Best time to visit
Clear, low-haze days deliver the best visibility and photos. Spring adds wildflowers (especially giant coreopsis) and lively seabird activity. For softer light and fewer harsh shadows, aim for early morning or late afternoon.
Overview
About Signal Peak
Also called Signal Hill on some maps, Signal Peak is the 634-foot summit of Santa Barbara Island and the island’s high point. It’s a simple idea with big payoff: climb to the top of a small, volcanic island and soak up uninterrupted ocean panoramas.
Why stop
- Island high point with sweeping ocean views
- Excellent seabird watching from a remote perch
Heads up
- No water or services; fully self-supported
- Steep, exposed hiking with little shade
Map
Where it is
Loading the Channel Islands map
Full mapLocal know-how
Tips for visiting Signal Peak
Carry all the water you’ll need—there’s none on the island or summit.
Wear sturdy shoes; the climb is steep, exposed, and can be loose underfoot.
Download offline maps and the park app before leaving the mainland.
Visit on a clear day for the best long-range views.
Give nesting seabirds a wide berth and keep voices low.
Plan your stop
Before you go
Best time to visit
Planning Essentials
3 active Channel Islands alerts
- ClosureSanta Barbara Island dock closed; landings restrictedMentions Santa Barbara Island, referenced in this guideThe Santa Barbara Island dock is closed; landings are restricted to the adjacent rocky ledge. - Severe winter storm damage caused the closure, and repairs are not expected in the near future.Official details
- ClosureSanta Rosa Island wildfire-recovery closuresAvoid closed routes and shorelines on Santa Rosa Island during recovery from the 2026 wildfire.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Channel Islands Tour Guide
Your drive to Signal Peak, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Channel Islands National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Channel Islands audio tourRecorded for this place
Signal Peak: The Highest Point on Santa Barbara IslandListen
“You'll be seeing the route for Signal Peak, the highest point on Santa Barbara Island. It's a pretty stout and exposed climb to the summit, but the reward is a commanding, uninterrupted ocean panorama.”
Plays as you drive up to Signal Peak in the Parkwolf Channel Islands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Santa Barbara Island: Small, Remote, and Wild
- Santa Barbara Island's Bluff-Top Campground
- 47 audio storiesacross Channel Islands’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Island Fox, Humpback Whale, Blue Whale, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 31 trails, 49 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Guide
More about Signal Peak
What You’ll SeeFrom the summit you get a commanding view of the island’s rugged coastline and offshore rocks,…
From the summit you get a commanding view of the island’s rugged coastline and offshore rocks, including tiny Sutil Island to the southwest. On clear days, the outlook feels wildly expansive—nothing but cliffs, blue water, and passing seabirds.
WildlifeSanta Barbara Island is a critical seabird stronghold.
Santa Barbara Island is a critical seabird stronghold. From the peak and along the approach you may spot western gulls, brown pelicans, cormorants, auklets, pigeon guillemots, black oystercatchers, and the elusive Scripps’s murrelet. In spring, keep an eye out for blooming giant coreopsis adding bright bursts of color across the slopes.
Hiking NotesExpect a stout, exposed climb with some steep grades and potentially loose footing.
Expect a stout, exposed climb with some steep grades and potentially loose footing. There’s no shade and no facilities along the way. The route feels remote and quiet—part of the charm—so plan to be self-reliant.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Channel Islands
2,232 sightingsIsland FoxMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
282 sightingsHumpback WhaleMost seen around 9 AMSighting map
79 sightingsBlue WhaleMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
101 sightingsGrey WhaleMost seen around 8 AMSighting map
364 sightingsCalifornia Sea LionMost seen around noonSighting map
105 sightingsBald EagleMost seen around 5 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Channel Islands. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
