SeeCalifornia.com

Photos clockwise bottom left: Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa and San Miguel Islands

There’s an island adventure where you don’t have to veer very far from home. The flight to Hawaii takes many hours to complete and will cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars for the entire trip. California’s islands aren’t quite the same, granted. They’re different, in fact, and well worth exploring for those willing to sacrifice the tiki huts, grass skirts, and luxury hotels right on the beach. Of the islands you can visit in the Golden State, there’s the “Club Med” of escapes on Catalina Island in Los Angeles County some “26” miles offshore, according to a song. San Francisco has the more rugged Farallon Islands, 30 miles outside the Golden Gate where you can take a tour by boat, but not stop to visit.

Then there’s the Channel Islands, part of the National Parks system (nps.gov/chis/), some 18 to 25 miles off the Ventura coast. Visitors can hop on the boat and visit 5 channel islands: Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Anacapa, Santa Rosa and Santa Barbara. These islands are a world apart from the California coastline in their remote feel, offering rustic experiences, often without amenities such as flush toilets, water, or food concessions. Home to Island foxes, the smallest of North American canids weigh around 5 pounds (size of a house cat,) and this is the only place you’ll ever see these critters, when you’re lucky enough to spot them! On Anacapa Island you sometimes can see the nesting seagulls and brown pelicans just inches from you in the tall flowers and grass. It’s an incredible experience!

If you can handle a day-trip or overnight camping, the family-friendly journey is one you’ll never forget. These islands will get under your skin and you’ll soon be planning your next island trip to see what each island is like. The main concessionaire for the Channel Islands it islandpackers.com out of Ventura and Oxnard.