Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry

Spent 3 nights at Del Notre Campground and had a great time. We were in camp site #4 and it has the most shade. The campground is on a hilltop and has a great view of the ocean. Carrying all our water was tough but worth it.

What a beautiful island. We had unexpected heavy rain, which prevented us from staying the night. Island Packers suggested that we leave the island as a storm was coming in. The campsite is nice though, but with few amenities. Highly recommend. Make sure to book your ferry when you book the campsite.

Scenic ocean views!
Lots ticks in the high grass.
Totally worth it

I wish this website had more info about the rules/expectations for the site and of the island itself.
Website omits info about water and "backcountry" camping. Its not true backcountry camping, you can only post at campsites. There is no potable water at Del Norte. There is also nowhere to filter water. Pack all your own water. Bear boxes provided at site.

Beautiful location otherwise, Rangers brief you upon arrival. Have fun

Gorgeous campsite, no water so bring your own.

Second time camping here—one of the most special and singular spots in SoCal. Love the hike in—beautiful, invigorating, but not back-breaking. The solitude of only 4 campsites, all well cared for, offers an unparalleled escape. Can't wait to return.

Nice, functional campsite - can't say much for the views as it was fogged in the entire time we were there. The leveled pads at each site are nice but a bit small for multiple tents, especially if your tent isn't freestanding and needs to be staked out. Some of the dirt is heavily compacted and it's difficult to drive stakes in - there are NO rocks around this area to use as improvised stake hammers. The picnic tables were nice to have. Watch out for mosquitos at dawn and dusk! The fox boxes are large and if empty you can probably squeeze most of two people's gear in there.

Did the ~13 mile through hike from Scorpion Harbor. Warning to those doing the same, your pacing will be much slower than you think due to the unmaintaned / overgrown state of the trail. The Island Packer boats all arrive at Scorpion by around 11a/12p but that's on the late side to be starting this hike - including breaks we barely made it to the campground before nightfall at around 8pm (and you really don't want to be hiking this trail in the dark). Fortunately most of the stream crossings were dried up at this time of year or else the going would be even more difficult. Wear long pants, long sleeves and long socks: you'll be shoving your way through brush for a good part of the hike. Bring extra socks to change out if the ones you're wearing get tangled up with organic debris! Trekking poles are near impossibile to use effectively for parts of it. Bring more water than you think you'll need and don't forget to reapply sunscreen!

We had sites 2 and 3. 2 is very exposed with great ocean views. 3 is shady and protected. I’m not sure how often the bathroom is serviced, it was pretty gross.

Beautiful views, nice campground. Awesome location for day hikes.

We had the whole campground to ourselves, it was peaceful and the views were unbeatable.