1B · Camped on May 19, 2023 at Campsite #13
Always an amazing experience! Beautiful campsite with lots of great day hikes accessible. Park rangers and staff are incredibly friendly and helpful!
@YajingG5935163 · Camped on Apr 22, 2023 at Campsite #13
Beautiful island! Campground is nicely maintained and vault toilet are a lot more nice than my expectation. Site 13 though has no shade and no windshield trees so bring nice tent spikes if you picked this site. Sites on the other side of the path seems a lot nicer with trees and stuff. But I’m glad to have gotten any site last minute.
@ThomasH410 · Camped on Jan 8, 2022 at Campsite #13
I was not able to go on this scheduled trip because of the illness of my father whom I had to take care of. I tried repeatedly to reschedule my January 7th and 8th night stays at scorpion but was not able to succeed. It was very frustrating you had a malfunctioning website that did not allow me to change my reservation. Nor were you accessible by phone.
@GaryC107 · Camped on Oct 19, 2021 at Campsite #13
Great experiences! I was able to kayak, snorkel, hike and fish and loved it all so much that I almost missed the ferry!
@MikeP411 · Camped on Aug 15, 2021 at Campsite #13
Nice, big campsites. Several good hikes. Snorkelling and kayaking. We’ll be back.
@RomanA246 · Camped on May 21, 2021 at Campsite #13
Loved the serenity!
@AmandaB230 · Camped on Apr 16, 2021 at Campsite #13
Had an amazing time exploring Channel Islands National Park. Our campsite was a great location and we also thoroughly enjoyed hikes in the area. We also did the kayak tour and it was the highlight of the entire trip!
@NicoleC380 · Camped on Mar 23, 2021 at Campsite #13
We went in mid-March. Great weather, a bit windy the day we came over - boat ride was a little rough, but worth it! Beautiful scenery. Lots of hiking options, so many cool native plants, lots of cute foxes and other wildlife sightings. Highly recommend.
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