Santa Rosa Island
- Right now
- Taking bookingsSites offered on 30 of the next 30 nights read 15:57 UTC
- A night
- $15From, per site
- Sites
- 1615 on recreation.gov
The place
the agency’s own description · what’s there · 16 notices
In the agency’s own words
Tucked away in a canyon to protect visitors from strong northwest winds, Water Canyon Campground offers exceptional island views, access to spectacular hiking opportunities and a nearby white sand beach. Located 40 nautical miles from the Channel Islands National Park visitor center in Ventura, Santa Rosa is the second largest island in California at approximately 53,000 acres in size. The island landforms support a diverse array of plant and animal species including six plant species found nowhere on earth but Santa Rosa Island. The island also hosts over 100 bird and three land mammal species, including the endemic island fox. Keep reading
Recreation
Several trails and roads traverse the island, providing visitors with spectacular hiking opportunities, including the relatively flat route to Water Canyon Beach to the rugged, mountainous path to Black Mountain. Due to the strong, persistent wind, swimming, snorkeling, diving and kayaking are limited and recommended for the experienced visitor only. Despite the wind, Santa Rosa Island offers exceptional beach walking on white sand beaches. Access to one of the best beaches, Water Canyon Beach, is just over a mile from the pier in Bechers Bay and just down canyon from the campground. Beach access is also available near the pier. No fishing is allowed within the marine reserves located around the island. Fishing is allowed outside of these areas. For more information about recreational activities in the park, visit https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/index.htm .
Facilities
Primitive camping is available at Water Canyon Campground (15 sites; 5 persons per site). Picnic table, food storage box, windbreak (8' tall, 10' deep, 14' wide at front, 8' wide at back), restroom and water are provided. The campground is a flat 1.5-mile hike from the pier and a 0.25-mile from the airstrip and Water Canyon Beach. Due to the boat schedule, minimum stay is generally three days.
Natural Features
Santa Rosa has a landscape of remarkable contrasts. High mountains with deeply cut canyons give way to gently rolling grass-covered hills, extensive beaches and coastal wetlands. The altitude ranges from sea level to 1,589 feet.
Nearby Attractions
Good tidepooling spots are located within Bechers Bay, including just east of the pier, the east end of Southeast Anchorage, and near East Point. A short hike from the campground is the Santa Rosa Island Torrey pine grove. This pine is considered one of the rarest pines in the world-the last enduring members of a once widespread Pleistocene forest. Near the pier, visitors can see buildings and equipment of the historic Vail and Vickers ranch. Access to a highly recommended beach, Water Canyon Beach, is just over a mile from the Bechers Bay pier. The sandy beach lies on the northeastern shore of the island. Bechers Bay is a destination in itself, with buildings and equipment at the historic Vail and Vickers ranch.
What the agency tells you
Santa Rosa Island may only be reached by boat. Visitors are required to arrange transportation to the island before reserving a campsite. Contact Island Packers the park's authorized concessioner or bring your own private boat.
Camping reservations are required prior to arriving on the island. There are NO walk-ups at this facility.
One party or group may reserve a maximum of 2 individual sites per visit. There are 15 individual campsites. Max 5 people per site.
Everything else this campground posts · 13
A party or group of 46 or more may not reserve any sites through recreation.gov and must contact the park to obtain a special use permit: https://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/management/special-use-permit.htm.
Upon arrival, meet ranger at beach, landing dock or campground. However, park staff is not always immediately available on the island. Please have confirmation letter, receipt, or campsite number with you.
1.5 mile from the pier to campground. Visitors must carry all their own gear.
Primitive camping. Tent camping only, no electricity/water/sewer site hook-ups at this campground. Bring low profile tents and extra food for weather delays. Partial shade from wind shelter (8' tall, 10' deep, 14' wide at front, 8' wide at back). Picnic table, food storage box, and water are provided. No stores or services.
Quiet time is enforced at 10:00 p.m. Check-in and check-out times are at 11:00 a.m.
Proper food and trash storage is required. Food/trash storage lockers are provided at each site. Recommend hard-sided container (i.e., action packer) to further protect food/garbage from animals.
Visitors are required to pack out what they pack in, including garbage.
No campfires or charcoal fires. Only enclosed gas camp stoves are allowed.
Smoking is only allowed on beach area at Bechers Bay.
Avoid contact with deer mice. Hantavirus has been found in island deer mice. For more information visit: https://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/hantavirus.htm.
To help prevent the introduction of nonnative species the following items may not be brought to the park: pets; live or potted plants; soil; cut flowers; firewood or any untreated, unfinished wood (including hiking sticks); corrugated boxes; tools or equipment with attached soil; motorized vehicles; bicycles; and single-use plastic grocery bags. Prior to departure, visitors are required to use pest-proof packing materials, inspect and clean their gear and shoes of all soil, seeds, and insects. Learn more about biosecurity and watch the required video at Protect Your Park Through Biosecurity.
No fishing in marine reserves. California fishing license and ocean enhancement required to fish within Channel Islands National Park.
Watersports: Due to the strong, persistent wind, swimming, snorkeling, diving, and kayaking are limited and recommended for the experienced visitor only. Ocean conditions can rapidly change, requiring expert abilities. Ocean kayaking is an inherently dangerous activity. Always check weather and do not kayak beyond your experience level.
