Anacapa Island

Anacapa Island is the closest of the Channel Islands to the mainland, about 11 miles southwest of Point Hueneme in Ventura County. It is really three narrow islets, East, Middle and West Anacapa, strung out over about five miles with a total of roughly 700 acres. Steep volcanic cliffs ring all three. Only East Anacapa has a landing, and most of the rest is closed to protect seabirds. Anacapa is also home to one of California's two big California brown pelican nesting colonies.

The landing cove

Access to the water is only at the Landing Cove on East Anacapa. Visitors climb a steel-rung ladder from the boat to a dock, then climb 157 stairs to the top of the island. The new lift on the dock is for ferries and park vessels only; private boaters and their guests use ladders, and private boats cannot tie up at the dock. Anchor offshore and go ashore by dinghy. The park keeps reserved moorings at Anacapa for NPS, Coast Guard and concessionaire use, so private boats must anchor at a reasonable distance from them. There is no water on the island, so bring all you need.

Closures and the pelican season

West Anacapa is closed except for beaches other than the one at Frenchys Cove, and Middle Anacapa is closed except for exposed beaches. Frenchys Cove, the island's most popular anchorage, sits inside California's Anacapa Special Closure, the Brown Pelican Fledgling Area. The beach and anchorage there are closed from January 1 through October 31 each year. Western gulls also nest on the island from April through mid-August, and hikers must stay on trails.

Marine protected areas

Four overlapping reserves surround the island: Anacapa Island State Marine Reserve and Federal Marine Reserve (no take of anything) and a State Marine Conservation Area and Federal Marine Conservation Area (recreational lobster and listed pelagic finfish only).