Santa Catalina is a beautiful island located only 27 miles off the coast of southern California. Though Catalina is a short 90 minute boat ride away, it feels like another world. There are two small, quaint towns on the island — Avalon and Two Harbors — and the remainder of the island is primarily wilderness managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy.
The 37.2 mile Trans-Catalina Trail traverses the entire island, from Avalon on the eastern tip to Starlight beach at the western end. Of course, once you get to the end, you’ve still got to hike back to Two Harbors to catch a boat back to the mainland. This adds another nine miles, making the total mileage a bit over 46 miles — perfect for a long weekend backpack getaway.
Trail Overview
- Distance: 37.2 miles officially, though we logged a total of 53.3 miles (you have to hike back to Two Harbors)
- Total elevation gain/loss: 9600′
- Hiking time: 3-4 days backpack (11+ miles/day)
Trip Itinerary
- Day 1: Avalon to Black Jack – 15 miles
- Day 2: Black Jack to Two Harbors – 12.5 miles
- Day 3: Two Harbors to Parson’s Landing to Starlight Beach (the official terminus) and back to Parson’s Landing – 15 miles
- Day 4: Parson’s Landing back to Two Harbors – 6.5 miles
Though surrounded by the Pacific, there’s no reliable water sources on the island. This isn’t much of a problem though, as you’ll find water provided at each of the campgrounds. Campsites can be reserved online through the Santa Catalina Land Company, and generally run about $16 per person, per night.
Getting There
Most people take a ferry from either San Pedro, Long Beach, Newport Beach or Dana Point to Avalon. Boats run daily to Avalon, and the fare runs about $32. The tricky part is the return trip. There is limited ferry service from Two Harbors back to the mainland, and at the time of writing, San Pedro was the only port with a ferry to Two Harbors. The alternative is to take a cab from Two Harbors to Avalon.
- Catalina Express – San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point to Avalon; San Pedro to Two Harbors
- Catalina Flyer – Newport Beach to Avalon
- Island Express – 15 minute helicopter service from Long Beach or San Pedro
Trans-Catalina Trail Trip Report
We left Dana Point marina on Friday morning, taking the 7:45am Catalina Express to Avalon. I’ve heard that they don’t allow you to bring fuel on the boat, but they didn’t ask and I didn’t tell. Arrived in Avalon a little after 9am. Stopped at the Von’s Express to pick up last minute supplies (chapstick!) and then picked up our campground reservations (which double as your hiking permit) at the Atwater Hotel. We paid an extra 8 bucks for a bundle of firewood for our first night camp. They store the firewood in lockers, and give you a key — a pretty good system.
From the Atwater, we wandered over to the Catalina Conservancy office and picked up another map. They have maps with the Trans-Catalina Trail on them, but gave us an older 2005 map that didn’t show the trail. Be sure to get the Trans-Catalina map. From here, we hiked a couple miles up Wrigley Terrace to the trailhead.
Our first day was long. We logged over15 miles, with decent elevation gain. You climb to the top of the island, then run along the ridge with views down both sides until you reach the wider interior section of the trail. This is probably the newest section of the entire trail. In some places the trail is so faint, if it weren’t for the markers it would be difficult to follow.
I would recommend either taking an earlier boat (you can get one from San Pedro) or spending a night in Avalon (Hermit Gulch campground) and getting an earlier start. As it was, we didn’t really hit the trail until nearly 11am, and didn’t reach Black Jack until 7pm. We took our time and enjoyed the hike, but would’ve rather had a little more daylight at the end of our hike. As an alternative, we could’ve gone up the Hermit Gulch Trail to the ridgeline and shaved about 7 miles off Day One, but then we wouldn’t be doing the entire Trans-Catalina Trail.
Day Two included an impromptu lunch of buffalo burgers at the airport (just off the trail) a nice long downhill to Little Harbor, and what we thought was the most beautiful section of the hike — the Ridgeline Trail from Little Harbor to Two Harbors. The coastline views were incredible.
