Found Only Here. Visit The Torrey Pines Grove.

Torrey Pines exist in only two places in the world, and the extremely rare sub-species grow only on Santa Rosa Island. At 26-56 ft tall, standing alone on this isolated patch of coast, the Torrey Pines are magnificent in scale. Exposure to the elements have twisted these trees into beautiful shapes that spark the imagination and provide incredible photographic opportunities.

Explore The Cherry Canyon Trail

The Cherry Canyon Trail takes you through a small canyon filled with unique plants and leads to a vista point that offers fantastic views of Santa Cruz Island in the distance, Becher’s Bay, and the Santa Rosa Island shoreline. Like most of the island's drainages, this canyon was once almost completely devoid of vegetation, except for non-native grasses and weeds. Today, it has transformed into a thriving riparian habitat, showcasing many unique and colorful flowers, especially within the canyon itself. You'll find yourself stopping every few minutes to get a closer look at yet another beautiful flower and interesting plant, many of which grow only on the Channel Islands and nowhere else in the world! During your hike, you can expect to see a variety of species, including giant coreopsis, bush lupine, red buckwheat, California buttercup, common yarrow, miner’s lettuce, Indian paintbrush, Dudleya, island deerweed, California poppy, cobweb thistle, Santa Rosa Island sage, padre’s shooting stars, and many more!

Learn About Archaeology and History

Santa Rosa Island, known as Wimal by the Chumash, the island's native inhabitants, has a history of human occupation that dates back at least 13,000 years. After the Chumash, various groups utilized the island, including European explorers, Chinese abalone fishers, sea mammal hunters, commercial fishermen, ranchers, sport hunters, oil companies, and the military, all of whom left traces of their presence. A significant archaeological discovery occurred in 1959 when Phil Orr found human bones at Arlington Springs, providing evidence of the island's oldest known habitation. These remains have been radiocarbon dated to 13,000 years ago, making them some of the oldest securely dated human remains in North America. The age of the Arlington remains, along with numerous archaeological sites on the Channel Islands that date to the late Holocene (10,000-6,500 years ago), suggests an early migration route from the Old World into North America along the West Coast.

#1 Cherry Canyon Botany Walk with Steve Junak and John Ziegler

• An easy guided botany walk of the lower part of Cherry Canyon.

• Will include frequent stops to view plants.

• Route Planned: From Historical Ranch to Cherry Canyon Loop

• Total Distance Covered: about 1 mile

• This hike is a 2.2-mile round-trip loop

Steve Junak is an active researcher and expert on the flora of the islands of California and Baja California, Mexico. Steve earned a master’s degree in botany, has led field trips for more than 25 years, and has co-authored several books about the Channel Islands, including “A Flora of San Nicolas Island, California” and “A Flora of Santa Cruz Island.”

John Ziegler is Channel Islands Restoration’s Marketing Manager. John is a volunteer wilderness ranger with the Los Padres National Forest and has volunteered with the Los Padres Forest Association for 14 years. He is an avid backpacker and outdoor enthusiast.

#2 Cherry Canyon Hike with Outdoor Guide Greg Giloth & Caleb Stumberg

Long-time Channel Islands Restoration Volunteer Greg Giloth and CIR Board Member Caleb Stumberg

• A guided natural history hike of the whole Cherry Canyon loop.

• Allotted time allows for free time at Water Canyon Beach.

• Route Planned: From the Historical Ranch to the Cherry Canyon Loop

• Total Distance Covered: 3.5 miles round trip

Greg Giloth has co-led or participated in dozens of group excursions to the Channel Islands and the wild backcountry of Santa Barbara County. He has hiked, backpacked, and imparted information about the local wilderness to hundreds of volunteers and community members. He will be leading a hike in Cherry Canyon that will include time to explore Water Canyon Beach and the island ranch.

CIR Board Member Caleb Stumberg has appreciated and enjoyed the outdoors since he was a kid; hiking was often a family activity for Caleb growing up in Montana, and is still one of his favorite ways to spend his time. Since moving to California in 2019, Caleb has fallen in love with the Channel Islands and the pristine nature they have to offer while hiking across their varied landscapes. He is fascinated with their ecosystems, which is a big reason why he loves working with CIR.

#3 Torrey Pines Hike with Staff Ecologist Lauren Harris and Dave Edwards

• A quick hike to the Torrey Pines Grove.

• For experienced hikers only, limited spots.

