Montanon Ridge Hike on Santa Cruz Island

Leaving Ventura harbor at about 9am, we arrived on Santa Cruz Island about 10am.  After a short briefing from a NPS volunteer, we headed West into Scorpion Canyon.  Although fairly steep, the trail is easy to follow and soon affords a great view of the Eastern end of the island and the Santa Barbara Channel. 

Once at the top of the canyon, we joined the main trail to Montanon Ridge and continued up and West towards the summit.  Near the summit, we found a great spot for lunch on a flat area overlooking a canyon, the Pacific Ocean, the Western end of Santa Cruz island, and the Santa Barbara County coastline back on the mainland. 

After lunch, we trekked back down Smugglers Cove trail to the East end of the island and the road down to the ranch house and the pier where we caught the 3.30 boat back to Ventura.

All agreed that it had been a great hike on a wonderful island that view Californians or visitors ever see. 

The activity will begin at 8.15am when we'll meet up at Ventura harbor for our 9.00am boat trip (details below) across the Santa Barbara Channel to Scorpion Cove on Santa Cruz Island.  One quarter of this island is a part of the Channel Islands National Park (CINP) while three-quarters are a preserve owned by the Nature Conservancy.  We will be hiking in the CINP. 

We should arrive on the island at 10am or so.  From Scorpion Cove, the former site of the Scorpion Ranch, we will head up Smugglers Road/trail until we meet the Montanon Ridge Trail.  Following this, we'll reach the summit of the ridge in about 4 miles where we should have fantastic views of the island, the ocean, and perhaps the California mainland.  After pausing for lunch, we'll start back down Montanon ridge until we meet the junction with the Scorpion Canyon trail.  Taking a left/north, we'll hike down into Scorpion Canyon itself, then back out via Potato Harbor road/trail to the Ranch and boat anchorage.  Total hike distance is 8.5 miles and the estimated hike time is 4.5 hours, so we should have time to explore the area around the ranch before boarding the boat back at 3.30pm.

Participants should be prepared for variable weather, wear sturdy boots, and bring water, a lunch, and whatever snack you'd like to eat during the trip.

Additional details about Santa Cruz island, its history, and its flora/faura can be found at the CINP website at www.nps.gov or at www.islandpackers.com, the boat operator.

PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS HIKE IS ON A TUESDAY.