The hook
Take a boat out from Ventura to a chain of wild islands where a fox the size of a house cat lives and nothing else on Earth does, and paddle into one of the biggest sea caves on the continent.
01Why it's worth it
The Channel Islands are close enough to see from the Southern California coast and far enough out that evolution went its own way. They're called the Galápagos of North America for good reason: a hundred and forty-five plants and animals live on them and nowhere else, most famously the island fox, a house-cat-sized carnivore found on these islands alone. There are no hotels, no stores, barely any cell signal, and very few people. You take a ferry from Ventura to one of five islands and you're on your own with the wind and the foxes. Santa Cruz, the largest, is the usual first trip, with sea caves you can kayak, among them Painted Cave, one of the largest in North America, kelp forests thick with life, and trails out to empty bluffs. It's one of the least-visited national parks in the country, which is most of the reason it's worth the crossing.
02How to experience it
Boats run from Ventura Harbor to the islands when the weather allows, about five and a half hours from the Bay. Santa Cruz Island is the easiest day trip. Bring everything you'll need, because there's nothing out there; kayak outfitters reach the sea caves. The crossing can be rough and seasick-making, so pick a calm day and book ahead.