Channel Islands National Park

Permit Information

NPS Special Use Permit required for weddings. $250 non refundable processing fee (cashier's check, personal check, or money order). Important: groups under 46 people may not require a permit at all, the permit threshold is 46+ participants. Proof of liability insurance with at least $1 million per occurrence coverage required. Submit NPS Form 10 930 to the Law Enforcement Ranger Office, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura, CA 93001. Contact 805 658 5726. Accessible by ferry from Ventura or Oxnard.

Seasonal Planning

April through October is the prime window. Spring and summer bring calmer seas and more reliable ferry crossings. Gray whales pass through December through April but winter swells can cancel ferries. Island foxes are most active at dawn and dusk. Brown pelicans nest on Anacapa spring through summer. July and August are busiest for day visitors. The last ferry departure back to the mainland determines your ceremony day end time: plan around it.

Photography Notes

Channel Islands is ocean light photography: bright, clear, and free of mainland haze. The Pacific runs deep blue offshore and the cliffs are dramatic in every direction. Morning gives warm light on west facing bluffs; afternoon on east facing shores. Wildlife appears without effort: island foxes, sea lions, pelicans, dolphins. The 1 hour ferry crossing is itself a portrait opportunity. Wide angle for island scale; telephoto for wildlife and the distant mainland silhouette.

Planning Your Day at Channel Islands National Park

One-Spot Day

Channel Islands is unique in the national park system: most elopements here do not require a permit at all. The threshold is 46 people, so couples with small groups can plan ceremonies without NPS paperwork. Pick your island first: Santa Cruz (Scorpion Beach) is the larger, more sheltered option with a south facing cove and resident island foxes. Anacapa (Inspiration Point) is the smaller, more exposed choice, a treeless bluff with pelican colonies and 360 degree ocean views. Ferries from Ventura run to both. One island, one ceremony, one ferry day.

Ceremony + Portraits Split

Splits between islands are not realistic in one day, you would spend the entire day on ferries. Pick one island and commit to it. Within an island, splits work well: Scorpion Beach to a tide pool area is a 10 minute walk. Inspiration Point to the lighthouse overlook is another 20 minute walk. The real constraint is the last ferry back to the mainland, that fixed departure determines your ceremony day end time. Plan backwards from the ferry, not forward from arrival.

A Note on Light

April through October is the prime window, spring and summer bring calmer seas and more reliable ferry crossings. Winter swells can cancel ferries without warning. Scorpion Beach sits in a south facing cove, afternoon light warms the beach while hills stay lit from the west, morning is calm for portrait work before sea breeze picks up. Inspiration Point on Anacapa is exposed in every direction, afternoon light from the west illuminates the rocky coastline and offshore sea stacks. Island light is bright and clear, free of mainland haze. Bring sun protection for guests, there is no shade on either island.

Ceremony Spots at Channel Islands National Park

• Scorpion Beach (Santa Cruz Island) — Island beach ceremony on the most accessible Channel Island with crystal clear water and sea cave kayaking nearby
• Inspiration Point (Anacapa Island) — Dramatic coastal bluff ceremony overlooking the Channel Islands archipelago with sea cliffs dropping into the Pacific