Located in Channel Islands National Park, the trail to the Potato Harbor Overlook is a popular day hike on Santa Cruz Island. My wife and I hiked this trail on a beautiful day in late February 2025. I’ve seen several estimates of the trail length, but the route we took ended up being 6 mi/9.7 km with about a 500 ft/152 m elevation gain.The route we took started with the Cavern Point Loop Trail; NOTE that there is a very steep climb at the beginning of the trail. Once you get up to the bluff, the inclines and declines are more of a rolling nature. Be sure to stop at Cavern Point, which is a beautiful overlook. From there, continue until you transition to the North Bluff Trail, which eventually takes you to the Potato Harbor Overlook. We found this to be a good place to stop for lunch; we found some rocks to sit on and enjoyed our sandwiches while gazing out at the beauty of Potato Harbor. After lunch we doubled back a bit on the North Bluff Trail until we veered off onto Potato Harbor Road, which took us down to the canyon, through a couple of campgrounds, and eventually returned us to Scorpion Anchorage. Along the way we saw a couple of the famous Island Foxes wandering about.There are several important items to NOTE about this trail. 1) It is fully exposed, so bring water and sun protection. 2) The trail can be rocky in spots, so wearing sturdy shoes is a must. 3) The only restrooms and picnic areas are near the trailhead and in the campgrounds.The trail is rated as moderate, but as senior citizens we found it to be more moderate-to-strenuous. The beautiful views, the cooling ocean breeze and the idyllic setting all added up to an excellent and memorable hike.

The most amazing place to visit on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park is Potato Harbor and the hike to reach it is a MUST DO. The hike is also rated best in the park by AllTrails so it is a premium attraction. We made a loop to reach it, hiking the interior uphill and returning along the cliffs with amazing views. Where the green hills of Santa Cruz or the blue channel and California mainland, every view here is simply incredible. However, the best will be when you reach Potato Harbor. It is that beautiful and frame by the mountains on the west side of the island. I cannot recommend a better activity on the island, and I cannot believe it was not already a tripadvisor attraction. If you are on Santa Cruz Island, make the hike to Potato Harbor.