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 If you are looking for a journey by land and sea, consider Channel Islands National Park! The Channel Islands are located off the coast of Santa Barbara, California, and just getting over to them is part of the adventure. The waters surrounding Channel Islands National Park are home to many diverse and beautiful species of whales, dolphins, and porpoises. About one third of these species found worldwide can be seen in the Santa Barbara Channel. The 27 species sighted in the channel include gray, blue, humpback, minke, sperm, and pilot whales, not to mention orcas and four species of dolphins.

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Once you reach the Channel Islands, you can set up camp on a little-visited island, with wind-swept hills, crashing waves, secluded beaches, unique wildlife, and a complete hiking trail network to get you anywhere you want to go. The plants and animals of the Channel Islands are unique due to thousands of years of island isolation that have resulted in size, shape or color variations.

These islands are home to 65 plant species that do not exist anywhere else in the world. All of the larger islands are the home of the island fox, a close relative to the mainland's gray fox. Because it has evolved in isolation, the Islands fox is no larger than a house cat. These foxes are abundant and you will see them frequently!

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