WALKING THE trail that led to Lobo Canyon felt like being on a different planet. Arid terrain gave way to steep sandstone cliffs that towered above lush greenery and spiny cacti, an intriguing mishmash of environments. At times I had to be a contortionist, ducking under the lowhanging limbs of island oak trees, scrambling up and over rocks, and walking across a wobbly hardwood plank suspended over a creek. Forcing my way through a thick tangle of reeds was slightly suffocating; I felt I might actually be swallowed up by Santa Rosa island, never to be seen again. But then the canyon opened and the trail rose upward. After a few more minutes, I stood overlooking a white beach and the Pacific Ocean. The beach was entirely free of other visitors and-judging by the absence of footprints in the sand-had been for some time.
This, I thought, is why I came to Channel Islands National Park, a chain of five islands less than 15 miles off the coast of Santa Barbara and Ventura, California. Each of the islands-Anacapa, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and San Miguel-has its own unique appeal, and collectively they're often referred to as the Galápagos of North America, thanks to the 145 endemic species found nowhere else in the world.
This story is from the August 2023 edition of Travel+Leisure US.
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This story is from the August 2023 edition of Travel+Leisure US.
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