Two Harbors was quaint, though the campground was nearly full and somewhat noisy. There is a restaurant/bar and a general store where you can find pretty much anything you need.
On Day Three we stopped at the Two Harbors visitors center to pick up our locker key for Parson’s Landing. They were great, and even had a better map. We headed across the isthmus and back up the ridge line on the western section of the island. Much of this part of the island appears to have new vegetation after the brush fires from a few years ago. Everything looked very fresh and green, and the wildflowers were in full bloom.
NOTE: the Fenceline Trail down toward Parson’s Landing is really not designed for hiking, let alone backpacking. It is ridiculously sleep and treacherously slippery. Even with trekking poles, we had to make our way down this trail very carefully.
We reached Parsons Landing in the early afternoon, and setup our camp. The campsites are right on the beach, and this was our favorite place to camp on the island. Very beautiful, very remote, and the water was crystal clear. As at the other campgrounds, Parson’s Landing has chemical toilets, but no potable water. Your campsite reservation includes one bundle of firewood and a 2-1/2 gallon container of water (plenty for the two of us).
Once camp was setup, I set off for the western terminus of the Trans-Catalina Trail — Starlight Beach. It’s 4.6 miles from Parson’s Landing to Starlight, so I had to hustle to make it there and back before dark. Thankfully, I only needed to carry a few supplies and not my backpack. This trail doesn’t go more than 600 feet above sea level, but somehow it manages to go up and down that you accumulate a lot of elevation gain.
I did follow a little Santa Catalina fox along the trail for a while (check the photo gallery below), and the trail was very tranquil.
On Day Four, we woke up to light rain, ate a no-cook breakfast and took the relatively flat coastal trail back to Two Harbors…but missed the safari bus to Avalon (it leaves Two Harbors daily at noon). At the Two Harbors visitors center we were able to swap our Avalon-Dana Point tickets for a ferry ride from Two Harbors to San Pedro, and (lucky for us) were able to get a ride to pick us up.
One of the remarkable things about this trip was the solitude. While there were always others at the various campgrounds, we rarely saw a soul on the trails. When we finally finished our 53.3 miles and were waiting for the ferry, we ran into another couple who had also completed the Trans-Catalina Trail on the same schedule, but we had only seen them at Parson’s Landing.
The weather this time of year was perfect for the trip. The daytime temperature was in the 60′s with cooling breezes. Nights were chilly, but we were comfortable in our sleeping bag and tent. Because so much of this trail is exposed to the sun, I would recommend doing this fall through spring and avoiding the worst summer heat.
Final Tips
There’s a lot of wildlife on Catalina, including bald eagles, bison and fox. Food and supplies available in both Avalon and Two Harbors. If you plan to take the ferry from Two Harbors back to the mainland, check the ferry schedule. You’ll probably need to plan your schedule around the Two Harbor ferry schedule.
Campsites in Two Harbors book up months in advance, especially for weekends in warmer months.
Photo Gallery
Click on an image for a larger version.
Additional Trans-Catalina Trail Resources
- GPS user? Download the GPS file
- View the trail on Google Earth
- The Catalina Island Conservancy has a great video overview on the Trans-Catalina Trail
- Get my complete Trans-Catalina Trail guide on EveryTrail. You can download to the EveryTrail app on your iPhone, Android, Windows Mobile or Blackberry device.
Weather Forecast for Catalina Island
| Today | Sunday | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Partly Cloudy 68°/57° | Partly Cloudy 68°/59° | Partly Cloudy 72°/61° | Partly Cloudy 68°/59° |  Clear 66°/59° | Clear 68°/57° |
About the Author
Excellent documentation of the hike. Thanks!
Glad you found it valuable, Renae.
I think I saw you post a similar trip at Outdoors Club, but with backpacks transported to each campground. Was that you? Who are you using to do the gear transport?
Great info! I’m looking at doing this trail over 4th of July (I know, could be VERY hot)…how long is the ferry ride from Dana Point? And I noticed online reservations for campsites say “2 night minimum” — any advice? I’m looking to stick to a similar itinerary – 4 days to cover the entire trail.
