San Miguel Island

We absolutely LOVED San Miguel. We went during the week in early Oct and ended up being the only campers and the solitude was fantastic. We had rare nice weather with only a calm breeze. Ranger Sean Pickton was amazing and took us to Point Bennett to see all the pinnipeds (AMAZING! Must do if good weather + you can hike 15 mi on easy terrain) as well as Point Harris (BEAUTIFUL! Don't miss). The flattest sites are 7 and 8 and all have a fox box for your food. You have an incredibly steep 6/10 of a mile hike to the campsite from the beach and since you have to bring all your water I suggest taking your pack with everything except water to camp when you arrive (your water and fuel have to be separated for the boat anyway) - leaving your water at the top of the beach (this is okay - you just shouldn't leave food). Come back down later to enjoy the stunning beach (check out the sea caves on the east side) and bring your empty backpack to put water in for the tough trek up. 4 gallons was perfect for 2 ppl/2 nights. For the skiff boat ride to shore just take off your boots and hold onto them and roll your pants up. You can bring a small towel to dry your feet since you'll want your shoes back on to hike to camp. I suggest lining the inside of your main pack with a trash compactor bag to keep your gear dry. You will not be able to access your "checked" bag after dropping it off until you're on the island so bring a small day pack for the long boat ride. This you can take with you on the skiff so you could bring a garbage bag to put around it if the seas are rough. Don't forget to bring binoculars to see all the sea mammals. On the boat home we also saw thousands of dolphins, a humpback whale, 2 minke whales, and our boat literally went INTO the 2nd largest sea cave in the world - the painted cave). Simply INCREDIBLE.

Incredible remote little island with a great look into the conservation/restoration efforts put forth by the NPS and other organizations in the region. Despite being ravaged by agriculture and military exercises for over 100 years, the wildlife is growing back beautifully and, since it’s such a trek to get there (5h ferry and steep hike to the campground where you bring all your own water), it makes you feel like it’s just you and the animals walking around the island. Tons of sea lions, seals, birds, and foxes (who are not as used to humans as on the other islands, so they’re a bit harder to come across). Our ranger (Will) was such a great presence and took us on hikes every day with seemingly unending energy. No cell reception on the island, but pretty reliable wifi available at the ranger station, in case you need to connect here and there. If you’re looking for a nature escape that’s totally different from the rest of SoCal - this is a great spot to consider.

Plan well.

Is it so amazing to be surrounded in wilderness and hearing the sea lions chatting as I fell to sleep. San Miguel is a national treasure.

Incredible remote little island with a great look into the conservation/restoration efforts put forth by the NPS and other organizations in the region. Despite being ravaged by agriculture and military exercises for over 100 years, the wildlife is growing back beautifully and, since it’s such a trek to get there (5h ferry and steep hike to the campground where you bring all your own water), it makes you feel like it’s just you and the animals walking around the island. Tons of sea lions, seals, birds, and foxes (who are not as used to humans as on the other islands, so they’re a bit harder to come across). Our ranger (Will) was such a great presence and took us on hikes every day with seemingly unending energy. No cell reception on the island, but pretty reliable wifi available at the ranger station, in case you need to connect here and there. If you’re looking for a nature escape that’s totally different from the rest of SoCal - this is a great spot to consider.

Plan well.

Is it so amazing to be surrounded in wilderness and hearing the sea lions chatting as I fell to sleep. San Miguel is a national treasure.

Beautiful and picturesque views all around. Very remote and rugged. Amazing wildlife watching. The volunteer from the NPS was very kind and took us on guided hikes every day.

Beautiful and picturesque views all around. Very remote and rugged. Amazing wildlife watching. The volunteer from the NPS was very kind and took us on guided hikes every day.

Good camping experience away from the shore. It's a special experience not easily gained on the mainland.