ACCESSIBILITY INFORMATION
Island Packers strives to assist the National Park Service in making the Channel Islands National Park as universally accessible as possible. Due to the remote nature of the park and transportation requirements, there are added hindrances that may be encountered.
The islands are not readily accessible due to their isolation and rough terrain, so please review our various accessibility sections for detailed information to better plan for your visit. You can contact our office by emailing [email protected] or calling at 805-642-1393 for further questions on transportation.
You can also visit the accessibility pages on the Channel Islands National Park Service webpage here and/or contact them at 805-658-5730 for island specific questions.
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Please visit the NPS page by clicking the link below for further information about island terrain, including virtual tours of the island conditions. Island guided hikes and programs can be modified upon request to the Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center.
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Due to the rugged terrain and isolation of the islands, they are not readily accessible for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.
Please call our office at 805-642-1393 or email [email protected] to make arrangements for safely accessing our vessels and for any information that is not provided below.
Island Accessibility – Physical Mobility – NPS
For more information about access at our Mainland Docks and the specific Channel Islands, please read the information below.
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Boat Service: Island Packers has paper maps and interpretive guides available at our office. We also have information on the plants, marine life, and birds of the Santa Barbara Channel and islands of the Channel Islands National Park. You can also view the maps and guides by clicking this link: Printable Hiking & Interpretive Guides
Interpretation:
American Sign Language interpretation can be provided for any ranger program with advanced notice to the Channel Islands National Park Service.Island Visitor Centers:
These visitor centers have audio-visual exhibits that are open-captioned. The park app also has their exhibits, signs, and points-of-interest.Mobile App:
NPS has an excellent mobile app which can be found in the Google Play or Apple Store for maps, exhibits, signs, points of interest and island information. -
Boat Service: Island Packers provides narrated descriptions of marine mammal sightings.
Islands: The National Park Service App has narrated descriptions of island exhibits and signs on their mobile app as well as audio descriptions of all island points of interest.
For Additional Information, please visit the Channel Islands National Park website by clicking the link below:
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Noises and Quiet Spaces:
- Office: The office can be quite loud and crowded during check-in or high-volume seasons. There are benches outside for some respite. We also recommend arriving early for check-in to avoid a crowded office.
- Boat: There are many points of origin for noise on the boats such as wind, birds, PA system, engines, and other visitors. We recommend contacting our office for recommendations on trips with a possible lower noise volume. You can contact us by calling 805-642-1393 or by email by clicking the button below
- Islands: While there are areas of the islands where you may hear loud noises from seabirds and pinnipeds, there is plenty of room to offer respite. The possible exception is Anacapa Island, especially during the Western Gull nesting season.
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Island Packers Service Animal Policy
Island Packers welcomes service dogs on all trips. Please note that pets are not permitted.
Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a service animal is defined as a dog that has been individually trained to perform specific tasks directly related to a person’s disability. Service dogs are not considered pets.
Please note that emotional support animals and service dogs in training are not recognized as service animals by the U.S. Department of Justice and are not permitted onboard.
Special Requirements for Channel Islands Landings
Service dogs traveling to Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island, or San Miguel Island require prior approval and a health screening before coming ashore. This precaution is vital for protecting the island fox, a unique species found only in Channel Islands National Park. These animals are recovering from near extinction, and minimizing disease transmission is a top conservation priority.
Because the Channel Islands have never been connected to the mainland, they host a fragile ecosystem with limited mammal populations. To help protect native wildlife, service dogs must be:
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Vaccinated
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Screened and treated for parasites
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Leashed, supervised, and cleaned up after at all times
Please also be aware that dogs can get seasick, and owners are responsible for the animal’s well-being and cleanup throughout the trip.
How to Request Permission
If you plan to bring a service dog ashore, please complete this [FORM] (https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:va6c2:00a0b8b4-379e-4f5f-b101-b4210da86dc9) and submit it to:
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Island Packers at [email protected]
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National Park Chief Ranger at [email protected]
Additional Notes
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Service dogs are welcome at the mainland visitor center, as well as on Anacapa Island and Santa Barbara Island.
