Altho' I haven't been in the area in yrs. (only took a boat trip; didn't hike), I believe the Channel Islands are still very restricted and you may need to go with an authorized group to actually land. Here's a relatively recent writeup with some info. and helpful links: bootsnall.com/articles/06-07/a-channel-islan…

Some info from another site:

The Channel Islands occupy such a unique niche in the ecology of the United States that they're sometimes referred to as America's Galapagos. As you'd expect with such a label, the park's diversity of animal and plant life is amazing. More than 2,000 species crowd this small park, and of those 145 can be found nowhere else on earth.

Anacapa is the entry point, tiny, popular, and closest to shore. Santa Cruz is the largest and most biologically diverse; it is largely owned by the nonprofit The Nature Conservancy. Santa Rosa is the most historically interesting, and the most wide open of the larger islands for those who want to do some independent exploring. San Miguel has (arguably) the best hiking as well as terrific wildlife. Tiny Santa Barbara is the most isolated, a place to go to be alone in a wild, windy ocean.

Watch for Whales

Every year, gray whales migrate 10,000 miles from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to breeding grounds in warm Baja, California. They pass by the Channel Islands between January and March. Blue and humpback whales pass by in June and October. Whale-watching trips leave daily in season.

Hike to the Wildest Spot on Earth

Some people maintain that San Miguel is the wildest spot on the earth, in animal terms, that is. Whether or not it is, at least it's in the running. Bennet Beach is party central for six different kinds of seals and sea lions, which is the only place in the world where that many different kinds of"pinnipeds" hang together. You get there by hiking the 15-mile round-trip from the landing at Cuyler Harbor. Along the way you'll pass by the unearthly Caliche Forest Area. Caliche is an exposed sand casting of an ancient tree.

Kayak into a Sea Cave

Painted Cave on Santa Cruz Island is the largest and deepest sea cave in the world. It earns its name from the colorful rocks and lichens that cover its surface. The cave reaches a quarter of a mile into the side of the island. The entrance ceiling is an immense 160 feet high. In the spring a waterfall curtains the mouth of the cave. Sound magical? It is.

Play in Pristine Tidal Pools

Tidal pools are a delicate ecosystem now quite rare on the mainland. The largely undisturbed tidal pools present an opportunity to see a slice of California as it used to be, as well as a chance to visit a miniature but fully intact world. Some of the species to look for include sea urchins, sea anemones, limpets, and abalone. Lobo Canyon trail on Santa Rosa Island is our favorite journey to tide pools. On the way, this 5-mile round-trip trail travels through an old Chumash village site. The Chumash were the island's original inhabitants, deported in the 1820s to make way for cattle and sheep ranches.

Boost Your Bird List

The Channel Islands are the most important seabird nesting areas in the western, and tiny, rarely visited Santa Barbara Island pulls more than its share of the weight. It has the world's largest colony of Xantu's murrelets. Inland, the island has three endemic subspecies to add to your life list: a horned lark, an orange-crowned warbler, and a house finch.

Have you been to the Island Packers website?

They have an email address for feedback or general information on their "contact us" page.

www.islandpackers.com

I second Isand Packers. A great company in business for many years. Take a look at their Anacapa Island day trip. I remember once years ago going in a skiff into the seacaves where the sealions were in this great echoing cavern.

The climb straight up the cliffs on a very steep ladder was an adventure. Once you hike to the end of the island , it as if you are back in time looking at the chain of sea stacks and islets to the north west and the kelp forests below.

You may find other outfits in Santa Barbara, but if you do not, then it is worth the drive to Oxnard / Port Hueneme for Island Packers.

Spring time is optimum time to go for wild flowers and whales but you may possibly still see them migrating south in November. Take layers and weather gear, as it may get chilly, though we don't normally have much rain before December.

Kayaking on your own will be best if you are an experienced kayaker or if you feel confident and the conditions are good. Go with a guided tour if you are not experienced. Paddle Sports is one of the primary rental and tour outfits in Santa Barbara.

November is a bit out of season and you should be more experienced, better able to read conditions, and have adequate gear. You also shouldn't go alone.

Kayaking Anacapa Island is quite fantastic with an arch to pass through, an underwater arch (but since it's underwater, it will be hard to find), caves, and the clear blue sea. Kayaking on the north shore from the Landing Cove to Frenchy's takes about 2 hours of paddling one way and is the recommended trip, besides the circumnavigation, when you have the time. But with a day trip, you'll only have time to paddle about the arch.

