Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park is one of 77 national parks in the United States. It covers 1,010 km² (101,000 ha) — about 1.3 times the size of New York City, making it the #24 largest national park in the United States (0.5% of the country's national park area).

History and protection

The park was established in 1980, 46 years ago — the first national parks in the United States date back to 1861. It is listed in IUCN category V: Protected Landscape/Seascape — a protected landscape shaped by people and nature together.

Visiting Channel Islands National Park

The closest airport is Santa Barbara Municipal Airport (SBA), about 87 km away — around 1 h 53 min by car; alternatively Los Angeles International Airport (LAX, 118 km). Other national parks within reach include Sequoia National Park (1,635 km²), Pinnacles National Park (108 km²), Joshua Tree National Park (3,196 km²) and Constitution 1857 National Park (50 km²) — easy to combine on one trip.