San Miguel Island Campground
34.0408, -120.3495 · Park boundary: National Park Service
Primitive camping is available (nine sites; $15 per night per site; reservations required). Wind shelter, picnic table, food storage box, and pit toilet are provided. No water is available. Distance from landing to campground is one mile up a steep canyon (400 ft. climb).
- Every day
- All Day
San Miguel Island campground is open year round.
- San Miguel Island Closure · Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 · Closed
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For San Miguel Island, this fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
Advanced camping reservations are required for all of the park's campgrounds. There are no entrance fees to visit the park. However, a reservation fee of $15.00 per site-per night is charged for camping on the islands. For Santa Miguel Island, this fee covers up to four people. Reservations can be made by calling (877) 444-6777 or through http://www.recreation.gov/.
- Food storage lockers
- Yes - year round
- Host on site
- Yes - year round
- Toilets
- Vault Toilets - year round
- Amphitheater
- No
- Camp store
- No
- Cell reception
- No
- Drinking water
- No water
- Dump station
- No
- Firewood for sale
- No
- Ice for sale
- No
- Internet
- No
- Laundry
- No
- Showers
- None
- Trash & recycling
- No
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
- RVs
- Not allowed
- Trailers
- Not allowed
- Access roads
- No Roads
- Classification
- Designated Primitive Campsites
Due to San Miguel Island's isolation, steep cliffs, and boat transportation requirements, the San Miguel Island Campground is not accessible for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.
Due to San Miguel Island's isolation, steep cliffs, and boat transportation requirements, the San Miguel Island Campground is not accessible for individuals in wheelchairs or those with limited mobility.
No fires are permitted. Use only enclosed, gas camp stoves.
San Miguel Island is only accessible via boat. All campgrounds are located away from the boat landing areas. Visitors must carry all their gear to the campgrounds. No on-island transportation is provided.
Per the National Park Service, as of 2026-08-04
San Miguel Island Campground is only accessible by boat. Visit our island transportation webpage for more information: http://www.nps.gov/chis/planyourvisit/island-transportation.htm The hike to the campground is 1 mile (steep, uphill) from the boat landing.
Campers should be prepared for a variety of weather conditions, including strong winds and cool, damp fog. Sturdy, low-profile tents, stakes, and line for securing tents to ground or table. There are no trees or shade. Overexposure to the wind and sun can be a serious problem. Visitors are advised to bring supplies for an extra day in case boats are unable to pick up campers due to sea conditions. Current weather: http://channelislands.noaa.gov/news/kiosk.html
A narrow trail, flanked by dry grasses and giant yellow coreopsis plants with thick branches topped with tufts of feathery green leaves and yellow, daisy-like flowers in springtime, and a shaggy, brittle, brown mop of dead leaves in the drier seasons, leads to the San Miguel campground. Perched on a plateau, the campground offers incredible views of the ocean to the north and, in good weather, of Santa Rosa to the northeast. If you are standing at campground, Cuyler Harbor Beach is a mile to the north, by trail. The ranger station is about half a mile away to the southwest. The Lester Ranch site is about halfway along that trail. To the west, in the distance, is Green Mountain. At the campground, there are nine, slatted wooden U-shaped fences or windbreaks that stand about five feet tall. A metal storage box on legs is positioned in a corner of each windbreak. A wooden and metal picnic table is adjacent to each campsite. A wooden restroom building is at the south end of the campsite. It is about 5 feet by 6 feet, with a shingled roof, a lockable door, and a single pit toilet inside. The sign on the door shows symbols for a man and a woman. On the exterior, attached to one side, is a low box with a hinged lid. On another side of the building is a bulletin board with updateable information posted behind glass. On the fourth side of the building is a panel of regulations titled “San Miguel Island Campground” with its own, separate audio description.
Drive to San Miguel Island Campground
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