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Channel Islands National Park

@channelislandsnps

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Close to the mainland…yet worlds apart. Official Instagram for Channel Islands National Park.

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Emergency stabilization efforts get a lift!

Fire recovery work on Santa Rosa Island reached an important milestone last week as crews airlifted 575 erosion-control wattles to restoration sites near the island’s rare Torrey pine stands.

In just over four hours, 50 helicopter lifts moved more than 25,000 pounds of material, totaling about 10,700 linear feet of wattles.

Next comes installation. Crews will place the wattles along burned slopes to slow runoff, capture sediment and help keep soil in place before winter rains arrive.

It was a big lift, literally and figuratively, made possible by park staff, volunteers, partners and Aspen Helicopters working together to protect Santa Rosa Island’s natural and cultural resources after this year’s fire.

Learn more about the fire and ongoing recovery efforts: https://go.nps.gov/16epw1

Photo credit: Michelle Gados

Alt text: Photo 1: A helicopter flies over the ocean near Santa Rosa Island, carrying a suspended load of erosion-control wattles by a long cable for post-fire stabilization work.
Photo 2: Bundles of brown erosion-control wattles secured with yellow straps are staged across a barren, fire-scarred landscape on Santa Rosa Island, ready for installation to help stabilize burned slopes before winter rains.

#ChannelIslandsNationalPark #SantaRosaIsland #WaterCanyon #WildfireRecovery by @channelislandsnps

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10 days ago

Good news for Santa Rosa Island campers! Overnight camping will resume in portions of the island beginning October 14.

Water Canyon Campground will reopen, along with designated backcountry beach camping areas in the northwest and southwest quadrants.

The southeast quadrant and the burn area will remain closed as recovery continues from the May fire, which burned 18,379 acres.

Advance reservations are required. Existing reservations for October 14 and later remain valid. Check current conditions and plan your trip: nps.gov/chis

Photo credit: Ana Beatriz Cholo
Alt text: Photo 1: California poppies bloom amid the burned landscape at Water Canyon Campground on Santa Rosa Island, an early sign of post-fire recovery. Photo 2: Fire-damaged vegetation surrounds campsites at Water Canyon Campground on Santa Rosa Island.

#ChannelIslandsNationalPark #SantaRosaIsland #WaterCanyon #WildfireRecovery by @channelislandsnps

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a month ago

⚠️Santa Rosa Island is closed to all overnight use through at least October 12, 2026.

All Water Canyon Campground reservations and backcountry beach camping reservations have been canceled through October 12, and affected visitors have been notified by email.
Backcountry camping within the southeastern quadrant of Santa Rosa Island will remain closed for the remainder of the 2026 recreation season.

Post-fire recovery work continues across Santa Rosa Island, including environmental stabilization following the Santa Rosa Island Fire. Our goal is to reopen overnight camping where conditions safely allow.

We will continue to monitor conditions and determine when overnight camping can safely reopen. Please check current conditions on the park website before planning your visit!

Photo credit: Ana Beatriz Cholo
Alt text: View of fire-affected Water Canyon on Santa Rosa Island, with charred hillsides and patches of green vegetation along the canyon floor. Water Canyon Campground is visible in the distance on the right.

#ChannelIslandsNationalPark #SantaRosaIsland #WaterCanyonCampground #NationalParkService #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque by @channelislandsnps

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a month ago

🔥Update on Santa Rosa Island Fire recovery🔥

Initial assessments indicate that 60% to 80% of Santa Rosa Island’s iconic Torrey pines may perish following the Santa Rosa Island Fire, the largest wildfire in Channel Islands National Park history.

The Santa Rosa Island Fire burned 18,379 acres, almost two-fifths of the island, between May 15 and June 4, 2026. While many of the island's grasslands and shrubs are expected to recover naturally, the fire severely impacted the island's globally rare Torrey pine grove, one of only two naturally occurring Torrey pine populations in the world, and the only location for the island subspecies.

Now, restoration work is underway. 💚💚💚

Park staff and partners have already collected more than 14,000 Torrey pine seeds released from cones after the fire. Viable seeds will be grown into seedlings for future planting.

