Do I need a reservation for Channel Islands?

Yes. Channel Islands National Park requires Concessionaire boat to enter. It applies to All five islands: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara. Departures from Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands (Oxnard) Harbor. Visitors with their own private boat may land on all five islands year-round without using the concessionaire. Channel Islands National Park charges no entrance fee.

Is there an entrance fee at Channel Islands?

No. Channel Islands does not charge an entrance fee. Other requirements on this page may still apply.

Channel Islands reservations & entry requirements, 2026

The 2026 season at Channel Islands

This is what applies across the published season. Use the date checker below for a specific day.

Concessionaire boat applies on every date in 2026.

This park does not charge an entrance fee.

Park entrance
Not required
Channel Islands National Park does not charge an entrance fee.
- Channel Islands charges no entrance fee at all. The real cost barrier is concessionaire boat transportation to the islands, which is a separate commercial ticket, not a park entrance fee.
Timed entry
Not applicable
Channel Islands National Park has no timed-entry system.
Vehicle, road, or corridor
Not required
Nothing here is required in 2026.
- Santa Barbara Island unreachable - no boat trips due to dock damage.
- Santa Rosa Island seasonal and fire-recovery area closures. Sandy Point and the China Camp to Cluster Point area are closed year-round, not seasonally. Beach camping is closed until August 15 due to elephant seals.
Shuttle
Required all year
Concessionaire boat applies on every date in 2026.
- Concessionaire boat
  Dates
  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  Hours
  All day
  Fee
  Not published
  Opens
  On sale now
  Applies to All five islands: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara. Departures from Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands (Oxnard) Harbor.
  - Boat fares are set and collected by Island Packers, not by NPS. NPS does not publish the fare, so it is recorded as unknown.
  - Visitors with their own private boat may land on all five islands year-round without using the concessionaire.
  - The mainland visitor centers in Ventura and Santa Barbara are reachable by car and need no boat.
  - A campground reservation does NOT get you a boat seat. NPS advises securing boat transportation first, because concession boats fill faster than campgrounds do.
- Air taxi service to Santa Rosa Island was discontinued in 2021.
Book on islandpackers.com(opens in a new tab)
Your campground or lodging
Required all year
Island campground reservation applies on every date in 2026.
- Island campground reservation
  Dates
  Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026
  Hours
  All day
  Fee
  $15
  Opens
  Rolling window
  Applies to One campground on each island: Santa Barbara, East Anacapa, Scorpion Canyon (Santa Cruz), Water Canyon (Santa Rosa), Cuyler Harbor (San Miguel)
  - $15.00 per night per site, which NPS states includes both the park fee and the reservation contractor's fee.
  - Backcountry camping on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa is handled separately.
  - The reservation covers the campsite only. It does not cover boat transportation, which must be booked first and separately.
Book on recreation.gov(opens in a new tab)
Selected activity
Not applicable
Channel Islands National Park has no headline activity permit that visitors confuse with entry.

Fees and passes

Channel Islands does not charge an entrance fee.

Channel Islands charges no entrance fee at all. The real cost barrier is concessionaire boat transportation to the islands, which is a separate commercial ticket, not a park entrance fee.

An America the Beautiful pass is accepted here. It covers the entrance fee only. It does not cover a timed-entry permit, a vehicle reservation, a parking tag, a shuttle ticket, or an activity permit.

There is no entrance fee for a pass to cover, and the park does not sell federal lands passes. A pass does not cover the Island Packers boat fare or the campground reservation fee. The 2026 fee-free day list is published on the park's fees page even though the park charges nothing.

Fee-free days

Feb 16, 2026
May 25, 2026
Jun 14, 2026
Jul 3, 2026
Jul 4, 2026
Jul 5, 2026
Aug 25, 2026
Sep 17, 2026
Oct 27, 2026
Nov 11, 2026

From 2026 a fee-free day waives the entrance fee for U.S. residents. Other visitors still pay it. A fee-free day never waives a reservation, a permit, or a booking fee unless the park says so.