Awesome! I think you’ll be fine, as long as you start hiking early in the morning. If I could do anything differently, I would hit the trail by 7am.
As for the 2-night minimum for campsites, that was not the case when I reserved mine. I tried to make reservations online, but it didn’t work. I called them and explained that I tried, etc., and they took my reservations over the phone and waived the normal $10 phone reservation fee. So I would suggest giving them a call and see what they say.
Finally, the ferry ride from Dana Point is roughly 90 minutes, but will depend on the conditions. That said, you will NOT get an early start on the trail if you take the earliest ferry from Dana Point. A better solution is to go on the last ferry the night before, spend a night at Hermits Gulch campground (just outside of Avalon — no hiking, really), and then get an early start on the trail in the morning.
Good luck, have fun, and let me know how it goes!
My wife and I are hiking the trail starting on June 21. We have been counting the days for the last couple of months. Thank you for the information and the pictures of the trail. You have the best photo gallery that I have found. Would you recommend hiking the trail in trail running shoes or hiking boots.
Thanks Peter! I’m sure you’ll have a great time. As for boots vs trail runners, that’s a pretty subjective decision. I hiked it in boots because I like the extra support when carrying a backpack. But the trails are not terribly rocky like some mountainous trails and trail runners would be okay.
Note that the final downhill section towards Parsons Landing is VERY steep. While trail runners should work fine, you may appreciate having trekking poles.
When you finish your trip, come back and post a reply to let me know how you enjoyed it!
Hello, if I just wanted to hike from Little Harbor to Two Harbor, is there transportation from Avalon to Little Harbor? Is the trailhead well marked?
Yes, you can take the Safari Bus from Avalon to Little Harbor.
The trail from Little Harbor to Two Harbors is pretty clearly marked. For the most part, you’ll follow the ridgeline up, up, and up to the top then a well marked trail down to Two Harbors. There were a couple sections where I scratched my head and said “THAT is the trail?!” In a few sections there are neon-colored nylon “brushes” planted in the ground that mark the trail. The major junctions are all well marked.
I’m also considering the hike from Airport in the Sky to Avalon. It was recommended by a website I linked to below. Do you know about this trail and would you recommend it? It mentions that the trail is a paved road…. doesn’t really sound like a hiking trail to me.
http://gocalifornia.about.com/cs/catalina/a/catalinahiking.htm
There are a few options from the Airport to Avalon, but I would say it depends on your time, ability and interest. If you’re just looking for a day hike, it’s problematic, as you need to get TO the airport first. Again, you can take the Safari Bus or a taxi, but those are expensive options.
If you fly to Catalina, this is an option, and I suppose you could hike down to Avalon and take the ferry back to the mainland.
As for the trail on the site you linked, I have been briefly on sections of that road where the Trans-Catalina Trail crosses or (briefly) follows the road. I personally didn’t enjoy that road, and would much prefer a hiking trail.
The Trans-Catalina Trail also runs between Avalon and the airport. It is a much more scenic route, but it is also much longer (probably close to 20 miles). You could shorten this by about 6-7 miles by taking the Hermit Gulch Trail to the ridgeline road and then following that to the airport.
Ultimately, it depends on your full itinerary. If you’re only there for a couple nights, I would recommend spending a night in Little Harbor, then hiking to Two Harbors on the Trans-Catalina Trail. It’s only about 5 miles, but it’s a challenging hike with some steep terrain. And the views are simply amazing.
Thanks for all the tips. Your pictures are amazing.
We only have a day in Avalon, and your comments about the lack of shade en route to Blackjack gave me second thoughts about hiking from the airport back to Avalon. I’ve decided to do the 5 mile Hermit Gulch loop ending at the botanical garden. Next time with better planning, I hope to do the full TCT.
amazing! very detailed! my husband and I are going to do this hike mid Sept just in time for my bday.. Do you have any info as how much camping permits cost? do you know if they rent out tents ? Thanks .
P.S.
The pictures are awesome! love love it!
This is AWESOME.