At the same time, crews and volunteers are racing to stabilize burned hillsides before winter rains arrive. About 250 erosion-control wattles, totaling more than 4,500 feet, have already been prepared to help keep soil and seeds from washing away.

While many mature trees cannot be saved, protecting the soil beneath them is critical to giving the forest a chance to recover.

The work visitors see today is only the beginning. Recovery of the Torrey pine forest will take generations. To learn more about the Santa Rosa Island Fire and ongoing recovery efforts, please visit the park website.

Photo credit: Ana Beatriz Cholo
Alt text: Photo 1: A National Park Service biologist holds Torrey pine seeds collected on Santa Rosa Island for restoration following the Santa Rosa Island Fire. Photo 2: A National Park Service biologist examines a Torrey pinecone for viable seeds. Photo 3: Volunteers working out of the plant nursery on Santa Rosa Island roll natural fiber wattles that will help slow rainwater and reduce erosion in the Torrey pine grove.

#ChannelIslandsNationalPark #SantaRosaIsland #TorreyPines #WildfireRecovery #Restoration #NationalParkService by @channelislandsnps

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2 months ago

This land is your land, this land is my land. 🇺🇸

From California to the New York Island, today we celebrate 110 years of the National Park Service and the remarkable places entrusted to our care.

At Channel Islands National Park, the iconic silhouette of Anacapa Island rises from the Pacific, a view that feels both timeless and unmistakably wild.

For 110 years, the National Park Service has helped protect places like this across the country, preserving them not just for us, but for everyone who comes after us.

Happy birthday, National Park Service! 🎂🏞️

Photo credit: Ana Beatriz Cholo
Alt text: Anacapa Island rises above the Pacific Ocean beneath a sweeping blue sky filled with wispy clouds. The island’s lighthouse stands on the ridge at right, while several rugged sea stacks rise from the water offshore. Photo taken Aug. 25, 2026.

#NPSBirthday #ChannelIslandsNationalPark #AnacapaIsland #FindYourPark by @channelislandsnps

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2 months ago

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2 months ago

No plans yet for the weekend? Why not check out the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center in Ventura Harbor and catch a free Tidepool Talk?

Tidepool Talks are offered Saturdays, Sundays and holidays at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the marine life exhibit inside the visitor center. Rangers introduce visitors to the rich ocean ecosystem of the Santa Barbara Channel and some of the species that live beneath the surface at the Channel Islands.

The exhibit is home to live marine animals, including two California spiny lobsters. It offers a glimpse of the “other half” of Channel Islands National Park, the underwater world you might experience while snorkeling, swimming or scuba diving around the islands.

And while you’re here, you can watch the park’s 25-minute film, explore exhibits and the native plant garden, and climb the tower for views of Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands.

Speaking of, if you're planning a trip to the islands, rangers at the visitor center can answer questions and help you plan your visit, including information about boat transportation and camping reservations.

The visitor center is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., except Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Admission is free, and parking in the visitor center lot is free. by @channelislandsnps

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2 months ago

The National Park Service is now accepting proposals for a 10-year concession contract at Scorpion Anchorage on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park. From guided water float tours to snorkeling and retail, this opportunity sits in one of California’s most spectacular coastal settings. This is a rare opportunity to operate within a national park.

To learn more, please visit https://www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/chis004-27.htm by @channelislandsnps

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7 months ago

You may not like it, but this is what peak snail performance looks like 🌊🐌

For day 3 of #AbaloneWeek, we’re zooming in on green abalone and their role in park ecosystems!

Like other abalone found in @channelislandsnps, green abalone (Haliotis fulgens) are marine snails with one shell and a strong, muscular “foot” that they use to move and to grip onto hard surfaces. Green abalone range from Point Conception, California, to Bahia de Magdalena, Mexico. They live in shallow waters from the low intertidal to at least 30 feet, and are found in rocky crevices, under rocks, and other cryptic spaces.

