Santa Catalina Island

I lined up the various reservations for a vacation on Catalina Island next month. We will be staying part of the time in a hotel in Avalon and part of the time in a tent cabin at Two Harbors. Gonna rent kayaks (Scupper Pros), of course.



Looks like there is an absurd permit fee of $65 each to bicycle outside of the immediate town areas so we’ll skip renting those. But there’s still plenty to do, and I have some questions:


  • Anything unusual we need to know about the hiking trails there? I assume there could be poison oak in some places.


  • Suggestions for snorkeling locations, including those that we could access from a kayak?


  • Good places to watch wildlife? We’ll bring binoculars.


  • Does the “signature cocktail” (a Buffalo Milk) taste good? :wink:



    Looking forward to a sunny R&R by the water!

You can watch them whitesharks
I think it was last year a lady with dead fish guts on her boat got probed by a good sized GWS. Sea life is hit or miss depending on the day you can see sealions, seals, garabaldi fish, all kinds of birds.



I recommend just getting out and paddling, it’s a nice spot.

2nd that … don’t try too hard.
Its all right there in front of you kine.

snorkeling
was there recently and one area I liked for snorkeling was around Emerald Bay just a couple miles west of Two Harbors. It has a larger shallow (< 20’) area compared to other parts that drop off quick and it has nice kelp, rocks and fish.



I think a lot of trails are fire roads so less worry about poison oak.



When at Two Harbors you can check out the cave (Blue Cavern) near where coast from Avalon finally turns the corner for Two Harbors.

Dead fish guts
Well, we don’t want to carry those anyway! I suppose that’s like carrying guts in grizzly country.

Its been a few years, but
I enjoyed the Buffalo Milk at Two Harbors.



30 years ago there was a fee for hiking outside of town (Avalone and Two Harbors) also. Sounds like the biking fee you mentioned. But I have heard that it no longer. You may want to inquire.