Catalina Island Hike & Kayak Adventure

 

View from the Trans Catalina Trail

The Southern Terrain recently returned from as three day two night hiking and kayaking adventure to Catalina Island. This Island getaway was highlighted with great people, plenty of buffalo, amazing weather and a close encounter with a pod of dolphin.



Catalina Island Kayaking

 

Departing on the helicopter from Long Beach for a short scenic 15 minute ride is a great way to start the trip. This particular crossing was enhanced with two Grey whale sightings along the way. The group arrived into Catalina Island ready to tackle the 7 miles of hiking beginning high on the island's peaks. The Island boats a peak elevation of 2,103 feet with Mt. Orizaba looking over the airport in the sky. We began hiking from Blackjack Campground and traversed the mountain ridge along the spectacular Trans Catalina Trail.

Along the hike we came across several buffalo graving in the fields. These giant animals were left behind when filming the movie "The Vanishing American" and now call Catalina Island home. We made it to camp with plenty of time to enjoy the sunshine of Little Harbor Beach and concluded the evening with an amazing chicken burrito dinner with a nice glass of wine.





Campsite at Rippers Cover



The following morning we set off on the Trans Catalina Trail towards Two Harbors, which was hosting the annual beer festival, on a 4.5 mile hike across Catalina Island's coastal trails. We arrived to Two Harbors for lunch and loaded into our kayaks to begin the second leg of our journey. Paddling down the coast we were offered amazing views of the island and it was clear enough to see all the way to the mainland. When we arrived at camp we had our tents set up and enjoyed the afternoon on the beach with snacks, swimming and plenty of great stories from the kayaking.






Rippers Cove



Our final day started at 8:45 am as we began out paddle further down the coast back to Avalon.  We stopped over at Long Point Beach for a chance to relax and enjoy the warm weather. The sun came out early on our last day and just as it broke a pod of over 50 dolphins playing in the water were breaching directly in front of the kayak. We paddled the remaining few miles back to Avalon with a stopover at Willow Cove for lunch.



This was an amazing expedition with a great group of people. We enjoyed spending time with you and look forward to seeing you again in the future.



If you are interested in our Catalina Island Hike and Kayak adventure please give us a call on (858) 356-9411 or send us an e-mail at info@thesouthernterrain.com. You can also view this program on our website at: Catalina Hike & Kayak.

Thanks for following our adventures!

The Southern Terrain