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From April through mid-August, nesting western gulls on Anacapa and Santa Barbara Islands may become aggressive. This could make the experience unpleasant for both dogs and their handlers.
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Many destinations require disembarking via a ladder from the boat onto a pier. Passengers are responsible for ensuring their service animal can safely navigate this process.
For more information, please contact Channel Islands National Park at (805) 658-5717 or visit the National Park Service website.
For non-landing trips: Island Packers requests advanced notification about all service animals for any of our non-landing trips. Please contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling at 805-642-1393 with the following information:
1) Your booking information such as the confirmation number and date of trip.
2) Breed of dog.
3) Approximate weight of dog.For Additional Information, please visit the Channel Islands National Park website by clicking the link below:
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ACCESS AT OUR MAINLAND DOCKS
➤ Ventura Harbor
For trips leaving from our Ventura Harbor location in Ventura, there is ramp access to the docks that varies in steepness depending on the tide. Access to the boats is via a ramp at deck level. The boat has inside and outside seating available on the lower deck while the upper deck has outside seating only.
The lower deck has two restrooms with one oversized restroom on each catamaran boat to accommodate wheelchairs. The upper deck is only accessible using narrow, steep stairs. Each deck narrows in the forward section of the boat, making part of the bow inaccessible.
➤ Channel Islands / Oxnard Harbor
For trips leaving from our Channel Islands Harbor location in Oxnard, there is ramp access to the docks that varies in steepness depending on the tide. There are 7 steps up to the boat and 3 large steps down into the boat.
The boat mainly has open back seating and narrow aisles on the lower deck. There are only narrow, steep stairs to the upper deck and no elevators. Assistance from the boat crew is available.
Photo 1: Stepping up to vessel Vanguard from the dock at the Channel Islands Harbor, Oxnard. Photo 2: Steps down onto the boat deck.
CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK ACCESS
➤ Anacapa Island
Accessing Anacapa Island requires a degree of agility. Visitors must offload from a live boat (not tied-off or anchored). Passengers step from a moving boat onto a stable platform with the assistance of a crew member, then climb a vertical ladder up to 8 feet tall depending on the tide.
The number of rungs on the ladder varies depending on the height of the tide. Once on the dock, there is a 154-step staircase which visitors must climb to reach the top of the island. There is no lift to the top of the island.
➤ Santa Cruz Island – Scorpion Anchorage
Visitors must offload from a live boat (not tied-off or anchored) to an adjustable platform on a pier. At the landing platform, there is a ramp that provides access to the top of the pier.
Most days wheelchairs can access the island via the stern or side gates of the catamarans, which is weather dependent. Once on the pier, visitors must use a flat, wooden planked pier to access dirt roads and trails.
➤ Santa Cruz Island – Prisoners Harbor
Accessing Prisoners Harbor requires a degree of agility. Visitors must offload from a live boat (not tied-off or anchored) onto a ladder.
The ladder can range from 0-7 feet depending on the tide. Once on the pier, visitors must use a flat, wooden planked pier to access dirt roads and trails.
Photo 1: Low tide causes a tall ladder to climb.
Photo 2: High tide raises the boat to almost pier level.
➤ Santa Rosa Island
Accessing Santa Rosa Island requires a degree of agility. Visitors must offload from a live boat (not tied-off or anchored) onto a ladder.
The ladder can range from 0-7 feet depending on the tide. A metal staircase leads to the top of the pier. Once on the pier, visitors use a flat, wooden planked pier to access dirt roads and trails.
➤ San Miguel Island
Accessing San Miguel Island requires a degree of agility. This island has a skiff landing onto the beach.
This requires visitors to climb down a boat ladder of 4-5 feet to a skiff or small boat. Then visitors must climb out of the skiff onto wet sand, and potentially ankle deep water.