Parking
No vehicle parking. Reach Santa Rosa Island by authorized boat or aircraft, then start at the Bechers Bay pier; confirm the current concessionaire schedule before traveling.
Overview
About Skunk Point Trail
Skunk Point is a strenuous, exposed Santa Rosa Island day hike to a broad white-sand point with coastal views, tidepools, snowy-plover habitat, and remnants of the Jane L. Stanford shipwreck.
Why go
- Rare Torrey pines and broad Bechers Bay views diversify the long island approach
- Tidepools, snowy-plover habitat, and Jane L. Stanford wreck remnants reward the remote outing
Heads up
- The long, exposed route has little shade, no water, wind, and soft sand
- Seasonal snowy-plover closures restrict access to back beaches and dunes
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the Channel Islands map
Full mapElevation0–180 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 Skunk 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 area
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 on the road 0.1 mi from the 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 Skunk Point Trail
Route & DistanceFrom the Bechers Bay pier, follow the island road and Coastal Road approach through the Water…
From the Bechers Bay pier, follow the island road and Coastal Road approach through the Water Canyon and Torrey Pine area to the named Skunk Point path and continue to the point. The stored line is the complete one-way corridor; the visitor distance is about 12 miles round trip from the pier. Expect roughly 4.5–7 hours, with route-finding, wind, and soft sand making the outing strenuous. Do not confuse the short guided/shuttle Skunk Point loop with the full pier-to-point experience.
Conditions & AccessAccess is by boat or authorized island transport; there is no vehicle parking at the trailhead.
Access is by boat or authorized island transport; there is no vehicle parking at the trailhead. Carry all water and supplies. The back beaches and dunes between Skunk Point and just north of East Point close from March 1 through September 15 for snowy-plover nesting; during that period remain on wet sand below mean high tide or use the inland road where permitted.
What You’ll SeeThe route crosses open grassland, coastal road, rare Torrey pines, marsh and beach habitat,…
The route crosses open grassland, coastal road, rare Torrey pines, marsh and beach habitat, with tidepools and shipwreck remnants near the coast. Shade is limited and wind can make exposed beach and dune sections slow. Pets are not allowed. Leave No Trace and stay on established routes.
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.
