Where to Hike on Catalina

June 15, 2019

Wrigley Garden

This is the easiest and most straightforward, but it’s definitely more of a walk than a hike. It’s 1.7 miles from the shore. You’ll find a very picturesque tower, as well as a marking of the original gravesite of Mr. Wrigley.

The Garden is actually much more than a modest “walking” destination. It was the idea of Mr Wrigley’s wife Ada. A horticulturalist named Albert Conrad began the work and the collection which has now grown to showcase plants from around the world.

Click here to see the view from the tower

Click here to see a preview of the Garden

These images are really cool, and comprehensive, but all my travels have instilled in me a deep belief that the weather, time of day, cloud cover, dew drops, and perfect light that the sun affords will cast each natural setting in a different light. Maybe there will be gray clouds over-shadowing the island during June gloom. It doesn’t take away from the splendor.

Garden to Sky Hike

This is a little bit more effort that the Wrigley Gardens, but it originates from the same point. The first time we did this hike a gentleman from the Catalina Island Conservancy was with us, and we were carrying on such interesting and informative conversations about the history of Avalon and the island. This was where I learned that “The Island of The Blue Dolphins” is about Santa Catalina Island. That was my favorite book in elementary school!

If you see the Conservancy advertising any events or activities during your stay, you should take them up on it. Sometimes it’s young people on the island that slip you little secrets about what it’s really like to grow up here. Sometimes it’s visiting scientists that talk about why this summer placement is meaningful to them. But I’ve learned so much cool shit about Buffalo Birth Control and the Disaster of the Rogue Raccoon that caused the outbreak of Canine Distemper that brought the foxes which have inhabited the island for 5,000 years to the brink of extinction in 1999.

Back to business, The Official Hike is 2.8 miles, with 730 elevation gain, but the Hike starts at Wrigley Botanical Garden, so you will have to add that round trip in as well. From the Beach to the Garden to the Sky hike will be a round trip of 6.4 miles. I always enjoy finishing up this hike and then announcing, “Okay now I’m ready for Happy Hour Tacos!” at the Sandtrap of course!

The Trans-Catalina Trail

Okay, so this one I haven’t completed- but we’ve started it, and I’d love to do it in the future. But the Trail begins to the south of the Main stretch of Avalon. You walk across Pebbly Beach road and begin to ascend. You can go as far as you want, we have gotten up to the first ridge-line and had lunch overlooking both oceans.

That is 3.7 miles in, with 1500 elevation gain. It’s also 1.5 miles from the heart of Avalon to the trail head, making the round trip more than 10 miles. I think when we did this some kind stranger let us sit on the back of their golf cart on the way back into town. There’s very little shade on the trail and we were spent. We ate sandwiches that were stuffed with sliced turkey and salted avocados and I ate more pistachios than I needed to.

Yu can find more information about the complete hike on Alltrails

Please note that day hiking and overnight hiking or camping adventures on Catalina Island require a Permit. It’s mostly just a registration in case of an emergency but you can find all of the information that you need here.