Trans-Catalina Trail

The Trans-Catalina Trail is a 66-km point-to-point hiking trail on Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Los Angeles County, California, in the United States, gaining 1,905 m of elevation over 3 days. Rated strenuous, it crosses the island's rugged interior from Avalon to Two Harbors, passing bison range, working ranchland and rocky coastal bluffs above the Pacific.

About the Trans-Catalina Trail

Santa Catalina Island sits about 35 km off the coast of Los Angeles County, and the Trans-Catalina Trail is the only route that crosses its full interior on foot. The trail is managed by the Catalina Island Conservancy, the nonprofit that owns and stewards roughly 88% of the island's land, and it runs from the resort town of Avalon on the east end to the small harbor settlement of Two Harbors near the island's narrow isthmus.

Unlike a typical coastal walk, the route climbs immediately out of Avalon into chaparral-covered hills, crosses the island's central ridge near Blackjack Mountain, drops to the working Airport in the Sky airstrip, and finishes with a coastal loop out to Parson's Landing and back. HikeLoad's route data records 66 km of total distance and 1,905 m of cumulative elevation gain over the standard 3-day itinerary, figures that sit above the Conservancy's own published one-way distance because the 3-day plan includes an out-and-back spur to Parson's Landing rather than a single continuous line.

The terrain is dry, exposed and steep in sections, closer in character to a desert canyon trail than a typical Pacific coast hike. There is very little tree cover for most of the route, water sources are limited to the five designated camps, and cell service drops out for long stretches. Hikers coming from wetter mountain trails should expect to carry more water and sun protection than they would on a comparable distance elsewhere in California.

Walk the trail east to west, starting in Avalon and finishing in Two Harbors, rather than the reverse. This is the direction the Conservancy's own itineraries and campsite bookings are built around, and it matches the ferry logistics: hikers arrive by boat into Avalon and can catch a separate return ferry straight out of Two Harbors, so there's no need to backtrack across the island to reach a starting-point ferry terminal again.

Route Overview & Stages

The 3-day itinerary is the most common way to hike the Trans-Catalina Trail and the one HikeLoad's 66-km / 1,905-m dataset is built around. It is also the most physically demanding version of the route: the Conservancy itself rates this itinerary "very challenging," mainly because of the long final day.

Hikers with an extra day should take it. The Catalina Island Conservancy's own 4-day plan splits Day 2 at Little Harbor, turning the brutal 23-km closing loop of the 3-day version into two shorter, more sustainable days: an 8-km leg to Little Harbor followed by an 11.5-km leg on to Parson's Landing. If a 5-day pace is available instead, the Conservancy breaks the route into even gentler daily distances of roughly 5–11 km, which suits families or hikers carrying heavier camera or fishing gear. The 3-day itinerary is best reserved for hikers who are already comfortable covering 20+ km on exposed, hilly terrain with a full pack, and who can start Day 1 early to avoid finishing the Hermit Gulch climb in the hottest part of the afternoon.

Highlights & Points of Interest

• Hermit Gulch — the shaded canyon climb straight out of Avalon, the only sustained tree cover on Day 1 and the steepest sustained grade of the whole route.
• Haypress Reservoir — a water stop roughly 5.6 km into the trail, useful for topping up before the exposed ridge sections that follow.
• Blackjack Camp — the highest-elevation campground on the route at roughly 10.7 km in, with water, restrooms and a shower.
• Airport in the Sky — a working airstrip built in 1941 on a leveled ridge top at roughly 12.75 km, with a restaurant open daily and the only hot food available on the trail.
• Catalina's bison herd — descendants of animals brought to the island in the 1920s for a Hollywood film shoot; hikers regularly spot them grazing near the Day 2 ridge route and should keep a distance of at least 40 m, since bison can move fast and are unpredictable.
• Little Harbor — a beach-side camp on the island's south side, roughly 18.9 km in, used as the overnight stop on the 4- and 5-day itineraries.
• Two Harbors — the small isthmus settlement roughly 24.2 km in where the loop to Parson's Landing begins, with coin-operated showers, a general store and the ferry connection back to the mainland.
• Parson's Landing — a remote beach campground at roughly 30.8 km, with a locker system for water and firewood and the most isolated stop on the route.
• Lion Head — a coastal viewpoint with a shade structure roughly 35.6 km in, near the end of the Day 3 loop, looking back over the isthmus toward Two Harbors.

Best Time to Hike the Trans-Catalina Trail

October is the best month to hike the Trans-Catalina Trail as of 2026. Summer heat has broken, the winter rain season hasn't started, and daylight is still long enough to comfortably finish the longer stages before dark.

Spring (March–April) brings green hillsides and wildflowers but carries a real chance of rain, which turns the exposed clay sections slippery, particularly on the descents around Two Harbors. Summer (June–August) means long daylight hours but also high heat risk on shadeless stretches like the Day 2 ridge past Airport in the Sky, where there is no shelter for hours at a stretch and temperatures on the exposed rock can climb well above what the coastal forecast suggests. Winter is accessible year-round but brings the highest rain and closure risk, along with nighttime lows around 4°C (40°F) at the higher camps like Blackjack. Whatever month is chosen in 2026, carrying at least 3 litres of water capacity per person is standard advice for this route, and a satellite messenger is worth packing given how little cell coverage there is along the ridge.