Tents and rigs
- Sites
- 16 · 15 tent-only
- Hookups
- None
- Accessible sites
- None listed
- Pets
- Not allowed
- Campfires
- Not allowed
Facilities
- Toilets
- Flush Toilets
- FLUSH TOILETS on 14 of 16 campsite records, FLUSH TOILETS (SEASONAL) on 1 of 16 campsite records
- Drinking water
- Yes
- DRINKING WATER on 15 of 16 campsite records, WATER SPIGOT on 15 of 16 campsite records
Around the campground
- On the water
- Beach, Coast
- Birding
- Boating
- Fishing
- Guided Interpretive Walks
- Hiking
- Historic site
- Information Site
- Ranger programs
- Picnicking
- Ranger Station
- Sailing
- Sea Kayaking
- Snorkeling
- Swimming
6 of 28 site-nights open this Friday and Saturdayread 15:57 UTC
recreation.gov lists 15 of the 16 campsites the agency files here. The rest aren’t on its booking system, so a reservation won’t get you one.
OpenBooked
Watch for a cancellation
Full? Watch it.
One email when a night opens, plus More Than Just Parks dispatches. Unsubscribe any time.
We read recreation.gov once an hour, at 40 minutes past, and write the first time a site in your window is free for the nights you asked for.
Scanners that check every few minutes exist, and most of them charge. This one is free, it reads the same calendar, and it won’t always be first.
We make nothing when you book. The link goes straight to the government.
Every line of the receipt · 12
What you actually pay
Derived by CAMPANAC: the agency’s published rate for this season, $15 a night, plus one $8 recreation.gov reservation fee for the booking. A weekend here means Friday and Saturday night, booked once. Optional charges (an extra vehicle, a second tent, a dump-station fee) are listed separately and aren’t in this total.
Who keeps the booking fee
The agency’s own policy text says the reservation fee and the cancellation processing fee are “retained by the reservation service contractor”, and that a campground concessionaire will decline to refund them because “they did not receive these fees”. Recreation.gov is run under contract by Booz Allen Hamilton. What share of your booking fee the contractor keeps isn’t published in any federal dataset we can read, so we print no number for it. Our reporting on the contract →
How we know this receipt · 5
recreation.gov availability, read 15:57 UTC · rules read Sep 9, 2026 · rates Sep 10, 2026 · How we know all this
The sites
16 sites · which ones have room · the site map
The sites, ranked
from 15 mapped sitesAll 16 sites
Toilet distances are OpenStreetMap’s, measured for 15 of the 16 sites listed. A site with no reading is unknown, never far.
The price is derived by CAMPANAC, not published per site: the per-night rate this campground publishes for each site’s own site type. 15 of the 16 sites listed carry one, and a site whose type has no published rate sits out of the price rather than being called free.
| SANTA ROSA ISLAND | TENT NONELECT | type not stated | ||||
| Sites 001-015 | 001 | tent only nonelectric | 69 ft | 4.5 mi | 138 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 002 | tent only nonelectric | 83 ft | 4.5 mi | 260 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 003 | tent only nonelectric | 66 ft | 4.5 mi | 204 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 004 | tent only nonelectric | 66 ft | 4.5 mi | 268 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 005 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | 4.5 mi | 351 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 006 | tent only nonelectric | 50 ft | 4.5 mi | 341 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 007 | tent only nonelectric | 57 ft | 4.5 mi | 378 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 008 | tent only nonelectric | 50 ft | 4.5 mi | 389 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 009 | tent only nonelectric | 62 ft | 4.5 mi | 449 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 010 | tent only nonelectric | 61 ft | 4.5 mi | 410 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 011 | tent only nonelectric | 62 ft | 4.5 mi | 460 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 012 | tent only nonelectric | 54 ft | 4.5 mi | 505 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 013 | tent only nonelectric | 54 ft | 4.5 mi | 535 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 014 | tent only nonelectric | 83 ft | 4.5 mi | 605 ft | $15 |
| Sites 001-015 | 015 | tent only nonelectric | 107 ft | 4.5 mi | 708 ft | $15 |
Getting there
the map and the coordinate · the agency’s directions · the phone number
Where it is
Water Canyon CampgroundChannel Islands National Park · 0.1 mi
Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach CampingChannel Islands National Park · 2.6 mi
San Miguel Island18 mi
Santa Cruz Island Prisoners HarborChannel Islands National Park · 21 miPrisoners Harbor CampgroundChannel Islands National Park · 21 mi
Santa Cruz Island Del Norte BackcountryChannel Islands National Park · 22 miBoat transportation can be arranged with Island Packers from Ventura Harbor.
Air transportation can be arranged with Channel Islands Aviation from Camarillo airport.
To park headquarters in Ventura, California: Highway 101, exit Victoria or Seaward to Ventura Harbor.
The weather
the next four days · the thirty-year normal
Next four days, and the thirty-year normal
Forecast
NWS forecast for University of California-Santa Barbara, CA
Typical weather
Typical October night 51°F, day 73°F.
Coldest month of the year: typical December night 40°F. Bring the bag rated for it.
Daily high and lowDays with 0.10 in or more
A normal is the 1991-2020 average for the month, not a forecast: about half of all Augusts are colder than the August line. The seven-day forecast above answers the other question.
The land, and who answers for it
who answers for it
Who answers for this land
Santa Rosa Island is in California’s 24th congressional district. Its representative, Salud Carbajal (D), votes on the laws that decide what happens to this land. Public-lands grade so far: A+. See every public-lands vote →