Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center

About Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center

The Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center at Channel Islands National Park features a bookstore, a display of marine aquatic life, and exhibits featuring the unique character of each park island. Visitors also will enjoy the 25-minute park movie, “A Treasure in the Sea,” shown throughout the day in the auditorium (closed-caption film available upon request). The fully accessible visitor center is open 8:30 am until 5 pm daily. The visitor center is closed on Thanksgiving and December 25th.

How to Get There

The visitor center is located in the Ventura Harbor in Ventura, California. Ventura is located 70 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. Plane, train, and bus service are all available to Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Only train, bus, and private car transportation are available from Los Angeles and Santa Barbara to Ventura.

Plan Your Visit to Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center

Heading to Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)