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Great Island Hike
By Matt Trulio — Spring 2006
The only one of Southern California's Channel Islands where you can legally go ashore without special permission or a guide, Catalina offers a number of spectacular hikes. Jim Leishman's favorite begins at The Isthmus on the leeward side of the island. A narrow dirt road about a half-mile long connects The Isthmus to Cat Harbor-together they are known as the Two Harbors area-on the windward side of the island. The hike begins on this road.
"You go as far as you can to Cat Harbor on the dirt road, and then it veers to the right by this little maintenance yard," Leishman explains. "You're still on a narrow road, and you work your way up this canyon and, ultimately, up a ridge almost to the top of Silver Peak. From there you can see to land's end of the island and all the way to Santa Barbara Island.
"You can look to the northeast and see Point Vicente (on the California coast)," he continues. "Then, as you head down the ridge and come around to the right, you're high above Cherry Cove and you have a really good view of Emerald Bay. You come out of the hike just west of Fourth of July Cove."
Leishman estimates the hike is seven to eight miles long with a total elevation gain of almost 2,000 feet. "It's a really good workout by the time you're done with it," he says.
Those not inclined to take a long walk up a steep hill can wait for their more intrepid friends at the Harbor Reef Restaurant at The Isthmus. The view isn't quite as a good, but the atmosphere is laid back and the drinks are cold.
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