Potato Harbor Overlook and Cavern Point Loop – Best hike on Channel Islands National Park

If you’re like me and enjoy a good long coastal hike with fewer crowds, then you’ll love Potato Harbor Overlook and Cavern Point Loop trail on Santa Cruz Island. This is the largest island in Channel Islands National Park, located off the coast of Southern California. It is very remote, but that’s part of the draw. You really get to disconnect out here.

I got an opportunity to visit Channel Islands National Park on my long weekend getaway to Santa Barbara, and my husband and I dedicated a whole day to exploring the Channel Islands.

I love hiking in national parks and enjoying nature and scenery, so I was looking for the best day trip hike in Channel Islands National Park. The Potato Harbor Overlook hike was the perfect choice. It is the most popular and rewarding hike on Santa Cruz Island and offers panoramic views of the island and the ocean.

Let’s get into the details about how to get here, the hike details, and hiking tips for Channel Islands National Park.

Where is Potato Harbor Overlook and Cavern Point Loop Hike?

Potato Harbor Overlook and Cavern Point Loop trail is located on Santa Cruz Island, the largest island in Channel Islands National Park off the coast of Southern California.

To get to the Channel Islands, you’ll need to head to Ventura or Oxnard and take a ferry to Santa Cruz Island.

If you’re coming from Los Angeles, it’s about a 1.5- to 2-hour drive to Ventura (around 70 miles). From Santa Barbara, it’s about a 45-minute drive to Ventura (around 30 miles).

Visiting the Channel Islands is one of the best outdoor things to do in Santa Barbara!

How to get here?

To get to Santa Cruz Island, you’ll need to hop on a ferry with Island Packers from Ventura Harbor or Oxnard, depending on which harbor has availability for your dates. The only other way to get there is with a private boat.

The ferry ride is about an hour to an hour and a half long, and you’ll most probably spot some dolphins along the way like I did (hundreds of them!), which made the journey even more exciting! Not so much for my husband, though, as he gets seasick easily.

Once the boat drops you off at Scorpion Cove, you’re just a short walk from the trailheads for both Potato Harbor and Cavern Point. It’s really easy to find, and the rangers at the dock are great if you need directions.

Make sure to pick up a park map from the Channel Islands Visitor Center at Ventura Harbor before your trip. The visitor center opens at 8:30 AM, and our boat was at 10 AM, so we stopped by to get a paper map.

Hike Details

• Distance: around 5 miles round trip for the full loop, including both Potato Harbor Overlook and Cavern Point.
• Elevation Gain: Around 600 feet.
• Difficulty: Moderate. There are some steep sections for the initial climb, especially near Cavern Point, but the majority of the hike was easy.
• Trail Type: Loop or out and back. You can start in either direction from the visitor center area near Scorpion Anchorage. You can do this as a loop or an out-and-back hike along the ocean trail. I recommend doing the loop through the campground as that path is shorter and more gradual.
• Time Needed: 2-3 hours. It took us a little over 3 hours as we stopped a lot for photos and took a couple of breaks.

Hike experience

At the start of the trailhead there are two paths when facing the island.

• The path to the left goes through the campgrounds, and then to the Potato Harbor Overlook first via the Potato Harbor Road. This has a gradual incline.
• The path to the right has an immediate steep uphill climb and goes first to Cavern Point first and then to Potato Harbor Overlook.

You can start in either direction and do the full loop. We started on the left path and went through the campgrounds first. But if I had to do it again, I would start with the Cavern Point incline first, as steep inclines are easier for me than steep descents. So decide what is best for you.

Initial part through the campgrounds

The entire trail is a dirt path with some steps and uneven surfaces along the way. The initial path through the campgrounds is a wide road and is mostly flat. We saw quite a few tents there. The camping is very primitive here, with just water and vault restrooms.

At the campgrounds, you will reach a fork where the left path will lead to the Potato Harbor Road, and the right will lead to the North Bluff trail. You can take either as they both meet the coastal trail and go to the Potato Harbor Overlook. We took the North Bluff Trail.

Once you are on the Potato Harbor Road or North Bluff Trail, there is a gradual incline till you reach the part where it joins the coastal trail. We saw panoramic views of the island on this part of the trail.

I was hoping to see an island fox, as they are usually near the campgrounds, but unfortunately, I didn’t see any.

The trail here was mostly empty, and we walked alone for long stretches of time. It was really nice to experience some solitude with nature!

Once we joined the coastal trail, we started seeing some folks. Even though it was sunny at the campgrounds, the coastal part of the trail was foggy, and we could not see any ocean views.

But we enjoyed walking in the fog, which I imagine would be better than walking on a hot day, as the entire trail is exposed to the sun. The weather was perfect, and it was not too cold or windy.

The cliff edges can be dangerous with steep drop-offs, so make sure to stay on the coastal trail.

Potato Harbor Overlook

The coastal part of the trail is mostly flat all the way to Potato Harbor. This part of the trail was interesting, with a wide lava rock path and tall grasses on both sides.

