Photo Gallery (U.S. National Park Service)

Images from Santa Rosa Island.

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Visitors encountering the endangered humpback whales.

Humpback Whale

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Located on the far west end of the island, Sandy Point is only three miles away from San Miguel Island, seen here in the distance.

Sandy Point

yellow-flowered plant

Indian Paintbrush

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Strong northwesterly winds constantly shape and sift the fine-grained, white sand dunes near China Camp.

China Camp Beach

The freighter Chickasaw, with its cargo of children's toys, ran aground on the south side of the island in a heavy storm in 1962. Since the time of this photo, the Chickasaw has further deteriorated leaving very little wreckage visible to visitors.

Chickasaw Shipwreck

air force station

Johnsons Lee

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Island oaks are the rarest of all California tree oaks, found only on the Channel Islands and on Guadalupe Island southwest of San Diego.

Island Oak

Without a land bridge ever connecting the Channel Islands to the mainland, only a few amphibians successfully have reached, and survived on, the islands. Pacific tree frogs are found only on Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz and Santa Catalina Islands.

Pacific Tree Frog

mammoth skeleton being excavated

Pymy Mammoth

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Non-native grasslands, seen here near East Point, were introduced for grazing and today comprise almost 85% of the island's vegetation.

East Point

Limited to a small area near East Point, munchkin dudleya, a Santa Rosa Island endemic, flowers in early summer.

Munchkin Dudleya

A unique coastal marsh on Santa Rosa's eastern tip is among the most extensive brackish habitats found on any of the Channel Islands.

Coastal Marsh

The isolated white sands of Skunk Point lie only six miles to the west of Santa Cruz Island (seen here in the background).

Skunk Point

Nesting throughout the sandy beaches on Santa Rosa, threatened snowy plovers scratch a simple depression in the sand to lay perfectly camouflaged eggs.

Snowy Plovers

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fog drenched slopes with pine trees above beach

Water Canyon Beach and Torrey ...

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Torrey pines occur naturally in only two locations throughout the world--on the cool, fog drenched northeastern slopes of Bechers Bay and just north of San Diego. Although there are no sheltered coves on the island, Becher's Bay does provide some relief from the wind and swell for small boats to anchor.

Torrey Pines and Bechers Bay

The primitive campground at Water Canyon in Becher's Bay offers magnificent canyon and coastal views.

Campground

Beachcombing, birdwatching, swimming, snorkeling, fishing, windsurfing, and kayaking are all popular activities at Water Canyon Beach.

Water Canyon Beach

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The two-story main ranch house, located in Becher's Bay, was built during the 1870's and today is on the national register of historic places.

Ranch House

Santa Rosa Island was a working ranch from the mid 1800s to the late 1990s. In 1986, the island came under the ownership of the National Park Service. Although the former owners run a private hunting operation a few months of the year for introduced deer and elk under a special use permit, visitation is welcome throughout the year

Ranching

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