I was stationed in the Coast Guard LA/Long Beach years ago – we made frequent trips to Catalina, San Clemente, and the other islands. Now to see that there’s a trans Catalina hiking trail, Jesus that’s just made my day.
I’ve hiked much of the Appalachian trail here in GA, as well as every trail other imaginable in this area. I’m planning in hiking the trans Catalina the week of Thanksgiving….using hostels in Long Beach/LA for my land stays, and taking your advice about the evening ferry, camping at Avalon, and an early start the next day.
Looking forward to it. Thanks for the writeup, advice, and above all…the pictures. I miss southern Cal and can’t wait to return.
Cheers –
Lars
Hello! I have found your site very helpful. I’m in the North San Diego County area until mid December, from New York State, and am looking forward to some SoCal hikes. I’m planning to backpack the TransCatalina Trail this week, because I have an extra day off for Veterans Day. I’ll be there Thursday until Sunday.
I wanted to know if there’s enough time in Day 2 to go snorkeling or kayaking or 2 hours in Little Harbor.
I’m also curious, if you remember, how long each day took to hike.
thanks!
Thanks, LindaBeth. Glad you found the site helpful!
Snorkeling or kayaking is definitely a possibility. I would recommend an early start. The days were long, and this time of the year you have even less daylight.
I would actually recommend you do that at either Two Harbors or Parsons Landing. Little Harbor is on the side of the island facing away from the coast, and much rougher water. Most people prefer water activities on the more sheltered side (Two Harbors, Parsons Landing and Avalon are all better choices).
As for the time, as I said, the hikes were long. We took our time, starting late and hiking pretty much until sundown. If you check out the stats from my hike on EveryTrail.com you’ll find all the details.
Have a great trip! Come back and let me know how it went.
How much does a cab cost from Two Harbors to Avalon? I find that on Friday the 26th, I’ll be wawking up at Two Harbors….the only ferry that day is at 5:45 pm which is WAY too late (I have to get from LB to LA that day)….so on that day I need to get from Two Harbors to Avalon, as early…and as cheap…as possible.
Alternative is to possible come into Two Harbors to START the hike, and end it in Avalon on Friday.
I see that the safari bus is $30 from TH to Avalon…eeek. Hopefully a cab is cheaper.
Your website and links have been a big help in planning this hike, btw….thanks!
Lars
This is great info for first timers, thank you. I have a little group of friends who do small hikes around the San Diego County but we want to challenge ourselves to something bigger and Trans-Catalina is perfect. From your trip experience, how much are we looking in terms of expenses?? just a ballpark if you don’t mind?
Excellent review and photos of the trail. A friend and I attempted the trip last March just about when you went. We travelled the opposite direction. With the heat, 88+ degrees one day, we cut the trip short.
We’re heading back next week and giving ourselves an extra day. We’ll bypass Two Harbors and camp at Little Harbor. Sweet spot. Really looking forward to the first night at Parson’s Landing………magic!
Sorry to break this to you, but the Safari Bus is your cheapest option. There aren’t a lot of vehicles on the island, for obvious reasons.
One thing I would warn is that the Trans-Catalina is a significant challenge. It was far more challenging than I expected, after all “it’s a little island.” Hah! Was I wrong!
Having said that, you will pay for transportation to and from the island, and then camping fees for each campsite. Add in food or supplies at Two Harbors and it can easily add up to over $100 per person, not counting the food you bring.
Backpacking on the mainland will be cheaper, but wow, this trail is such an amazing experience. It’s worth it.
Good luck, Heidi! Let me know how it goes this time (how it went?).
We got very lucky when we went last year. It got very warm during the day, but mainly because the sun was out and we were hoofing it up and down the hills. I can only imagine what it would be like at 88 (or more) degrees. Yikes!
this is a great write-up – thanks for sharing! we are looking to do a (partial) trans-catalina hike from hermit gulch to two harbors in october. taking the ferry in on friday then camping out at hermit gulch, trekking to and camping at blackjack on day 2 then trekking to two harbors on day 3 – i know the hike from blackjack to two harbors is a full day’s hike, but based on your experience, do you think it would be possible for us to get to two harbors in time for the 6 p.m. ferry back to san pedro?
