Channel Islands National Park - Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center

Due to the weather forecast and the logistics of getting out to the Channel Islands, we explored the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center as the last stop on our February 2015 visit to Channel Islands National Park. The park consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. The park consists of the islands of Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara and the waters surrounding them to a distance of one mile. Due to concerns about unexploded ordinance, San Miguel Island has been closed to the public since April 2014. The other four islands can be accessed by either private boat or by park concessionaire Island Packers. Park concessionaire Channel Islands Aviation provides flights from Camarillo to Santa Rosa Island. Seventy-six percent of Santa Cruz Island is owned by The Nature Conservancy. The U. S. Navy owns San Miguel Island.

The visitor center is located at the end of Spinnaker Drive and the mouth of Ventura Harbor in Ventura, California. It has the usual park service amenities of an information desk, bookstore, exhibits, theater and restrooms. In addition, a viewing platform is open in the tower of the facility that provides views of Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. Access to the third floor platform is either by way of stairs or an elevator. The theater shows an extraordinary, even by park service standards, 24 minute film entitled "Treasure in the Sea" which is narrated by Kevin Costner. This 2011 production is available for viewing online at http://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/photosmultimedia/a-treasure-in-the-sea.htm. We found the staff and volunteers at Channel Islands to be both friendly and knowledgeable.

Visitor Center

Anacapa Island from the tower viewing platform

Santa Cruz Island from the tower viewing platform

Ventura and Red Mountain from the viewing platform

Roof mounted solar panels

Ventura harbor

Sculpture and open space

Picnic area

Rear of the visitor center

Auditorium

Open air exhibit space between the auditorium/theater and the information desk/bookstore

Pygmy mammoth archaeological exhibit

Starfish and other animals in the wet tank

A portion of the bookstore

Patrol boat

National Park Service docks

There is no entrance fee at Channel Islands National Park. However, the islands are only accessible by private boat or by park concessionaire boats or planes. Island Packers (http://www.islandpackers.com) has scheduled trips to four of the five islands. San Miguel Island was closed to the public in 2014 due to concerns about unexploded ordinance. The island was used as a bombing range by the U.S. Navy from the 1940s until 1975. Channel Islands Aviation (http://www.flycia.com/) only has scheduled flights from Camarillo to Santa Rosa Island.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm.