Smugglers Cove
Santa Cruz Island, CA
Smugglers Cove is a sheltered, rocky-shored cove on the east end of Santa Cruz Island, reached only by boat as part of Channel Islands National Park. It's a genuinely remote destination, popular for kayaking and camping trips that plan around the concessionaire ferry schedule out of Ventura.
A genuinely remote, uncrowded cove that rewards the effort of getting there, but it takes real planning around boat schedules.
How we score beachesThere's no regular ferry stop directly at Smugglers Cove, most visitors reach it by kayak or private boat from Scorpion Anchorage, so plan the logistics before committing to the trip.
Boat access only, through Channel Islands National Park; no roads or bridges connect the island to the mainland.
Pets are not allowed anywhere in Channel Islands National Park, including Smugglers Cove on Santa Cruz Island.
Ocean crossings and boat landings are roughest in winter storms, the calmest window for a visit runs from late spring through early fall.
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