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TRAVELCATALINA ISLAND
Avalon and its crescent bay from above

Santa Catalina Island, California

About the island

Twenty-two miles off the coast and a world away: the people, animals, history and weather of one of California’s most loved places.

Size
76 square miles
Length
22 miles, up to 8 wide
Off the coast
About 22 miles
Highest point
Mt. Orizaba, 2,097 ft
People
About 4,000
Towns
Avalon & Two Harbors
Protected land
88%, by the Conservancy
County
Los Angeles
Crowds on the waterfront of Avalon Harbor in 19058 min read

The history of Catalina Island

From the Tongva and Spanish explorers to otter hunters, Civil War soldiers, the Bannings, the Wrigleys, the Casino and the Conservancy: 8,000 years in one place.
Cubs pitcher Tony Kaufmann in uniform on the ballfield in Avalon Canyon in the 1920s6 min read

When the Chicago Cubs trained on Catalina

From 1921 to 1951, William Wrigley’s Chicago Cubs spent their springs in Avalon. Why they came, where they played and stayed, the Hall of Famers who trained here, and the radio announcer who left with a Hollywood contract.
Bison grazing in the hills of Catalina’s interior6 min read

Catalina Island wildlife: the animals and plants

Island foxes found nowhere else, bison from a 1920s film, returning bald eagles, the island’s own ground squirrel and shrew, rattlesnakes, and plants that grow only here.
An early glass-bottom boat on the water off Avalon6 min read

Ocean life and fishing around Catalina

Garibaldi, giant sea bass, kelp forests, flying fish, sea lions, dolphins and whales, plus the island’s marine reserves and its place in sport-fishing history.
Moonlight over the water by Sugarloaf Rock in Avalon around 19005 min read

Catalina weather and the best time to visit

Mild all year: what each season feels like, how warm the water gets, June gloom and the Catalina Eddy, Santa Ana winds, and the island’s notable storms and fires.
The Catalina Casino lit up at night7 min read

Catalina Island events through the year

Month by month: the Avalon 50 and the marathon, the Conservancy Ball, the Catalina Wine Mixer, the silent film benefit, the Fourth of July, the Festival of Art, JazzTrax, Buccaneer Days and the New Year’s Eve gala.
Avalon Harbor and the Catalina Casino from the waterfront8 min read

Avalon: a walking guide to the town

The Casino, the Green Pleasure Pier, Catalina tile, the Chimes Tower, Mt. Ada, the marine reserves and the Wrigley Memorial: Avalon’s landmarks in walking order, plus the town rules worth knowing.
Aerial view of the isthmus near Two Harbors7 min read

CIMI, camps and island science

CIMI and Catalina Sea Camp at Toyon Bay, the scout and YMCA camps of the north shore, the USC Wrigley Marine Science Center and its volunteer hyperbaric chamber, and the Conservancy’s work saving foxes, eagles and the rarest trees.
The Green Pleasure Pier and boats in Avalon Harbor8 min read

Catalina Island essentials: what to know before you go

Cars and golf carts, the COAST shuttle, luggage, money and ATMs, phone signal, the hospital and pharmacy, groceries, water, dogs, permits and safety: the practical things worth knowing before you get on the boat.