• Route Planned: Along East Point Road To Torrey Pines Loop Clockwise

• Total Distance Covered: 6.5 miles round trip

Lauren holds a Master’s of Environmental Science & Management and a Bachelor’s of Science in Ecology and Evolution from the University of California, Santa Barbara. During her schooling, Lauren conducted research on a broad range of topics from wildfire-related seed germination for California chaparral restoration to the effects of climate change on habitat fragmentation in the Southeast. Lauren is currently the Staff Ecologist for Channel Islands Restoration (CIR) where she directs ecological research, develops and manages habitat restoration projects, and conducts community education and outreach. She has worked at CIR since 2023 and has experience in a variety of habitats including chaparral, grasslands, coastal sage scrub, oak woodlands, tidal wetlands, sand dunes, and Santa Cruz Island scrub habitat.  

Dave Edwards is the Trail Crew Coordinator for the Santa Monica Mountains Trails Council and is a knowledgeable trail guide, hiker, backpacker, and outdoors-man. Dave will be leading a hike to the incredible Torrey Pines Grove, one of the few places on earth to witness this incredible tree. This excursion is made for island visitors who want to feel a strong sense of accomplishment from their journey to Santa Rosa and is the suggested day-option for experienced hikers.

#4 Complete Coastal Walk with Rachel Metz and Carol Gravelle

• An extended coastal hike exploring the coast of Santa Rosa Island.

• Route Planned: Along East Point Road

• Stops at Water Canyon, Black Rock, and the base of Torrey Pines

• Total Distance Covered: 4.9 miles out and back

Rachel Metz has a Master of Science in Philosophy with a specialization in environmental ethics and science, which she was awarded with honors at the University of Edinburgh in 2022. She currently holds the position of Assistant Director at the California Nature Art Museum in Solvang, just earned her environmental educator certification through AEOE (Association for Environmental & Outdoor Education), is an education committee member for Channel Islands Restoration, on the youth advisory board for Children & Nature Network, and is especially passionate about marine and coastal conservation. In her spare time, she enjoys nature journaling, reading, painting, hiking, and tidepooling with her two young daughters, Tigerlily and Fawn.

Carol is a past CIR board member and has been volunteering with CIR on island projects since 2013, including multi-day trips to Santa Rosa, San Clemente, and San Nicolas Islands, and has been a regular on the San Nic nursery crew since 2015. Beyond her avid support of CIR’s mission, she has long supported LA-based Food Forward as a glean leader, leading teams of volunteers in rescuing produce that would otherwise go to waste and donating it to food pantries.

#5 Geology of the Channel Islands with Professor Sabina Thomas

• A hike along the coastal bluff trail & may include an easy beach walk.

• Includes discussions on geology, scenery, and island features

• Route Planned: Ranch House to Coastal Trail to Beach

• Total Distance Covered: 3.0 miles walk along the coastal trail

Sabina Thomas obtained her PhD in Geology at the Technische Universität of Berlin, Germany. Her focus was on fluid-rock exchange in metamorphic environments of the Alps. Currently working at Santa Barbara City College in the geology department, she understands the geographic history and seismic activities that have gone into shaping Santa Rosa Island and the Channel Islands of California. Sabina will be leading a geology walk and tour of the beach (tide permitting) that will cover topics related to geology and topical island features.

#6 Channel Islands Archeology and History with Professor Jennifer Perry

• An easy tour of the ranching house and the history of Santa Rosa Island.

• Suggested for guests less inclined to walk as far during their visit.

• Route Planned: Staying at the Ranch House and Main Bechers Bay

• Total Distance Covered: 1.0 - 2.0 miles of casual walking and talking

Professor Jennifer Perry

Although Dr. Perry has been involved with archaeological research throughout southern California and beyond, the majority of her work relates to the Channel Islands. She first fell in love with the islands when participating in a field class on San Clemente Island in 1992. Since 1998 she has collaborated with Channel Islands National Park on projects relating the human prehistory and history of the islands from ~12,000 to 50 years ago. Of her varied publications, she is the co-editor and an author of “California's Channel Islands: The Archaeology of Human-Environment Interactions”. Topics of more recent publications and reports include findings from a resurvey of Santa Barbara Island, reanalysis on trans-Holocene (~10,000 years) collections from San Clemente Island, and documentation of historic features on Santa Cruz and Santa Rosa Islands.

Want To Learn More About Our Island Cruise?

Contact CIR at john@cirweb.org with questions or requests. Spots are limited, so act fast, and we look forward to seeing you there!

Contact us for more information at john@cirweb.org