Channel Islands National Park Channel Islands National Park, comprised of five of the eight California Channel Islands, is home to a wide variety of nationally and internationally significant natural and cultural resources. Over 2,000 terrestrial plants and animals can be found within the park. One hundred and forty-five of these are found nowhere else in the world.
Marine life ranges from microscopic plankton to the endangered blue whale.
Archeological and cultural resources span a period of more than 10,000 years. The park consists of 249,353 acres, half of which are under the ocean and include the islands of San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Anacapa, and Santa Barbara. Even though the islands seem tantalizingly close to the densely populated, southern California coast, their isolation has left them relatively undeveloped, making them an exciting place for visitors to explore. Visitation to the islands and waters is low, with about 30,000 visitors traveling to the islands and another 60,000 who go only into park waters. Although most visitation occurs in the summer, migrating gray whales and spectacular wildflower displays attract visitors in the winter and spring.