Hermit Gulch Trail | Catalina Island, CA

Catalina Island is a rocky island off the coast of Southern California in the Gulf of Santa Catalina. The island is 22 miles long and 8 miles across at its greatest width. The island is located about 22 miles south-southwest of Los Angeles. Catalina Express offers daily boat passage from San Pedro and Long Beach to Avalon and Two Harbors. We traveled from Long Beach to Avalon.

📌 Hiking Permits are required for your safety. They are free of charge and are available online or can be obtained at the Conservancy House, Nature Center, Airport in the Sky, and Two Harbors Visitor Information Center.

There are a wide variety of trails on Catalina Island. We hiked the Hermit Gulch Trail. The trailhead can be accessed via the Hermit Gulch Campground located at the top of Avalon Canyon, a 1.75 mile walk up the road from Avalon. This 1.7-mile long single trail climbs some 1,200 feet to a junction with East End Road. The effort is rewarded by expanding ocean views.

Hermit Gulch Trailhead

Once we reach the Hermit Gulch Lookout we turned left and hiked on a wide dirt road for the remaining part of the route, which took us down to the Wrigley Memorial and Botanical Garden. We returned to Avalon following the Avalon Canyon Road.