Parking
There is no on-island vehicle access or parking. Arrive by boat to Scorpion Anchorage, walk from Scorpion Beach to the mapped access path, and return in time for the scheduled boat.
Overview
About Scorpion Canyon Loop Trail
Scorpion Canyon Loop is a 4.5-mile loop from Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island, rated moderate to strenuous, with roughly 750–770 feet of elevation gain. The verified mapped line is 4.27 miles; the visitor distance is the total walking distance from Scorpion Beach and back.
Why go
- Short route to an historic 1966 exploratory oil well that produced water rather than oil
- Smugglers Road and the ridge provide broad views toward Anacapa and the mainland
- Good opportunity to see endemic Island Scrub-Jays and Island Foxes
Heads up
- Steep, narrow, loose, and rocky canyon section requires careful footing
- Most of the route is exposed with little shade and no water along the loop
- Boat schedule limits the available hiking window
This is a rewarding interior-island loop with broad coastal views, ranch-road history, the old oil-well site, and endemic wildlife. Allow about 2–3 hours for the hike itself, more if footing is slow or you stop for views, and carry water, sun protection, and sturdy footwear.
Parkwolf’s verdictBottom lineMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Channel Islands map
Full mapElevation62–755 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
3 active Channel Islands alerts
- ClosureSanta Rosa Island wildfire-recovery closuresAvoid closed routes and shorelines on Santa Rosa Island during recovery from the 2026 wildfire.Official details
- ClosureSanta Barbara Island dock closed; landings restrictedThe 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
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Channel Islands Tour Guide
Your drive to Scorpion Canyon Loop 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
Scorpion Anchorage: The Island's Activity HubListen
“You're heading toward Scorpion Anchorage, the main base of operations on Santa Cruz Island. This is the starting point for most popular activities, all located right at the landing.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Channel Islands Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- South Bluff Trail: A Quiet Coastal Connector
- Scorpion Rock: A Protected Seabird Sanctuary
- Scorpion Ranch: The Heart of Santa Cruz Island
- Scorpion Anchorage Overlook and Cavern Point Loop
- 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 Scorpion Canyon Loop Trail
Route and directionFor the easier direction, hike clockwise from the beach access.
For the easier direction, hike clockwise from the beach access. Follow the mapped access path and Smugglers Road inland toward the historic oil-well area, then take the connected Scorpion Canyon route for the steep, rocky descent through the canyon. Scorpion Valley Road and the access path return you to Scorpion Anchorage. The stored line follows the complete closed loop once; it does not duplicate the return corridor to represent round-trip mileage. The abandoned exploratory well, drilled in 1966 and reported to have produced water rather than oil, is on this route near the transition into the canyon section.
Terrain, wildlife, and safetySmugglers Road is a former ranch road; the Scorpion Canyon section is narrow, steep, rocky, and…
Smugglers Road is a former ranch road; the Scorpion Canyon section is narrow, steep, rocky, and loose in places. The route is exposed and has little shade. Island Scrub-Jays and Island Foxes may be seen, but do not feed wildlife and secure food and trash in the provided storage boxes. Winter and spring rain can make Scorpion Canyon crossings wet or impassable; stay on designated trails and roads and keep away from unstable cliff edges.
LogisticsThere is no on-island vehicle access or parking.
There is no on-island vehicle access or parking. Reach the trail by boat to Scorpion Anchorage, then start from Scorpion Beach; ferry travel from Ventura takes about one hour and schedules vary. Drinking water is available at Scorpion Anchorage/Scorpion Canyon Campground, but there is no water along the loop, so carry enough for the hike. Cell service is unreliable on the islands, and hikers must return in time to meet the boat. Pets are not allowed on park islands; service-animal screening is required by the park.
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.
