Santa Rosa Island

The weather was warmer and less windy in April than it had been when we tried over the summer, perhaps because we enjoyed the less typical Easterly winds which are warmer than the Westerly ocean winds. This was unexpected, but shows that the weather is more variable day-to-day than month-to-month. Also unexpected was the dryness and hotness. The creek by the camp site was quite low, and there were few fish. Wildflowers bloomed everywhere we went in the spring and the hiking was glorious. The sand dunes and the cliffs along the beach remain impressive, even if the water is too cold to enjoy swimming. In whatever season, the island remains stunningly beautiful, but a difficult place to be comfortable. It is either too hot or too cold, and most of the time too windy. This is not a casual hang-out place to party. It is a tough and rugged landscape for adventurers and scientists to explore.

Absolutely beautiful. Starting with the whale and dolphin viewing on the ride over and back, to one of the most beautiful stretches of beach rivaling beach destinations around the world. The campground and bathrooms were spotless.

Someone told us that the bathrooms on Santa Rosa are, "...the finest in all the National Parks." And I can now confirm that is accurate. We visited in April and our first night at the campsite was lovely, but the next two were incredibly windy. That's not the campsite's fault, obviously, just the natural state of a Pacific Island in April. The windbreaks at the campsite helped, but not much they could do about swirling 30 mph winds. Everything inside the tent (including us) was covered in sand in the mornings.

Santa Rosa Island is truly magical. If I could find a way to live here and work for the park I would, just to stay. The campground is brilliantly laid out. The island has a network of roads that allows access to some wild areas. If planning to go past lobo canyon and Green Canyon, bring an extra pair of shoes as the road is in 12” water here and barefoot is not an option. In two days I hiked 48 mi. I would need a week of 20 mi days to really see the island.
The wildness, the flowers, the varying topography and winds and big seas combined to give me more than I expected. And the park staff here are fantastic. Thanks!

Well maintained campsite

The Water Canyon campground is always a great experience. Be prepared for high winds, especially earlier in the year, and the 1.5 mike trek to the site can be challenging, but worth the effort.

If you want to camp on a windy island with great views and cute foxes this is the one.