0
Pull-thru
NPSChannel Islands National Park · California
Santa Cruz Scorpion
Overview Fantastic ocean views and relaxing beach time is practically guaranteed at Scorpion Canyon Campground, the most family-friendly campsite on Santa Cruz Island.
Sites31all reservable
Elev.43ft
Comf.Jan-Dec12 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Los Angeles2h11real road time
The honest read
Synthesized from
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
RIDB · Open-Meteo
OSM · OSRM
Updated 2026-05-27
At 43 ft, Santa Cruz Scorpion has a 12-month comfortable window (Jan-Dec). Winter nights average around 55°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. All 31 sites are reservable in advance, so plan ahead. Popular weekends book out. Of the sites, 31 walk-in. This is bear country, and food-storage lockers are provided. Within about 4 miles: 2 peaks.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on shade and reservability. Softest on roomy sites.
Six axes, each scored relative to every other federal campground in the region: quiet (miles to a major road), cool (elevation), roomy (average site spacing), shade, RV-fit (longest rig), and how reservable it is. All six come from data, nothing hand-tuned.
When to go
02 · CLIMATE
avg highavg lowfrost-freedriest · Jul
Jan-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
99%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
60°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Los Angeles
98 mi
2h11
02
San Diego
216 mi
4h48
03
Fresno
242 mi
5h23
04
San Francisco
394 mi
8h45
05
Sacramento
431 mi
9h35
By drive time
Picking your site
04 · 31 SITES
Color byShow only
31 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
31
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
31
Sites
★ The standout
Site 011
Lower Loop · walk-in · shaded.
To neighbor
107 ft
Type
Walk-in
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
25
Peaks
2
Viewpoints
2
Water & Access
Method
We synthesize public data layers: RIDB and Recreation.gov facility and site records, Open-Meteo climate normals, OpenStreetMap roads, trails, and water, OSRM drive times, and USGS elevation. We take no bookings, no ads, and no paid placements. Independence is the entire point.