After around a mile, we reached the Potato Harbor Overlook. This is where we saw some other hikers enjoying the overlook. It was really foggy 🙁 so we didn’t have full visibility of the Potato Harbor, which was a bummer after the long hike!

Potato Harbor is tucked away in a little cove shaped like a potato, hence the name. There’s no beach access here, but it makes for a great photo op and a perfect spot to rest and have a snack.

We had originally planned to eat our lunch here, but there were several ravens flying at the harbor lookout, and they were really notorious for snatching food.

When I took out my sandwich, one raven flew so close above our heads that I quickly put the food away. We decided to eat once we got back to the pier.

After enjoying a break, we started our way back through the coastal trail. If you came from the campgrounds, stick to the left side of the fork to return via Cavern Point.

Cavern Point

Cavern Point is around 1.5 miles from the Potato Harbor Overlook, and from there, it is another mile to Scorpion Cove. Most of this route is easy, with a steep descent from Cavern Point to the pier.

Unfortunately, this part of the hike was the foggiest. At Cavern Point, there is a small climb to reach the overlook. There is a seating area here to rest and eat.

From Cavern Point, the hike back to the pier is along the ocean. This part of the trail was the most developed, as I believe it gets the most foot traffic. Many hikers just do an out-and-back hike to just Cavern Point from the pier, especially if they are also doing kayaking and are short of time.

As we got closer to the pier, the fog started clearing out, and we saw the beautiful blue ocean again.

The final part is a steep descent with some steps to go back to the pier. Finally, we were back at the pier and waited for our ferry. There are picnic tables and benches here to rest.

It took us around 3ish hours to do the whole hike, but I am a slow hiker, and I take my time to admire the hike and take photos. It can be done in 2 hours if you are an experienced hiker.

Hiking Tips

Below are some tips for hiking on the Channel Islands based on our own experience:

Facilities at Santa Cruz Island for hikers

• There is drinking water at the campground tap. But we carried enough with us for the hike.
• The only restrooms are at the trailhead at Scorpion Cove. They do not have running water and are vault-style. There are restrooms on the ferry which were clean.
• There is no food available on the island, so make sure to bring your own.
• There are no trashcans anywhere on the island! So you have to carry your trash back to the mainland with you.
• There are picnic tables at the trailhead and campground, but the rest of the trail has no place to sit. Cavern Point has a log seating area, which is great. At Potato Harbor, we just sat on the ground to rest.
• There was no cell signal anywhere on the island. We once got a tiny one bar on our phone during the hike and could make a quick call home to check on family.

Best time to hike on the Channel Islands?

Spring, summer, and fall are all great seasons for hiking the Channel Islands.

We visited Santa Cruz Island in early August, and the weather was really great for hiking, except for the fog. But fog can be present in the summer months as well.

I believe the trails will be much greener in the Spring, and there will be wildflowers as well. We saw some wildflowers along the ocean trail.

Do you have to pay to hike to the Potato Harbor Overlook?

The ferry ride is the only thing we paid for to hike here. It was $66 round trip per person when we visited on a Friday in early August. The pricing is dynamic and can be more during peak season or holidays.

There is no National Park entrance fee required to visit Channel Islands. Even though we had our Annual National Park pass, it was not needed.

What should you pack for hiking on the Channel Islands?

• Water – Carry enough water as per your needs. Thee is a tap at the campground, but we carried enough with us.
• Food – Carry lunch and snacks. There is no food to purchase anywhere on the island.
• Good Shoes – Hiking boots will be more comfortable as the hike has uneven surfaces. I just wore my sneakers but was regretting it.
• Hiking poles – If you use them for uneven inclines.
• Sun Protection: A hat/cap, sunglasses, and sunscreen are essential as its a fully exposed trail.
• Light Jacket: Even in summer, it can get breezy on the coast, so bring a light jacket just in case. I even had my beanie, as coastal trails can be windy.

Where to stay for hiking Channel Islands

We stayed at Hotel Milo in Santa Barabara and did a day trip to Channel Islands National Park. It was a 45-minute drive one way from Santa Barbara to Ventura Harbor.

Although I debated staying in Ventura the night before, we didn’t want to pack/unpack to stay in Ventura for one night. My short-listed hotel in Ventura was Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Ventura, right next to the Harbor.

Santa Cruz Island has campgrounds if you like to camp. Just remember that the facilities here are minimal, and the restrooms are vault-style with no running water.

Final Takeaways: Hiking to Cavern Point and Potato Harbor Overlook on Channel Islands

Hiking the Cavern Point Loop and Potato Harbor Overlook on Santa Cruz Island was a truly unplugged and memorable experience. It’s a moderate hike with amazing coastal views. Even though it was foggy and we couldn’t see the coastal views fully, we still loved the overall hike.

Whether you’re here for the isolation, the wildlife, or just the chance to get outside in untouched nature, this hike has something for everyone. Just be prepared, take your time, and enjoy the natural beauty of Channel Islands National Park.

Read about my complete day trip experience to Channel Islands National Park here.