NPS planned six-site campground at Prisoners Harbor
Retrospective: August’s announcement outlined a Santa Cruz Island camping option.
- Event / announcement date
- 2026-08-17
- Earliest linked source date
- 2026-08-17
- NewsTumble first published
- 2026-10-25T23:43:00Z
- NewsTumble updated
- 2026-10-25T23:43:00Z
Channel Islands National Park announced on August 17, 2026, that it planned to open a new campground at Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island on August 27. The announcement set August 18 as the start of reservations and listed six sites, each accommodating up to four people. [1]
NPS put the nightly charge at $15 per site and described the campground as a way to expand overnight travel on the island. It said visitors could hike between Scorpion Anchorage and Prisoners Harbor, adding a point-to-point backpacking option. Those were the park’s announced opportunities. [1]
The park’s camping guide, updated September 16, supplies useful limits to that access. It lists Prisoners Harbor a quarter-mile from the pier, with vault toilets and no drinking water. Campers must carry their equipment from landing areas; the park provides no transportation around the islands. [2]
Reservations are required across the park’s campgrounds and can be made up to six months ahead, according to that guide. People using the Island Packers boat service should find dates when both transport and campsites are available. Campers must also remove their own trash because no collection is provided. [2]
The source
- National Park Service: Channel Islands National Park Opens New Campground at Prisoners Harbor on Santa Cruz Island - Channel Islands National Park (U.S. National Park Service) ↗
Source published 2026-08-17 · reviewed October 25, 2026 · News Release Date - National Park Service: Camping - Channel Islands National Park (U.S. National Park Service) ↗
Source updated 2026-09-16 · reviewed October 25, 2026 · Last updated; initial publication date not provided. This date is an update date; an initial publication date was not supplied.
About this item: Retrospective source brief. No first-hand reporting or independent testing is claimed. Corrections policy.
