Santa Rosa Island

The volunteer that took the boat ride out, walked us through the welcome talk, and led a Lobo Canyon walk was...perfection.

Campsite #1 seems to be the most impacted by wind (my tent almost blew away), and the spooky sounds coming from the bathroom venting system. There's a really charming, private pond(?) behind the last campsite I discovered on the last day.

Why do people feel it's necessary to "embellish" nature? Leave your twinkly lights, speaker systems, etc. at home - please.

Fabulous campground + site! The wind shelter was larger than expected and the bathrooms had running water, plus a dishwash sink outside. I was able to get some service at the airstrip and near the beach.

Absolutely love staying in this campground! My second time here and it never disappoints!

Wow - if you want to get away from the technology and hustle bustle of life, this is the best place for you to go! There are 15 camp sites, only half were actually occupied - even though the web site showed it booked to capacity, which is a shame as also that many people were denied the experience. he setup took a little bit to get used to but I would describe it as primitive camping with luxury - as you have running water, flushing toilets, a picnic table and a secure food box. he hike in with all of your gear brings one into a backpacking mindset. Bechler Bay beaches were beautiful, serene and we even got to see Santa Cruz island most of the day! Hiking options are numerous - some are a bit long, but if prepared and not overly windy, can be great! Drawbacks - you have wind shelters - which should be the first clue - yes it is windy - we were on the island 3 days, 2 nights - 2/3 days windy but not crazy - 1 day was very very windy, both nights were insanely windy - make sure your tent is secure as it was tested! All part of the adventure though! The ferry rides both ways were amazing and saw numerous wildlife!

I really enjoyed our 3 day, 2 night visit. After setting up camp at the Water Canyon campground we hiked the 5 mile Torrey Pines loop, which included a steep climb and strong, chilly winds rewarded by amazing views. That night we endured howling winds most of the night that whipped at our tents violently. The next day we did the 12 mile out and back Lobo Canyon hike enjoying beautiful scenery, warm weather, unique plants, and the lovely little beach at the end as a perfect lunch spot and views from the top of the Canyon of the wild north coast. More howling winds at camp that night. Day three I hiked the length of the beach near the campsite exploring a small cave with undulating striated walls, and had lunch at the east end enjoying the beauty and serenity. On the boat ride back we went into the Painted Cave and saw Blue and Humpback whales. In summary, it was amazing, well worth the discomfort of the winds at night.

So glad we got there right before it burned. We got to see the Torrey pines-now burned, thanks to an inept sailor who can neither sail nor read a map. We appreciated the flush toilets after Santa Cruz's pits. The wind shelters were very nice and kept the dew off our kitchen set-up.
Great hikes and beautiful beaches-at least they were a week ago.

Remote. Beautiful.

So great to get away from it all ( no cell phone reception here folks!). Fantastic hikes and amazing dark skies.
Be ready for VERY windy nights and come prepared with a decent tent. Pitch it inside the wind break as much as you can. The wind breaks are great (thank you NPS) - bring a hammock to string inside too.
Firefighters were arriving as we left the island - let's all support recovery of our precious Island and many thanks to the Hotshots (wildland fire hand crews) for fighting the fire.

The restrooms were well maintained, and the view of the sunrise from the campsite was pretty.