Only about an hour’s boat ride from Ventura Harbor, the Channel Islands National Park is vastly underrated destination for the outdoors in Southern California. Anacapa Island is the most accessible of the Channel Islands and provides for a unique day trip experience from a short hike to the famous Inspiration Point view point, fields of Coreopsis plants, the old Coast Guard lighthouse, and a habitat for California Sea Lions. Even the boat trip, provided by Island Packers, can be a great experience as the Santa Barbara Channel teams with marine life from the many dolphins, orcas, and gray whales.
