Hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail in California
North America · United States
Trans-Catalina Trail
Catalina Island, California
- Distance
- 42.2 mi67.9 km
- Days
- 2 days
- Elevation gain
- 7,523 ft2,293 m
- High point
- 1,765 ft538 m
- Season
- I went July 28 and 29, 2020
- Lodging
- Tent
Hikes / North America / Trans-Catalina Trail
In July 2020 I hiked the Trans-Catalina Trail across Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of Southern California, in two days. I took the ferry to Avalon, walked up to Hermit Gulch, where the trail starts, and crossed the island's dry interior past Black Jack and the Airport in the Sky to a night at Little Harbor Campground, on the beach. The next day I went over the hills to Two Harbors, up the Silver Peak Trail along the island's west end, down to Parsons Landing, and back along the coast road to a night at the Banning House Lodge above Two Harbors. Two days, about 42 miles by my GPS. It's the trip from my film Hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail in California.
Kraig Adams
Effort at this pace: Very hard · about 21 mi (34 km) and 3,761 ft (1,147 m) of climbing a day over 2 days, up to 1,765 ft (538 m). Our grade for the days given, worked out from distance, climbing and altitude a day; it isn't the trail's usual difficulty rating (under Basics) and doesn't rate exposure, terrain or weather.
Where these numbers come from
From Kraig Adams's GPS recording and guide.
From Kraig Adams's GPS
The route, day by day
Elevation7–1,765 ft42.2 mi
From Kraig Adams's GPS. Terrain: Mapzen Terrain Tiles (USGS 3DEP, SRTM) on AWS · Rivers & lakes © OpenStreetMap contributors
Tap a day for his map of it
Download GPX503 KB · free
Each day and variant (2 files)
- Day 1: the Avalon waterfront, Avalon Canyon Road, Hermit Gulch Campground (the trail start), the Hermit Gulch Trail, Divide Road, Haypress, Black Jack Campground, the Airport in the Sky, the Big Springs Ridge Trail and Little Harbor Campground (20.4 mi / 32.8 km) 255 KB
- Day 2: Little Harbor, Two Harbors, the Silver Peak Trail, Fenceline Road, Parsons Landing, the West End Road, Two Harbors again and the Banning House Lodge (21.9 mi / 35.2 km) 248 KB
The film
Watch it first
Hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail in California
Before you go
The basics
- Start
- Avalon. The trail starts at Hermit Gulch Campground, 1.5 miles up the canyon
- Finish
- Two Harbors, with its boat to San Pedro
- Usual difficulty
- Long climbs and descents on dirt roads and steep trail, with almost no shade. Heat and water are the hard part
- Best time
- I went July 28 and 29, 2020
- Permits
- A free hiking permit, and a booked campsite for every night
- Getting there
- My way in, 2020. I flew into Los Angeles (LAX), took an Uber down to Long Beach and spent the night. Early the next morning I dropped my bag off at a hotel there that I'd been to before: I'd booked my after-the-hike room there, so they let me store my duffel bag for a couple of extra days. At seven I boarded the ferry and headed over to Avalon, the main town on the island. You should spend some time there if you can. It's a little pricey, but very cool and unique. A lot of people have golf carts; it's a thing. At the end I took the ferry from Two Harbors to San Pedro and went back to the hotel to grab my bag.
- Lodging
- Tent
From Kraig Adams's guide
Costs and gear
What Kraig carried
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 · NEMO Hornet 1P · UGQ Bandit quilt · Outdoor Vitals Sleeping Bag Liner · a Therm-a-Rest mat · Klymit Pillow X · Katadyn BeFree AC · 1L · SLONIK rechargeable headlamp and 30 more.
Bookings and permits
When bookings open, from the sources named under each. Dates move: confirm on the official site.
Trans-Catalina Trail campground bookings
Each year's dates open on January 5 at 8 a.m. Pacific; January and February open on December 1. The hiking permit is free and separate.
Next: Dec 1, 2026
Source: Kraig Adams's Trans-Catalina Trail guide: Permits, campgrounds and rules (checked Oct 1, 2026). Checked October 2026.
Alert me when bookings open
From Kraig Adams's guide
Safety
Rescue numbers
- Emergency: 911.
Phone signal
- Cell service is limited or missing on much of the trail, says the Conservancy, which suggests a satellite messenger; LTE worked for me in Two Harbors.