I agree completely. The downhill into Parsons requires trekking poles. Also, I used Salomon trail runners and it was fine. My 12 year old son hated that section. He has had a thing about downhills ever since he tipped forward and face planted on the downhill section of the Santa Anita loop. I think if we lighten his pack and as he gets bigger this issue should go away.
My son (12yo) and I used your guide and it was absolutely invaluable. We were planning to do the whole thing in February but the first day was so brutal (for us) we only got as far as Two Harbors. We went back this last Spring Break and finished up the section from Two Harbors to Starlight Beach. People need to take your advice seriously about starting the first day early, no later than 7am. We are probably going to make this an anual tradition. Going forward we are going to cut the first day into two by coming off the boat at 10am on the first day and hiking the first section of the first day to Hermit Gulch and then heading out from Hermit Gulch early on the second day. This divides things up into our comfortable limit of 8-10miles a day.
I know this is late but the Taxi has to be chartered and I believe the fee is $180 for up to 6 people.
Loved your write-up and photos of Trans-Catalina Trail! We are planning to take 6:15 am boat out of Downtown Long Beach on Friday to Avalon and return evening of following Tuesday to San Pedro from Two Harbors over May 6 -10th. We plan to take the Renton Mine Trail and do the whole thing to Blackjack campground the first day. We have booked going to Two Harbors the second night and then staying two nights in Parson’s Landing so we don’t have to go to Starlight Beach on the same day we leave Two Harbors. We are questioning whether we should stay over in Little Harbor the second night instead and only one night in Parson’s Landing. We have been training in Crystal Cove State Beach Wilderness Area and Laguna Coast Wilderness area and recently hiked Santiago Peak via Holy Jim Falls Trail to get in shape for this hike. Do you think a night in Little Harbor and an easy day that day after the first day to Blackjack campground would be preferable to two nights in Parson’s Landing?
Great site! Picked up on a few trails here near me in Dana Point. I just finished Avalon to Blackjack to Little Harbor to Blackjack to Avalon. Great experience and will go back for other areas/trails. Thanks for the pre-trip info. What kind of camera are did you use? Any other willing to suggest camera types I’d welcome their advice. Currently have a palm size cannon that has been very good.
jim
how did your hike turn out? I just went in June.
Seven of us went backpacking the TCT in Catalina on April 7, 2012. The trip was for 6 days. Upon arrival at the Hermit Gulch Campground on the first day afternoon, one of our friends went for a short hike. For reasons unknown, she fell and suffered a nasty cut to her forehead with bumps and bruises on her face. Luckily a group of young hikers spotted her and escorted her back to the campground. We took her to the campground office to seek help immediately. William, the Campground Manager (we called him Ranger Will) quickly checked out her wounds and drove her to the hospital in Avalon. Later in the evening, after the doctor released our friend, Ranger Will drove from the campground to the hospital to bring our friend back. Ranger Will was very considerate. He gave us his phone number in case we needed help during the night. Next morning, our friend decided to go back to LA. Again Ranger Will came to our aid. He checked out the ferry schedule and upgraded our friend’s ticket to ensure her a comfortable ride back. He then drove our friend to the pier and made sure she boarded the ferry safely. What Ranger Will had done was over and beyond his duties as the manager of the campground. Throughout the ordeal, he was professional and caring. We wanted to show our appreciation to Ranger Will but he would not accept any monetary compensation or reimbursement from us. We were very fortunate to have Ranger Will as our guardian angel. Thank you Ranger Will!
This looks like a must do hike to me.
I need information about gear haul. I am hiking from Two Harbors to Little Harbor, staying two nights, and then hiking to Avalon. I can carry my clothes and food, but I do not have a light weight sleeping bag or tent. What is my best option?
Wow! This is incredibly helpful! Planning a trip for October. Thanks for the help!
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!
Hey Jeff thanks so much for the awesome review.
