July 12. When you think of California, you may think of places like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Venice Beach, Silicon Valley, Napa Valley or San Francisco. But there’s another side to the Golden State you’ll find only off the coast: Channel Islands National Park.
“It’s only an hour from the freeways of Southern California, but when visitors arrive, they can tell this is a different world,” Kevin Costner narrates in the park’s official film. “This craggy coastline offers a chance to experience the land the way it once was. The original California.”
Spanning five islands and a mile of ocean around them, Channel Islands National Park offers visitors a relaxing refuge from the hustle and bustle of city life, and it’s just a boat ride away.
“Isolation over thousands of years has created unique animals, plants, and archeological resources found nowhere else on Earth and helped preserve a place where visitors can experience coastal Southern California as it once was,” the park says on its website.
Nearly 150 endemic plant and animal species are unique to the islands, according to the park’s Junior Ranger booklet. Visitors can spot dolphins and, in season, migrating whales. Those who make the trek to San Miguel Island’s remote Point Bennett will find hundreds of thousands of seals and sea lions.
Source: USA Today