Insurance
- Medical treatment in the US is expensive, so make sure your travel insurance covers local treatment and medical evacuation.
Bail-out points
- Day 1, Avalon to Little Harbor. From Black Jack Junction and the Airport, the Conservancy's Wildlands Express goes back to Avalon (book ahead), and taxis come up from Avalon. Before Haypress, walk back down to Avalon. From Little Harbor the Wildlands Express runs to the Airport and on to Avalon only with a reservation, once or twice a day. In an emergency call 911.
- Day 2, Little Harbor to Two Harbors. The only way off the west end is back to Two Harbors: the West End Road is the easier way to Parsons Landing and back, and the Catalina Island Company calls the coastal route fairly flat. From Two Harbors, Catalina Express goes to San Pedro, and from May to early October the Cyclone goes to Avalon. Between Little Harbor and Two Harbors, the shortest way out is on to Two Harbors.
From Kraig Adams's guide. For planning, not navigation: check before you go.
Their films and versions
Creators who've done it
1 creator so far: Kraig, 2 days, about $535, tent.
Hiking the Trans-Catalina Trail in California
Walked Trans-Catalina Trail? Be the first to share your track: log it with your GPX.
Your time
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Typical: 2 days (the hike's facts).
Ask this hike
Planning questions about Trans-Catalina Trail, answered only from this page's facts, the creators' versions and hikers' public tracks, with where each answer comes from. When the data doesn't say, the answer says "not given".
From hikers
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Answered from the data
Questions people ask
How many days do you need for Trans-Catalina Trail?
I crushed it in two days. I know a lot of people take three or four days to do it, but if you can, I think two days is the way to go. Spend some extra time in Avalon, and spend some extra time at Two Harbors. The Conservancy plans it in three to five days and calls three days very challenging. See Other ways to do it.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How much does Trans-Catalina Trail cost?
Catalina Express, adult: $44.50 each way online, plus taxes and fees (round trips $103 to Avalon and $101 to Two Harbors, wharfage included). Parking at San Pedro $23 a day. Campsites: per person, per night, dynamic, plus a $9.25 reservation fee. Parsons Landing locker $27. Wildlands Express $27.16 a leg. Cyclone boat $29. The hiking permit is free.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
When is the best time to hike Trans-Catalina Trail?
Spring and fall, says the Conservancy. I went in late July and it was hot. Most of the rain falls from November to March, and rain can close the trails. See When to go.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Do you need a permit for Trans-Catalina Trail?
Yes. The Conservancy requires a free hiking permit for everyone, which you book by date on its website or pick up at its Trailhead visitor center in Avalon. You also need a reservation for every campground you sleep in; wild camping isn't allowed.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How long is the Trans-Catalina Trail?
The Catalina Island Conservancy gives the trail as 38.5 miles, from Avalon to Two Harbors by way of the Silver Peak Trail, Parsons Landing and the West End Road. My own GPS recorded 42.2 miles over two days, with about 7,500 ft of climbing, because it includes the walk through Avalon to the trailhead, a side trip to the airport building and the climb to my lodge.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Is there water on the Trans-Catalina Trail?
Only from taps: at Hermit Gulch, Haypress Reservoir, Black Jack Campground, the Airport in the Sky, Little Harbor and Two Harbors. There's none between Two Harbors and Parsons Landing, and none at Parsons Landing, where you buy a locker with a jug of water. The Conservancy says to be able to carry 3 liters, and about a gallon a day in heat.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Where does the Trans-Catalina Trail end?
At Two Harbors. The Conservancy moved the end from Starlight Beach: from Two Harbors the trail now loops up the Silver Peak Trail to Parsons Landing and back along the West End Road. Starlight Beach is a side trip from Parsons Landing.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
How do you get to the Trans-Catalina Trail?
By boat. Catalina Express sails from San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point to Avalon, where the trail starts, and only from San Pedro to Two Harbors, where it ends, so most hikers go out of San Pedro and come back to San Pedro. In 2026 the booking page showed $44.50 each way for an adult, plus taxes and fees, and from late October to late March there are no Two Harbors boats on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.
Can you hike the Trans-Catalina Trail in 2 days?
Yes: I did, in July 2020, about 20 miles a day, with a night at Little Harbor Campground. Most people take three to five days. Two long days need an early start, a lot of water and a campsite at Little Harbor.
From Kraig Adams's trip and guide.