How to Plan the Trans-Catalina Trail: Ferries to Water

Backpacking the Trans-Catalina Trail takes three to four days across a 65.86 km point-to-point route on Catalina Island, California, with 1,905 m of cumulative ascent. You reach the start by Catalina Express ferry to Avalon, reserve campsites the moment they open on January 1, and pack enough water for the one dry night at Parson's Landing.

The Trans-Catalina Trail (TCT) looks deceptively simple on a map — a single island, a string of named campgrounds, a ferry there and back. The planning is where people come unstuck: campsites sell out within days of opening, the ferry serves two different ports, and the prettiest final camp has no running tap. Get those three things right and the rest is a coastal walk past wild bison and sweeping ocean ridgelines. Here is exactly how to lock it down for 2026.

How long is the Trans-Catalina Trail, really?

Measured end to end, our GPX track puts the full Trans-Catalina Trail at 65.86 km with 1,905 m of cumulative ascent, walked over three nights and four days by most backpackers. That figure includes the out-and-back from Two Harbors to Parson's Landing and Starlight Beach at the far west end — the section many guides quietly leave off, which is why you will see shorter "38-mile" numbers elsewhere.

The climbing is the part that surprises people. There is no single big pass, but the trail rolls relentlessly: short, steep ridge climbs out of every cove, often fully exposed to sun. Plug the daily distances into our hiking time calculator with a conservative pace and add time for the ascent — on a hot day the climb out of Little Harbor alone can cost you an hour you did not budget for.

How do you get to the trailhead?

You reach Catalina Island by the Catalina Express ferry, which sails from San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point. The detail that trips up first-timers: only the San Pedro port runs to both Avalon and Two Harbors, and the TCT starts in Avalon and finishes near Two Harbors. A one-way fare is about USD 35, so budget roughly USD 70 round trip.

The cleanest logistics are to sail San Pedro to Avalon, walk the trail westbound, then catch the Catalina Express back from Two Harbors to San Pedro at the end. Crossings take about an hour and book up on summer weekends, so reserve your outbound and return ferries as soon as your campsite dates are confirmed. Do not buy ferry tickets before you have campsites — if the camps you want are full, your whole itinerary shifts.

How to reserve campsites and get your permit

Two separate bookings are needed, and people routinely confuse them. The free hiking permit comes from the Catalina Island Conservancy; the paid campsite reservations come from the Catalina Island Company.

• Campsites: reservations for the whole year open at midnight PST on January 1. You select a campground for each night, add each to your cart, and check out. Expect roughly USD 33-43 per person, per night. Popular summer and holiday weekends can sell out within days, so treat January 1 as a hard deadline, not a suggestion.
• Permit: the hiking permit is free through the Conservancy — enter your start date, pick "Trans-Catalina Trail" from the trail menu, and print it. You can also collect it in person at The Trailhead visitor center at 708 Crescent Avenue in Avalon before you set off.

Full trail conditions, closures and the permit form live on the official Catalina Island Conservancy trail page. Check it within a week of departure — sections occasionally close for bison management or fire risk.

A 4-day Trans-Catalina itinerary

This is the most common westbound plan, sequencing the campgrounds in trail order and ending the long day at the dramatic western tip. Distances are approximate; the total reconciles to our 65.86 km GPX measurement.

If four days feels rushed, add a first night at Hermit Gulch (near mile 3, just above Avalon) and split the long Day 1. We would book the extra night rather than arrive at Black Jack after dark on a fully exposed ridge — the climb out of Avalon is the steepest sustained section of the whole route. Prefer a mainland point-to-point of similar effort instead? The Mt. Hood Timberline Trail covers 60.03 km with 2,274 m of ascent over three days and needs no ferry.

Where to find water — and the one dry camp

For most of the TCT, water is a non-issue: running, potable water is available at Hermit Gulch, the Haypress rest stop, Black Jack, the Airport in the Sky, Little Harbor and Two Harbors. You can walk the first three days carrying just a litre or two between fills.

Parson's Landing is the exception, and it is the single most important water decision on the trail. Parson's Landing has no tap. Instead, you buy a locker code when you reserve the site; the locker holds 2 gallons (about 7.5 litres) of water plus a firewood bundle and fire starter. If you skip the locker, you must carry every drop from Two Harbors — roughly 6 km away and several hundred metres of climbing in between. Confirm your locker at the Two Harbors visitor services office before you leave town; arriving at a dry beach camp with no code is the classic TCT mistake. The desalinated tap water across the island is safe to drink, so a filter is optional rather than essential.

What pack should you carry?

Because you only ever carry a few days of food and — apart from the Parson's leg — light water, the TCT rewards a smaller, lighter pack than its 65.86 km length suggests. The trade-off is how much water you want to shoulder on that final dry stretch. Run your kit through our base weight calculator first; on a sun-exposed island, weight you do not carry is weight you do not sweat.

The honest call: an experienced hiker can do the whole TCT comfortably with the 510 g HMG 2400 Windrider, even with the Parson's water carry, because nothing else in the kit needs to be heavy on a warm coastal trail. The 1,700 g jump up to the Osprey Aether 65 only earns its keep if you are new to multi-day walking and want a load-hauling frame for confidence. The ventilated Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 50L at 606 g splits the difference — it keeps your back cooler in the island sun and still swallows a full 2-gallon Parson's resupply.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many days do you need to hike the Trans-Catalina Trail?

Most backpackers walk the 65.86 km Trans-Catalina Trail over three nights and four days, sleeping at Black Jack, Little Harbor and Two Harbors before the long final day out to Parson's Landing and Starlight Beach. Adding a first night at Hermit Gulch above Avalon turns it into a more relaxed five-day trip and breaks up the steep climb out of town.

When do Trans-Catalina Trail campsite reservations open?

Campsite reservations for the entire year open at midnight PST on January 1 through the Catalina Island Company. Sites cost roughly USD 33-43 per person per night and popular summer weekends can sell out within days, so book the moment the system opens. The separate hiking permit is free from the Catalina Island Conservancy.

Is there water on the Trans-Catalina Trail?

Yes, potable running water is available at Hermit Gulch, the Haypress rest stop, Black Jack, the Airport in the Sky, Little Harbor and Two Harbors. The only dry camp is Parson's Landing, which has no tap — you reserve a locker containing 2 gallons (about 7.5 litres) of water, firewood and a fire starter when you book the site.

How do you get to the Trans-Catalina Trail?

Take the Catalina Express ferry from San Pedro, Long Beach or Dana Point. Only San Pedro serves both Avalon (the start) and Two Harbors (the finish), so it is the simplest port for a one-way westbound hike. A single fare is about USD 35, and the crossing takes roughly one hour.

Is the Trans-Catalina Trail hard?

It is moderately hard for its length. There are no technical sections, but 1,905 m of cumulative ascent is packed into short, steep, fully exposed ridge climbs out of every cove, and the island offers little shade. Heat and the Parson's Landing water carry are the real challenges rather than the terrain itself.