Rules that apply to one area only

These do not apply to the whole park. Where you go changes the answer.

One campground on each island: Santa Barbara, East Anacapa, Scorpion Canyon (Santa Cruz), Water Canyon (Santa Rosa), Cuyler Harbor (San Miguel)Advance campground reservation required on every island · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026

What a campground or lodging booking does and does not cover

Concessionaire boat (Island Packers) is the only public way to reach the islandsNot covered by an in-park booking. A campground reservation does NOT get you a boat seat. NPS advises securing boat transportation first, because concession boats fill faster than campgrounds do.
Advance campground reservation required on every islandNot covered by an in-park booking. The reservation covers the campsite only. It does not cover boat transportation, which must be booked first and separately.

Quick answers

Do I need a reservation for Channel Islands?: Yes. Channel Islands National Park requires Concessionaire boat to enter. It applies to All five islands: Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, Santa Barbara. Departures from Ventura Harbor and Channel Islands (Oxnard) Harbor. Visitors with their own private boat may land on all five islands year-round without using the concessionaire. Channel Islands National Park charges no entrance fee.
Is there an entrance fee at Channel Islands?: No. Channel Islands does not charge an entrance fee. Other requirements on this page may still apply.

Official links, coverage, and sources

When reservations are released

Concessionaire boatIsland Packers sells its own tickets; NPS publishes no release date or release time for them. Schedules vary by island, from year-round trips to Anacapa and Santa Cruz down to 4-8 days per month for San Miguel.
Island campground reservationReleased on a rolling window. Reservations can be made no more than six months in advance, via Recreation.gov or 877-444-6777. NPS does not publish a daily release clock time.

Official booking and park information

Book Concessionaire boatislandpackers.com(opens in a new tab)
Book Island campground reservationrecreation.gov(opens in a new tab)$15 booking fee
Official park alerts and conditionsnps.gov(opens in a new tab)Alerts override anything on this page.
Official fees and passesnps.gov(opens in a new tab)

What this does not cover

Road, weather, and fire closures that change day to day. Check the park’s alerts page.
Backcountry and wilderness permits beyond the headline permits listed above.
Commercial use authorizations, filming permits, and group-size rules.
Availability. We tell you what is required, not whether anything is left.
Individual campsite and lodge availability, which is handled by the booking system.

Effective dates and sources

Fees and passesNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Park entranceAn entrance pass is not required to access Channel Islands National Park.
Island Transportation - Channel Islands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Concessionaire boatWhile the mainland visitor centers in Ventura and Santa Barbara are readily accessible by car or public transportation, the islands are only accessible by park concessionaire boats (Island Packers) or private boat. Advanced planning is highly recommended.
Airstrip (Santa Rosa Island) - National Park ServiceNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Air taxi service to Santa Rosa IslandChannel Islands Aviation used to fly visitors regularly to the island using this airstrip but stopped their operation in 2021. ... Private aircraft may not land within park boundaries.
Camping - Channel Islands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Island campground reservationAdvanced camping reservations are required for all of the campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee is charged for camping on the islands. The $15.00 per night-per site fee includes both the National Park Service fee ...
Island Transportation - Channel Islands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Santa Barbara Island unreachableNOTE: Due to dock damage at Santa Barbara Island, Island Packers is not currently running trips to the island.
Current Conditions - Channel Islands National ParkNational Park Service · reviewed 2026-07-26 · applies to Santa Rosa Island seasonal and fire-recovery areaMarch 1 to September 15 -Skunk Point to East Point Back Beaches and Sand Dunes Closed ... Until August 15 -Backcountry Beach Camping Due to the continued presence of elephant seals on the beaches at Santa Rosa Island, beach camping will close until August 15.

Something wrong here?

Park rules change, sometimes at short notice. If a line on this page does not match what the park publishes, tell us and we will fix it and re-check the source.

corrections@nationalparkentry.com· Last factual change 2026-08-05 · Sources last reviewed 2026-07-26

Nearest other national parks

Chosen by distance from Channel Islands, not by editorial preference.

Channel Islands National Park entry requirements