Kayaking Anacapa will require that you are either able to operate the hand winch or have ropes to drop your boat off the landing dock to the water 15 feet below. The winch isn't too hard, but I've never used it. I use ropes.

Kayaking Santa Cruz Island is also quite fantastic and is easier than Anacapa with a beach launch possible at both Prisoners (sand beach) and Scorpions (rock beach). I'm not sure how consistently, but I've seen rentals at the beach at Scorpions Cove. With the limited time of a day trip, both east and west of Scropions will have interesting caves to explore. Just west will be a very large cave around the corner from an arch I've heard called Marge Simpson arch (I don't think its' the real name). Just east will be Scorpion Rock and the minimal remains of a shipwreck inside the cave. I've only kayaked at Scorpions, so I don't have anything for you about kayaking at Prisoners.

Now about the hiking...

Here is the Park's website on hiking the Islands: www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/hiking.htm Island Packers website is also a must read when going to the islands. Their schedule will need to match yours to determine which island you get to visit. Anacapa is closest at 1 hour (11 miles) out. Santa Cruz is next closest. The other three are probably too far out for a day trip. Check IPackers schedule. But if you enjoy camping all the islands are highly recommended.

Hiking at Anacapa involves first climbing 3 flights of stairs up the cliff to get to the 2 miles of a figure eight trail. Anacapa is three islets and hiking is only allowed at the east islet and a little bit of Frenchy's Cove on the west islet, which is only accessible by boat. Getting to the west end of the east islet only takes about 45 minutes but the view of the other two islets and Santa Cruz Island from there is excellent. You can swim at the landing dock, and there is a change area, but in November and even in summer you'll want a 1/4 inch wetsuit to stay warm.

Botanically and perhaps ornithologically, Anacapa Island is most interesting in spring when the wildflowers are out and the seagulls are nesting. I'm not much of a birder but I think there will be oystercatchers, guillemots, and of course seagulls to keep your interest. Plant-wise, it will mostly be browned out in November except for the invasive iceplants. There is a very small museum where the ranger lives.

At Santa Cruz Island, you can disembark at either Scorpions or Prisoners. For Santa Cruz Island, I prefer the hike at Prisoners over to Pelican Bay. Much more botannically interesting as you pass by many native shrubs and oak trees. Hiking is only allowed here with the Island Packers guide or by permit from The Nature Conservancy.

Again on Santa Cruz, we tried the hike to Smuggler's Cove, but we tired of the steepness and stopped at the top, knowing that we'd have to climb back up to get back to camp. I didn't find it that interesting. When I go back I think I will try the Cavern Point Loop instead. There are also some cultural points of interest in Scorpion Canyon, but they were closed when I was there.

So, for hiking I recommend the Pelican Bay hike at Prisoner's. Check with Island Packers that a guided hike is part of the landing. Otherwise, there is the beauty of the isolation of Anacapa or try the unknown of the Cavern Point Loop.

Santa Rosa has a fantastic sand beach that you can kayak camp on. Fresh water and hot showers are available in the campground. A great hike past ironwood and a beautiful vista is just past the campground, but it is a long way from the dock. When you camp here the rangers will take you for a great hike through sandstone canyons.

San Miguel also has fantastic sand dunes closer to the landing area and is the most botanically interesting, but is also the wildest weather-wise. Without the ranger, you are only allowed to hike to the campground or on the beach. But the ranger will take campers on hikes to one of the windiest places there is.

We once tried to land on Santa Barbara, but were skunked by the rough seas.

So, there you have my experience of the islands. Have fun. I shouldn't be telling you how great they are. If you don't like the outdoors, don't bother going.

Thanks, everyone! I think I'll skip the kayaking for now and just go hiking on Santa Cruz. Thanks for the wonderful advice!

My wife and I kayaked in September and had a blast. It was fun but the water was pretty darned cold. It will wear you out after a couple of hours and this time of year you probably won't see a ton of pinnipeds. We only had an hour or so to hike and I wish we had more time. The view from the hills is great.

If you are going to rent a kayak I would suggest going with a kayak company - there are several on the internet. I would suggest Santa Barbara Island or Anacapa to begin with!

Have a great time.