Is there an entrance fee at Channel Islands National Park?

NPS lists the park as fee-free, with no entrance fee. Fees and rules can change, so confirm on the official park page.

How many campgrounds are there at Channel Islands National Park?

NPS and Recreation.gov list 8 campgrounds. NPS lists nightly individual-site fees from $10 to $15.

Are dogs allowed at Channel Islands National Park?

Where pets are allowed, the national NPS pet rule requires a leash no longer than six feet or a crate or cage. A park can also close additional areas to pets.

What are the park hours?

NPS lists the park as open around the clock, 24 hours a day, while services and facilities have separate hours.

All parks › Channel Islands National Park

Channel Islands National Park: fees, hours, camping and when to visit

Updated October 29, 2026. Based on National Park Service data. Published by Humblebee.

Entrance fee: None^[1]
Busiest month (2025): July^[2]
Recreation visits, 2025: 227,186^[3]
Campgrounds: 8^[4]

Channel Islands National Park is a national park in California^[5]. NPS lists it as a fee-free park with no entrance fee, and it is open 24 hours a day, while services and facilities keep their own hours^[1]^[6].

Entrance fees and passes

The National Park Service lists no entrance fee for Channel Islands National Park^[1]. Some tours, campgrounds or permits inside a park can still have their own fees.

When to visit and hours

NPS describes a Mediterranean climate on the islands all year, with highs averaging in the mid-60s and lows in the low-50s^[7]. NPS also says ocean and weather conditions can differ a lot from day to day and from island to island^[7]. In 2025 the busiest month was July with 28,890 recreation visits, and the quietest was October with 10,724^[2]. The park itself is open 24 hours a day, but each service or facility has separate hours^[6]. NPS lists 7 visitor centers and contact stations, so check the official park page for their hours before you go^[8].

Recreation visits counted by the National Park Service in each month of 2025. The busiest month, July, is highlighted^[2].

Show visits by month

Month, 2025	Recreation visits
January	13,762
February	13,046
March	20,331
April	21,918
May	23,187
June	26,297
July	28,890
August	23,860
September	18,619
October	10,724
November	12,471
December	14,081

Show visits by year

Year	Recreation visits
2021^[3]	319,252
2022^[3]	323,245
2023^[3]	328,746
2024^[3]	262,581
2025^[3]	227,186

Camping

NPS and Recreation.gov list 8 campgrounds in the park^[4]. The Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach Camping area has the most sites at 33, and Santa Cruz Island Prisoners Harbor has the fewest at 7^[4]. NPS lists nightly individual-site fees from $10 to $15^[4].

Santa Rosa Island Backcountry Beach Camping, 33 sites^[4]
Santa Cruz Island Scorpion, 31 sites
Santa Barbara Island, 21 sites
San Miguel Island, 19 sites
Santa Rosa Island, 16 sites
Anacapa Island, 16 sites
Santa Cruz Island Del Norte Backcountry, 9 sites
Santa Cruz Island Prisoners Harbor, 7 sites

Pets and dogs

Under the national NPS pet rule, where pets are allowed they need to be in a crate or cage or held on a leash of six feet or less^[9]. The rule keeps pets out of public buildings, public transportation and designated swimming beaches, and service animals are excepted^[9]. A park can also close additional areas to pets, so check the park page for local limits^[9].

Before you go

NPS lists no entrance fee for this park^[1].
Campground fees of $10 to $15 per night are what NPS lists, so confirm current rates and booking details on Recreation.gov or the park page^[4].
Hours for services and facilities differ from the park's 24 hour access^[6].
Weather can change between islands, so look at the NPS weather page before a trip^[7].
Fees and hours change, so confirm them on the official park page.

Questions people ask

Is there an entrance fee at Channel Islands National Park?: NPS lists the park as fee-free, with no entrance fee^[1]. Fees and rules can change, so confirm on the official park page.
When is the best time to visit Channel Islands National Park?: In 2025 the busiest month was July with 28,890 recreation visits, and the quietest was October with 10,724^[2]. NPS describes a Mediterranean climate all year^[7].
How many campgrounds are there at Channel Islands National Park?: NPS and Recreation.gov list 8 campgrounds^[4]. NPS lists nightly individual-site fees from $10 to $15^[4].
Are dogs allowed at Channel Islands National Park?: Where pets are allowed, the national NPS pet rule requires a leash no longer than six feet or a crate or cage^[9]. A park can also close additional areas to pets^[9].
What are the park hours?: NPS lists the park as open around the clock, 24 hours a day, while services and facilities have separate hours^[6].

Facts and sources

NPS lists Channel Islands National Park as a fee-free park: there is no entrance fee. National Park Service
NPS recreation visits by month, 2025 (chart on this page). NPS Visitor Use Statistics
NPS recreation visits per year: 2021: 319,252, 2022: 323,245, 2023: 328,746, 2024: 262,581, 2025: 227,186. NPS Visitor Use Statistics
Campgrounds in Channel Islands National Park (list on this page). National Park Service
Channel Islands National Park is a unit of the U.S. National Park System (designation: National Park) in California. National Park Service
Operating hours, Channel Islands National Park: The park is open 24 hours a day. Services and facilities have separate hours. Please see descriptions of those facilities elsewhere. National Park Service
NPS weather and seasons overview for Channel Islands National Park. National Park Service
Visitor centers listed by NPS: 7 (Outdoors Santa Barbara Visitor Center, Channel Islands National Park Visitor Center, Visitor Center Anacapa Island, Santa Barbara Island Visitor Center, Scorpion Ranch Visitor Center on Santa Cruz Island, Santa Rosa Island... National Park Service
National Park Service rule 36 CFR 2.15: where pets are allowed they must be crated, caged or on a leash no longer than six feet at all times, and pets are not allowed in public buildings, on public transportation or on designated swimming beaches (service... eCFR, 36 CFR 2.15

Fees and hours are what NPS lists in its data at the snapshot date. They change: tell readers to confirm on the official park page before a trip. Visits are NPS recreation visits (counted entries, not unique people). Use them only for this park's own months and years, never to rank parks. Campground list and site counts come from NPS and Recreation.gov records. Count fields can differ slightly between the two. The pet rule is the national baseline (36 CFR 2.15). The park may close more areas to pets. Do not claim specific trails allow dogs unless a fact says so.