While abalone can move quickly (for a snail) when disturbed or threatened, they are also capable of remaining in the same spot for astonishing periods of time if food is plentiful and they are protected from predators by the rocky reefs.

This green abalone is pictured alongside some of its favorite things: Rocks and kelp! What more could a snail ask for?

Green abalone play an important role in our park’s marine ecosystems: help to control populations of algae growing on reefs and are an important food source for lobsters, crabs, octopuses and other species.

Image: A green abalone clings to a rock surrounded by kelp off of Anacapa Island, by Reuven Bank

#Abalone #MarineConservation #FindYourPark #ChannelIslands taken in Channel Islands National Park by @channelislandsnps

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a year ago

For day 2 of #AbaloneWeek, we’re diving into the watery world of pink abalone!

Pink abalone (Haliotis corrugata) are a visually distinctive species of marine snail, with thick circular shells that feature strong corrugations. Usually living between 20-120 feet in depth, pink abalone are one of the more commonly seen species of abalone in @channelislandsnps.

Pink abalone are connected to kelp forests, feeding mostly on kelp and drift algae. In the shelter and habitat created by towering canopies of kelp, abalone can live for many decades. It’s possible the same pink abalone your grandparents saw in the rocky reefs of our park will be one you encounter during your next dive in @channelislandsnps.

Channel Islands National Park monitors and protects the marine ecosystems that pink abalone call home. Learn more about our kelp forest monitoring program at nps.gov/im/medn/kelp-forest-communities!

[Images: Photo 1 - A pink abalone clings to a rock in the waters off of Anacapa Island, by Reuven Bank. A pink abalone is shown close-up on a rock, surrounded by kelp, red algae, and other marine life with a diver in the background. NPS / Scott Gabara. Photo 3 - Giant kelp grows on top of a live pink abalone, its holdfast affixed to the abalone’s shell. Courtesy of Reuven Bank]

#Abalone #MarineConservation #FindYourPark #ChannelIslands taken in Channel Islands National Park by @channelislandsnps

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a year ago

Welcome to #AbaloneWeek, where each day we’re highlighting a new species of these wildly charismatic marine snails and their connections to @channelislandsnps.

Abalone are algae-eating (herbiverous) marine snails that can be found in coastal waters all over the world. Of the 70+ species of abalone on earth, 7 are found in our state.

The ecosystems located at Channel Islands National Park serve as a remote refuge for the abalone that call these waters home. The habitats protected by Channel Islands National Park serve as a refuge for numerous species that struggle to exist in a developed landscape. Black abalone (Haliotis cracherodii) are a poster snail for the importance of this refuge.

Black abalone, who live on rocky substrates in intertidal and shallow subtidal reefs, once numbered in the millions along the California coast, but are now critically-endangered.

Beginning in the 1980s, the spread of withering syndrome caused mass mortalities, leading to dramatic declines in the black abalone populations, already weakened by overfishing in preceding decades, throughout the southern portion of the range. Black abalone are an important species to the Chumash people, whose traditional territories include the Northern Channel Islands, and are keystone species in intertidal communities.

The isolation and protection of Channel Islands National Park provided a refuge for black abalone to weather the dual storm of over-exploitation and disease. The diminished populations of abalone slowly began to increase off the Channel Islands aided by years of cooler waters, which are known to limit the spread of withering foot syndrome.

While the population is far from where it used to be, we are now seeing the highest numbers of black abalone observed in many years—a good sign for the recovery of this critical intertidal species.

Tune in tomorrow for some more snail mail on your timeline!

Photos: Black abalone in the intertidal zone of Santa Cruz Island, by Reuven Bank

#Abalone #MarineConservation #FindYourPark #ChannelIslands taken in Channel Islands National Park by @channelislandsnps

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a year ago

For today’s #KelpConnection, we’re featuring a translucent, brainless, jet-propelled colonial tunicate that graced us with its presence in Landing Cove last week.

Dive into the wild world of salps with us in Channel Islands National Park!

Video by NPS / Andrea Mills

#channelislandsnationalpark #channelislandslive #findyourpark #conservation taken in Channel Islands National Park by @channelislandsnps

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a year ago