June 1-2
Most visitors to the island of Santa Catalina, about 30 miles off the coast from Long Beach, stick to the quaint bayside town of Avalon. This is partly out of necessity: The number of vehicles allowed on Catalina is tightly regulated. (There is a 25-year waiting list to own a car on the island.)
But Catalina’s rugged backcountry is stunningly beautiful, with pristine coves, pine forests, rare wildflowers, bald eagles, a unique species of fox and even herds of wild bison, the descendants of a dozen or so left behind by a Hollywood crew in the 1920s.
Thanks to hundreds of miles of trails and unpaved roads, the interior is accessible by foot or bicycle. But day-trippers who want to cover a lot of ground quickly should splurge on a jeep tour with the Catalina Island Conservancy, the largest private land trust in California. The openair expedition circumnavigates the island’s undeveloped coastline — a mini safari in the middle of the Pacific.
Info: The Catalina Express (cata linaexpress.com) makes frequent ferry trips to Avalon from Long Beach, San Pedro and Dana Point; round-trip adult fares start at $74.50. The Catalina Island Conservancy (catalinaconser vancy.org) offers several Jeep Eco Tours a day, with tickets starting at $80. —