Four Days on the Trans Catalina Trail
You’re set on backpacking the stunning Trans Catalina Trail. Now what? Catalina Island only allows camping at their primitive campgrounds so you must book each night’s campsite to confirm your trip. If you aren’t able to get your desired campground for a specific night, there are a few alternative options. In this blog post, I break down not only the five campgrounds across the island (some with more amenities than others) but also my itinerary and alternative itineraries. Hopefully this information will help you get ready for your island adventure!
If you’re looking for details on permits, transportation, gear, etc., make sure to check out my Ultimate Guide to Backpacking the Trans Catalina Trail.
CAMPGROUNDS
1. Hermit Gulch (about 1.5 miles from Avalon)
If you plan to arrive the night before you start your trip, this campground is perfect for you. It’s located on Avalon Canyon Road, right before the start of the trail. There are water fill-ups, pit toilets, coin operated showers, and picnic tables.
2. Black Jack (about 10.5 miles from Avalon)
In comparison to all of the other campgrounds, Black Jack is at the highest in elevation (1,600 ft.) and the farthest from the ocean. There are eleven campsites, water fill-ups, pit toilets, and fire pits. If you want firewood, you can call the campground prior to arrival to order it.
My campsite at Black Jack Campground
3. Little Harbor (16 miles from Avalon on backside of Catalina Island)
This beautiful beachside campground has 23 campsites and many water activities available (kayaking, paddle boarding, snorkeling, etc.). The campground also has water, pit toilets, and fire pits.
4. Two Harbors (0.25 miles from Two Harbors village)
Two Harbors is the largest, most crowded, and most accessible campground. It’s located directly next to the Two Harbors village and has 48 campsites. There are fire pits, pit toilets and water fill-ups available.
5. Parsons Landing (7 miles from Two Harbors)
If you can grab a campsite here, do it! It’s the western most campground on the island with eight remote beach campsites. It’s an incredible spot that’ll make you feel like you’re camping on a deserted island.
Since the campground is so remote, you must pack in all of your supplies or rent a locker in advance which includes water and firewood (costs $20). The locker key can be picked up at the Two Harbors visitor center the day before your reservation. There are also pit toilets and picnic tables available.
Be cautious of the crows here - they’ll eat through all of your food! They ate all of ours! Each campsite has a big locker so that you can lock up your food and water.
MY ITINERARY (38.5 miles)
This map shows my exact itinerary for the Trans Catalina Trail. Blue (day one), purple (day two), green (day three), and red (day four).
Day 1 (10.5 miles): Avalon to Black Jack
The first day is a long day. We started with a 7:30AM ferry from San Pedro to Avalon. When we arrived about 45 minutes later, we walked through the cute little town of Avalon to get to the start of the trail. Once we hit Hermit Gulch campground, the trail began to climb. Like really climb! After some crazy elevation gain in the heat of the day, we were rewarded with beautiful views overlooking Avalon. We stopped at Haypress Recreation Area for lunch and water refills (all of the water stations are safe to drink without filtering) then continued on until we reached Black Jack Campground. It’s a beautiful campground in a woody, mountainous area.
Approximate elevation profile of day 1 on the Trans Catalina Trail
Day 2 (14 miles): Black Jack to Two Harbors
We knew day two would be a long day. We pushed through the morning hike to get to the Catalina airport for breakfast. Yes, there’s an airport and restaurant in the middle of a backpacking trip. I felt like I was glamping. We tried bison in our breakfast (yum! It’s a must!) and filled up on coffee. Bison are free-roaming on the island so you may come across one on the trail. The day’s hike continued with a lot of ups and downs and elevation change until we descended into Little Harbor. The Little Harbor campground was UNREAL and I wish we had an extra day to stay there. You can even rent kayaks, paddle boards, or snorkels if you have extra time. We decided to stop and enjoy lunch right on the beach. It was an incredible mid-day break before a steep climb. Thankfully, we were rewarded with a beautiful sunset as you walk along the island’s coastline and maybe even bison (we saw one!). We pulled out our headlamps after sunset and hiked in the dark for a little until we reached Two Harbors.
Approximate elevation profile of day 2 on the Trans Catalina Trail
Sunset views after climbing out of Little Harbor
Day 3 (6 miles): Two Harbors to Parsons Landing
After waking up to jaw-dropping views of Two Harbors, we enjoyed breakfast overlooking the water. We took our time because we knew the start of day three would be tough. There’s a lot of elevation gain and no switchbacks. We took countless water breaks climbing up and slowly climbed down (don’t forget your trekking poles for the steep descends!). Our plan was to loop around to Starlight Beach (farthest point) before heading to Parsons Landing but the trail was closed off due to a rockslide. It was a bummer but we were excited to spend extra time at Parson’s Landing. Our campsite was extremely isolated in a cove. It was incredible! We made sure to order firewood and water prior to our trip since it had to be delivered to the lockers on site (you can pick up the key in Two Harbors beforehand).
Beware of the crows here (repeating this because it’s so important)! They somehow got into our closed backpacks and ate almost all of our food! Thank goodness we had only one day left…
Approximate elevation profile of day 3 on the Trans Catalina Trail
Campsite at Parson’s Landing
Day 4 (8 miles): Parsons Landing to Two Harbors
The last day on the trail was easy and beautiful. It’s a mostly flat trail winding along the coastline. I couldn’t believe how BLUE the water was! I felt like I was on a tropical island far away from California. Once we finished the trail, we got lunch and celebratory drinks at the restaurant in Two Harbors before taking the afternoon ferry back home. Such an incredible adventure!
Approximate elevation profile of day 4 on the Trans Catalina Trail
Hiking back to Two Harbors from Parson’s Landing
ALTERNATIVE ITINERARIES
2 days (24.5 miles)
Day 1 (18.5 miles): Avalon to Little Harbor
Day 2 (6 miles): Little Harbor to Two Harbors
3 days (24.5 miles)
Day 1 (10.5 miles): Avalon to Black Jack
Day 2 (8 miles): Black Jack to Little Harbor
Day 3 (6 miles): Little Harbor to Two Harbors
4 days (38.5 miles)
Day 1 (10.5 miles): Avalon to Black Jack
Day 2 (8 miles): Black Jack to Little Harbor
Day 3 (6 miles): Little Harbor to Two Harbors
Day 4 (14 miles): Round trip day hike from Two Harbors to Parsons Landing and back again.
NOTE: If Parson’s Landing campground is fully booked (very common), this is a great alternative!
5 days (38.5 to 41.5 miles)
Day 1 (10.5 miles): Avalon to Black Jack
Day 2 (8 miles): Black Jack to Little Harbor
Day 3 (6 miles): Little Harbor to Two Harbors
Day 4 (6 miles): Two Harbors to Parsons Landing (optional: Starlight Beach)
Day 5 (8 miles): Parsons Landing to Two Harbors
I hope this itinerary helps you plan your epic Trans Catalina Trail backpacking trip. Let me know if you have questions in the comments below!