0
Pull-thru
NPSChannel Islands National Park · California
Santa Rosa Island
Overview Tucked away in a canyon to protect visitors from strong northwest winds, Water Canyon Campground offers exceptional island views, access to spectacular hiking opportunities and a nearby white
Sites1615 reservable
Elev.164ft
Comf.Jan-Dec12 months
Max rigtents
Electricnonesites
From Los Angeles2h59real 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 164 ft, Santa Rosa Island has a 12-month comfortable window (Jan-Dec). Winter nights average around 52°F, so the shoulder seasons turn cold fast. 16 sites total: 15 reservable and 1 first-come, first-served. Of the sites, 16 walk-in. This is bear country, and food-storage lockers are provided. Within about 4 miles: 2 peaks, lake or river access.
The campground at a glance
01 · CHARACTER
Reads strongest on reservability and cool nights. Softest on shade.
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 · Jun
Jan-Dec
Comfortable window: nights stay above 35°F, days below 90°F.
100%
Of summer weekend-days are dry.
57°F
Average July low.
Getting there
03 · ACCESS
01
Los Angeles
134 mi
2h59
02
San Diego
245 mi
5h27
03
Fresno
247 mi
5h29
04
San Francisco
381 mi
8h28
05
Sacramento
425 mi
9h27
By drive time
Picking your site
04 · 16 SITES
Color byShow only
15 mapped sites · dot color = seclusion · click a dot for details. Basemap © OpenStreetMap.
16
Walk-in
0
50-amp
0
Accessible
0
Prime
16
Sites
★ The standout
Site 015
Sites 001-015 · walk-in.
To neighbor
108 ft
Type
Walk-in
What's within four miles
05 · TRAILS · PEAKS · WATER
Trails & Peaks
Trail segments
17
Peaks
2
Water & Access
Lake / river access
yes
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.