Santa Rosa Island

Channel Islands National Park — ocean access, fishing, hiking

Location: Ventura, CA, CA

Price: From $15 per night

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 (227 reviews)

Season: May through October

Tucked away in a canyon to protect visitors from strong northwest winds, Water Canyon Campground offers exceptional island views, access to spectacular hiking opportunities and a nearby white sand beach. Located 40 nautical miles from the Channel Islands National Park visitor center in Ventura, Santa Rosa is the second largest island in California at approximately 53,000 acres in size. The island landforms support a diverse array of plant and animal species including six plant species found nowh

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Restrooms, Camp Host, Fishing

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/santa-rosa-island to be notified when sites open up.

Federal campground on Santa Rosa Island offers exceptional island views, access to spectacular hiking, and a nearby white sand beach. Google reviews consistently praise the campground's water access, well-maintained facilities, and unique island experience (4.8/5 from 95 reviews).

Wildlife alert: Santa Rosa Island Fox, Gray Whale, Island Fox, Allen's Hummingbird, Common Raven, Horned Lark, Island Fence Lizard

Insider tips for Santa Rosa Island: Book early — this is a federal campground with only 15 tent sites and high demand Boat transportation arranged through Island Packers from Ventura Harbor or air transportation through Channel Islands Aviation from Camarillo airport Multiple water spigots and restrooms available throughout campground

Skip Santa Rosa Island if: You need RV hookups — no hookups available at sites. You prefer year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only. You're visiting outside May-October — campground closed.

Best time to visit Santa Rosa Island: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach Camping (Ventura, CA), San Miguel Island (Ventura, CA), Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry (Ventura, CA), Santa Cruz Scorpion (ventura, CA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Santa Rosa Island

Cell signal at Santa Rosa Island (Ventura, CA): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›CA›Santa Rosa Island
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Channel Islands National Park — ocean access, fishing, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Santa Rosa Island

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Ventura, CA, CA★ 4.8 (227 reviews)From $15/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Tucked away in a canyon to protect visitors from strong northwest winds, Water Canyon Campground offers exceptional island views, access to spectacular hiking opportunities and a nearby white sand beach. Located 40 nautical miles from the Channel Islands National Park visitor center in Ventura, Santa Rosa is the second largest island in California at approximately 53,000 acres in size. The island landforms support a diverse array of plant and animal species including six plant species found nowhere on earth but Santa Rosa Island.

Best for:AnglersHikersBoatersWildlife watchersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
Bear boxesYes — at every site
ToiletsFlush toilets
PetsNot allowed
CampfiresNot permitted
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic TablesFishing
Family & Pets
Restrooms

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups — no hookups available at sites✕ You prefer year-round camping — seasonal operations May through October only✕ You're visiting outside May-October — campground closed

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with only 15 tent sites and high demand

Boat transportation arranged through Island Packers from Ventura Harbor or air transportation through Channel Islands Aviation from Camarillo airport

Multiple water spigots and restrooms available throughout campground

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Santa Rosa Island Fox, Gray Whale, Island Fox, Allen's Hummingbird, Common Raven, Horned Lark, Island Fence Lizard

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
805-658-5730· Channel Islands National Park
Getting there →

Boat transportation can be arranged with Island Packers from Ventura Harbor. Air transportation can be arranged with Channel Islands Aviation from Camarillo airport. To park headquarters in Ventura, California: Highway 101, exit Victoria or Seaward to Ventura Harbor.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Channel Islands National Park fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Channel Islands National Park before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Santa Rosa Island cost per night?+
Santa Rosa Island costs $15 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Santa Rosa Island open?+
Santa Rosa Island is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Santa Rosa Island have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Santa Rosa Island?+
Santa Rosa Island is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Santa Rosa Island?+
Santa Rosa Island is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Santa Rosa Island?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Santa Rosa Island is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Santa Rosa Island open, and what are check-in times?+
Santa Rosa Island is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

National Park Services Concessionaire
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$15 /night★ 4.8 (227)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Santa Rosa Island cost per night?+
What season is Santa Rosa Island open?+
Does Santa Rosa Island have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach Camping

Ventura, CA

From $10/night

San Miguel Island

Ventura, CA

From $15/night

Santa Cruz Del Norte Backcountry

Ventura, CA

From $15/night

Santa Cruz Scorpion

ventura, CA

From $15/night

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