I am looking to tackle it in January for my birthday with some buddies.
The Islands website was a little vague about fresh water and I tried calling the to get some info but am having some trouble getting through. I was wondering if you knew what the water situation was at the campsites. I remember you saying that fresh water is included at each site but is the water included in your site fee or is does it cost extra?
Thanks!
DPclimber, the way the water works is like this: You pay a campsite fee per person, which includes a key to a locker. Inside the locker is water and firewood, if you purchase it. If you need or want more, you can pay for that and I believe they will give you another key. It’s a pretty smart way for them to manage this, as they can stock up the lockers with water and firewood and hand out keys as needed.
Let me know how your birthday trip goes!
This has inspired me to do a part of the trail from Two Harbors to Parsons and back! Any tips on what campsites are good at Two Harbors? There are some available that look line they are on a bluff on the beach sites but I was worried they’d be really windy? Looking at a mid April trip.
Stephanie: That’s awesome! The campsites at Two Harbors will be find. Because you face the mainland, the wind is too much of a problem. Personally, I would pick a site further up the hill for a little more quiet. This campground is the one campground on Catalina that gets really busy. Because you can take a ferry from San Pedro to Two Harbors, a lot of people drag stoves, coolers, and all kinds of equipment there.
Parsons Landing on the other hand, is magnificent. Have a great trip, and let me know how it goes!
Thanks for the tip Jeff! One more question, was the hike to Starlight from Parsons worth the extra 9mi? We are strong hikers and could do the hike from Two Harbors to Parsons with no problem. Thought about dropping some stuff off at our site and then continuing on to Starlight like you did. But only if it was something spectacular. We would start at Two Harbors EARLY, and hopefully make it to Parsons by 10ish to give us enough time to do the next 9 without all our gear, I suppose only if it were safe to leave alone though.
Already booked the sites and the boat! Can’t wait!
Stephanie, your gear should be fine. For what it’s worth, next time I hike the Trans-Catalina Trail I plan to add two days, staying a night in Little Harbor and an extra night at Parsons. Parsons was our favorite site, and an extra night means we can do that 9 mile round-trip to Starlight as a day hike.
Is Starlight worth it? To me, hiking the “whole” Trans-Catalina Trail was important. As it was, it was gray and gloomy and a little anti-climactic. However, if I had hiked earlier, and if it were sunny, it would probably look very different. And in fact, some of the people I met coming back from Starlight were very impressed (they caught it in the sun).
The trail itself is one of the more remote segments, and so you’ve got that going for it. I was joined for a while by a Catalina Fox, and that was a nice treat. And seeing “The End” of the island was pretty cool (although the trail doesn’t actually take you to there).
With all that in mind, and sense you’ve said you’re strong hikers, I would say go for it!
We are thinking of doing this trip Memorial Day Weekend – seems like average temp is 70′s. Should we expect hotter?
Here’s the skinny on temperatures. It gets downright chilly once the sun goes down, and this is often accompanied by a stiff breeze from the side of the island facing the Pacific. During the day, it can get quite warm, especially if it’s sunny. Most of the trail is exposed, so sun protection is key. The photos from our gallery were taken during the first week of April, and we had beautiful weather most days, chilly at night, and a little misty rain one day. I’m not a meteorologist, but I would say that it might be a little warmer, but who knows?! Best to be prepared.
I’ll be hiking this trail in a couple weeks, and using your itinerary as a guide. This is an awesome, helpful post, Jeff. Thank you!
That’s fantastic, Maria! I’m jealous. You should be hitting it right at the sweet spot for wildflowers and green hills. Have a great time, and let me know if you have any questions before hand, or if you have suggestions for improving the guide afterwards.
just wanted to say thank you for this write up and the guide you posted on everytrail. we just did this over 4 days this past weekend and it was gorgeous and challenging at parts (thanks to your tips we were somewhat mentally prepared!). we did skip little harbor on day 2 and cut out 2 miles and took the rollercoaster-ish route.. maybe one day we’ll make a trip out that way to ‘complete’ the offical trek!