A secret side of California
Catalina Island is an escape from the “venti macchiato-fueled drama” of Los Angeles, said Meg Lukens Noonan in National Geographic Adventure. Just 22 miles southwest of Long Beach, Calif., the “76-square-mile island” is a short ferry ride from the mainland, but a world away. Catalina is pure wilderness: “sun-baked hills etched with trails and old fire roads, pocket coves patrolled by sea lions,” and sprawling grasslands roamed by bison. The Trans-Catalina Trail opens this year, taking travelers from the “charming port of Avalon” to the “remote” Parsons Landing on the island’s west coast. After you walk the first six miles of the 27.5-mile route, there’s a chance to catch a shuttle back to Avalon. Should you choose to tackle the entire trail, whose sections are conveniently “linked by several beach and hillside campgrounds,” expect the trip to take four days. But that includes plenty of leisure time for “snorkel trips to kelp forests and kayak outings to caves” before heading back to reality.
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