Parking
There is no on-island vehicle parking. Arrive by boat at the Bechers Bay Pier and confirm the concession schedule before starting.
Overview
About Carrington Point Trail
Carrington Point is Santa Rosa Island’s strenuous, windswept out-and-back from the Bechers Bay Pier to the island’s remote northern coastal promontory. The National Park Service lists the visitor route as 8 miles round trip from the pier. The verified stored line follows the one-way corridor once—about 4.04 mapped miles—while the visitor distance and time describe the full walk out and back.
Why go
- NPS-identified 8-mile route to a remote Santa Rosa Island coastal promontory
- Carrington Point offers an ocean blowhole, sea arch, broad coastal views, seals, sea lions, and seabirds
- Remote open-island route with a strong sense of solitude
Heads up
- Strong wind, full sun exposure, little shade, and uneven or steep sections
- Boat timing leaves a limited hiking window; carry all water and supplies
- Out-and-back route requires retracing the one-way corridor
This is a demanding but rewarding island day hike for expansive coastal scenery, marine wildlife, and Carrington Point’s distinctive blowhole and sea arch. The distance, exposure, and boat schedule require deliberate planning.
Parkwolf’s verdictBottom LineMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Channel Islands map
Full mapElevation33–413 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Channel Islands alerts
- ClosureSanta Rosa Island wildfire-recovery closuresMentions Santa Rosa Island, referenced in this guideAvoid closed routes and shorelines on Santa Rosa Island during recovery from the 2026 wildfire.Official details
- ClosureSanta Rosa access closures at Sandy Point and China CampMentions Santa Rosa, referenced in this guideFollow the closures and on-trail-only restrictions at Sandy Point and between China Camp and Cluster Point to protect island wildlife and sensitive resources.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Channel Islands Tour Guide
Your drive to Carrington Point Trail, 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 trailhead
Trail Options from the Bechers Bay PierListen
“From the pier at Bechers Bay, you have a couple of great hiking choices. For an easy walk, a gentle, mostly flat trail follows the bluffs, offering big views of the bay—a nice warm-up.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Channel Islands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- A Glimpse into the Vail and Vickers Ranch
- Water Canyon Beach: A Remote Stretch of Sand
- Santa Rosa Island's Water Canyon Campground
- Torrey Pines Overlook: Viewing the Rare Grove
- 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!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Carrington Point Trail
What You’ll SeeThe route crosses open grassland and marine terraces to broad Pacific views at Carrington Point.
The route crosses open grassland and marine terraces to broad Pacific views at Carrington Point. The point is known for seals, sea lions, seabirds, an ocean blowhole, a sea arch, and the endangered soft-leaved island paintbrush. Keep wildlife and sensitive coastal habitat undisturbed and remain on established routes.
Route and Trail FeelBegin at the Bechers Bay Pier access area and follow the established Airstrip Road, Smith…
Begin at the Bechers Bay Pier access area and follow the established Airstrip Road, Smith Highway, Carrington Green Road, and Carrington Point corridor to the point. The route has rolling terrain with steeper sections, little shade, and sustained exposure to island wind. The return retraces the same corridor.
LogisticsSanta Rosa Island is reached by boat, and there is no on-island vehicle parking.
Santa Rosa Island is reached by boat, and there is no on-island vehicle parking. Plan about 4 hours of hiking time, then add margin for the boat landing, weather, stops, and the return departure. Carry all water, food, sun protection, and wind layers; do not count on reliable water or services along this remote route. Confirm the concession schedule before setting out.
Safety and AccessStay on designated trails and roads, protect sensitive wildlife, and give cliff edges a wide…
Stay on designated trails and roads, protect sensitive wildlife, and give cliff edges a wide berth because the rims can be crumbly and unstable. Strong wind, full sun, uneven footing, and ferry timing can make this strenuous hike more demanding than the mileage suggests. Pets are not allowed on the island.
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.
