Chinese Harbor Loop is a 10.4 mile lightly trafficked loop trail located near Ventura, California that offers the chance to see wildlife and is rated as moderate. The trail is primarily used for hiking, camping, and backpacking and is accessible year-round.
This is a nice day hike to do from Del Norte Camp. It provides good views of both the northern and southern side of Santa Cruz Island. Note: There is no fresh water along the route.
Bring enough water and take weather into account when planning
This will likely require staying at Del Norte Camp in order to complete this hike. Take the ferry to Prisoners Harbor and hike to Del Norte Camp. You must bring all your water with you since there is no reliable fresh water source.
We didn’t do the full loop. Used this as a guide to Chinese Harbor from Del Norte Campground and back. We stayed two nights, so this was a perfect hike for our second day. We had the trail entirely to ourselves which made for a really peaceful hike. Only people we came across were some surfers on the beach that were staying on a boat in the harbor. Stayed on the rocky beach for a while and then headed back. Trail was super lush and green in January. Easy hike for the most part, just a little steep initially getting back up from the harbor.
This is a nice hike to Chinese Harbor from Del Norte Camp. The Loop provides great views of both the northern and southern coast as well as a chance to walk through some oak groves on the return to Del Norte Camp. This will also take you down to Chinese Harbor where there is a stone beach and fantastic views along the way. There is no fresh water available.