Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry

Del Norte is a go-to destination for those seeking strong physical adventure in the back country. The sites are well-placed, varied and beautiful. The views, wildlife and isolation make this an excellent destination for those seeking both fun and solace.

The bathroom at Del Norte has been greatly improved and it's now both private and offers clean weather protection. They even provide toilet paper now! They've also started keeping a gallon of emergency water in the food boxes, which is extremely important, for this strenuous hike.

The hike up to Del Norte is still very physically challenging. The Navy Road is longer, but has a graded, improved surface. The constant climbing along this route can be physically challenging, The final descent off the Navy Road is a very steep requires care.

The Del Norte trail is much shorter, but comes with its own issues. The trail is very narrow, is grown over in many places, rocky and has a fair amount of steep climbing as-well. It could use some brush clearance to properly widen the trail and reduce tick hazards. The hardest part is not really the routes, but the fact that you have to pack up all of your own water, which is heavy.

Overall, I highly recommend Del Norte for experienced hikers and backpackers without health conditions. Because of the climbing and difficulty, this is not for the faint of heart, but it's definitely rewarding once you get there. Cheers!

Sites 3 and 4 have shade! Great hike, peaceful camp, awesome views.

Priceless view! Amazing location. Make sure to carry enough water.

Such a cool campsite with AMAZING sunsets!! Site 1 is SO WORTH IT but you will have no shade during that day unless you have nice neighbors like me who let you use their site for shade

We had a great time here despite our visit happening during a heat wave. I'd picked Site 1 because it had the best view, but it didn't occur to me that there was no shade there, and we would definitely need shade! But there were trees that cast shade at various times during the day, so we were okay. But just so everyone knows, the proportion of view to shade changes dramatically from Site 1 to Site 4.
We saw loads of foxes, scrub jays, and quail right in the campground. However, be warned that there were fleas around the picnic table. There was also a very itchy fox, so I'm honored I get to share fleas with it. Even though there aren't many mosquitos, wear bug spray!

Beautiful quiet campsite - bring more water than you think you need.

This is a great backcountry spot. Really quiet with only 4 spots and nice views. #1 has the best view, but no shade. #2 is similar to #1. #3 has shade and some views. #4 has the best shade but not as much of a view. The shade is really nice if you arrive mid-afternoon. The views are nicer in the evening when it's cooler. Be sure to bring lots of water. I would recommend 6-7 liters if you're planning to hike all the way to scorpion. There are bear boxes (for foxes) and and picnic tables at each site.

Amazing sunset view. The bathroom had toilet paper

Amazing experience at Del Norte campground on Santa Cruz Island. Beautiful and rugged views. Also the park rangers were helpful friendly and knowledgeable.

Such a great campsite. Wonderful views from site #1. Lots of shade at site #4. Be prepared to carry all of your water. Silent, spacious and special!!!!!