Practical Information

Accommodation

There are five designated camps along or adjacent to the trail: Hermit Gulch, Blackjack, Little Harbor, Two Harbors and Parson's Landing. All camping requires a reservation through the Conservancy's Firefly booking system, and pricing is dynamic and seasonal rather than fixed, so it's worth booking as early as January for a summer date, when sites sell out fastest. Conservancy members receive a 50% discount on Conservancy-run campsites, which is worth factoring in if hiking the trail more than once. At Parson's Landing, water and firewood are not included in the campsite itself but sold separately through locker rentals: a firewood bundle runs about $14 (roughly €13) and propane about $16 (roughly €15), so budget a little extra cash or card payment for that final night. No campfires are permitted at Blackjack Camp; they are allowed at the other four sites, weather and fire-danger restrictions permitting.

Getting There & Back

The nearest major airport is Los Angeles International (LAX), about a 45-minute drive from the ferry terminal in San Pedro. From San Pedro, Catalina Express runs passenger ferries to Avalon, a crossing of roughly one hour; reserve seats in advance, especially in the summer season when boats fill up days ahead. To close the loop, most 3-day hikers take the return ferry from Two Harbors back to San Pedro, which avoids doubling back across the island on foot. Between May and October, a Cyclone boat shuttle also connects Two Harbors back to Avalon for hikers who prefer to end their trip where they started, useful if a car or accommodation is booked in Avalon rather than on the mainland.

Permits & Fees

A hiking permit is mandatory for everyone on the trail but is free of charge, issued by the Catalina Island Conservancy primarily so the Conservancy has emergency contact information for every hiker on the island. This is separate from the paid camping reservations, which must be booked individually for each night through the Firefly system before setting out. Because permits exist mainly as a safety register, they don't limit how many hikers can start the trail on a given day the way some backcountry permits do, but campsite availability effectively caps group sizes during peak season.

Gear & Packing List

Because water sources are limited to the five camps and shade is scarce, pack weight and water capacity matter more here than on a typical forested multi-day trail. A lighter pack leaves more carrying capacity for the 3+ litres of water recommended per person between stops. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear 2400 Windrider (510 g) is a solid option for hikers who want to keep base weight low without sacrificing volume for water and camp gear, and the larger Hyperlite Mountain Gear 3400 Windrider (680 g) suits hikers carrying a full 3-camp kit with cooking gear and a bear-resistant food container. For those who prefer a more structured, budget-friendly pack, the Osprey Aether 65 (2,210 g) carries a heavier load comfortably on the steeper Day 1 and Day 2 climbs, at the cost of extra weight on your back. See our roundup of Best Ultralight Backpacks 2026 for more sub-1 kg options if minimizing weight is the priority.

Beyond the pack, prioritize sun protection (there is almost no shade on the ridge sections), a wide-brimmed hat, and a water filter or purification tablets as backup for the locker-fed taps at Parson's Landing. Trekking poles are worth the extra grams on the steep, loose descents into Two Harbors. Given the exposed terrain and long daily distances, it's also worth planning food intake carefully; our guide on How Many Calories Do You Need Hiking a Full Day? is a useful reference before packing meals for all three days, especially the longer Day 2 and Day 3 stages.

Similar Trails You Might Like

Hikers who enjoy the Trans-Catalina Trail's mix of exposed ridgelines and multi-day logistics tend to also like other point-to-point routes with strong elevation profiles and a clear plan for permits and camps. Our Theth to Valbona Hike guide covers a similarly structured point-to-point route through the Albanian Alps, with its own pass, costs and permit breakdown worth comparing against Catalina's logistics.

For other U.S. trails with strong viewpoints and canyon or granite terrain, consider:

• South Kaibab Trail (United States, 9 km)
• North Kaibab Trail (United States, 21 km)
• Hidden Canyon (United States, 2 km)
• Clouds Rest Trail (United States, 15 km)
• Mailbox Peak Trail (United States, 4 km)

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time to hike the Trans-Catalina Trail?
October is generally the best month, once summer heat has eased and before winter rains arrive, and it remains the recommended window as of 2026. Spring offers wildflowers but carries rain risk on exposed clay sections, and summer's heat can be intense on shadeless ridge stretches like the Day 2 climb past Airport in the Sky. The trail is accessible year-round, with winter carrying the highest chance of closures.

How difficult is the Trans-Catalina Trail?
The Catalina Island Conservancy rates the standard 3-day itinerary as very challenging, mainly due to the long, hilly final day looping out to Parson's Landing and back. Exposed terrain, steep sections and limited water sources add to the difficulty. Hikers who prefer a moderate pace should consider the Conservancy's 4-day or 5-day plans instead, which split the longest days into shorter, gentler legs.

How many kilometers do you hike per day?
On the 3-day itinerary, expect roughly 17.7 km on Day 1 from Avalon to Blackjack Camp, 20.9 km on Day 2 to Two Harbors, and 23 km on Day 3 for the out-and-back loop to Parson's Landing, totaling 66 km with 1,905 m of elevation gain across the full route. The 4- and 5-day plans spread the same distance into shorter daily legs of roughly 5–11.5 km.

Where do you camp along the Trans-Catalina Trail?
There are five designated camps: Hermit Gulch, Blackjack, Little Harbor, Two Harbors and Parson's Landing. All require a reservation through the Conservancy's Firefly booking system, with dynamic seasonal pricing and a 50% discount for Conservancy members. Blackjack, Two Harbors and Little Harbor have water and restrooms on site; Parson's Landing water and firewood come from paid lockers instead.

Do you need a permit for the Trans-Catalina Trail?
Yes, a free hiking permit from the Catalina Island Conservancy is mandatory for every hiker, mainly so the Conservancy holds emergency contact details in case of an incident on the trail. This permit is separate from paid camping reservations, which must be booked individually for each overnight stop before you set out, ideally weeks ahead in peak season.