Santa Rosa Island Campground
The Quick Take
Getting to Santa Rosa Island Campground is half the adventure — you either take a multi-hour boat ride from Ventura or spring for a small plane, and either way you're committing to one of the most remote camping experiences in the lower 48. With just fifteen sites spread across a wind-swept coastal plateau, this is about as far from car camping as you can get without a backpacking permit. The trade-offs are stark: no showers, no store, no cell service, and wind that can genuinely rearrange your plans. But what you get in return is an island practically to yourself, with empty beaches, resident island foxes, and night skies that make mainland stargazing look like a parking lot. Wind shelters at each site are not decorative — they are structural necessities. This campground is for people who read 'primitive' on a campground description and feel their pulse quicken, not their anxiety.
Booking
Reserve Your Campsite
All 15 sites are reservable.
Book at Channel Islands LodgesWhat You Get
Sites & Setup
RV Information
RVs allowed. No electrical hookups.
Accessibility
805 ADA-accessible campsites. Due to Santa Rosa Island's isolation and transportation requirements, the Santa Rosa Island Campground has limited accessibility for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility. Please contact Island Packers (805-642-1393) and Channel Islands Aviation (805-987-1301) for more information on wheelchair access on their boats and planes to Santa Rosa Island. Please contact the visitor center (805-658-5730) for more on-island transportation information. No Roads
Pro Tips
Wind is the defining feature of Santa Rosa Island camping, especially in spring and early summer when northwest gusts regularly top 30 mph. Bring a freestanding tent rated for high winds and stake it like your life depends on it — the provided wind shelters help, but they are not walls. Late summer through fall offers the calmest conditions.
The boat concessionaire (Island Packers) runs limited trips to Santa Rosa, sometimes only a few per month outside peak season. Book your transportation first, then your campsite — a reserved site means nothing if you cannot get to the island. Plan your food carefully since there is zero resupply once you arrive.
The 1.5-mile hike from the pier to camp is mostly flat but fully exposed, so pack your gear in something you can carry comfortably in heat and wind. Bring a collapsible water container to supplement the potable water at camp, and pack all trash out — there is no garbage service on the island.
Photos
Tim Hauf, timhaufphotography.comGetting There
Directions
Santa Rosa Island Campground is only accessible by boat or plane. Visit our island transportation webpage for more information: http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/island-transportation.htm The hike to the campground is 1.5 miles from the boat landing and .25 miles from the airstrip.
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