Catalina Island is located about 29 miles (47km) off the coast of Long Beach, California. The 22-mile (35 km) by 8-mile (13 km) island has mountain peaks reaching 2,097 ft (639 m) at its highest point. It is the easternmost channel island and officially belongs to Los Angeles County. With approximately 5,000 residents, over 90% of the population of Catalina Island is located in the port town of Avalon. On a busy day, you can see many more tourists that come to visit the island both for day trips and overnight stays.
The easiest way to get to Catalina Island is with the Catalina Express ferry. You can take the ferry from Downtown Long Beach, and it’s about an hour’s ride to Avalon. The ferry does not accommodate vehicles, but there is ample parking at the ferry terminal, and you can take a tour on the island or rent a golf cart. If just exploring Avalon, this can easily be done on foot.
The ferry also offers trips from San Pedro and Dana Point (closer to San Diego) and can take you to Two Harbors on the northern side of Catalina Island as well. Check the schedules as they are seasonal and can also dynamically change based on demand.
Scuba diving
We saw many scuba divers on the shuttle with us, some bringing their tanks. Catalina Island is known for great visibility (almost 100 ft) and attractions such as its giant kelp forests and sea lions.
Water temp would require one to wear a 7mm or a dry suit, and we were not up to trying that out this time. But had some regrets seeing all the excited divers on the ferry.
Staying overnight
Google shows me over 30 available hotels on Catalina Island including a Marriott Courtyard. While we opted only for a day trip, the rates are actually better here than they were in Long Beach where we stayed to be close to LAX for our return flight. If staying a few days, or if diving, this could be an interesting option.
Dining
We saw many restaurants on the island, and while we were doing the bison expedition tour, opted for a diner that was close by. A real throwback to the 50s. They had great burgers and even hot fudge sundaes, mmm. From high-end seafood and steak restaurants to the many cafes and ice cream parlors, you won’t run out of options whether you are there for the day or for a week!
Shopping
The streets of Avalon were lined with souvenir shops, jewelry stores, and the usual tourist town tour agency kiosks. There was no shortage of places to get a t-shirt or baseball cap to bring back with you as a souvenir.
Bison Expedition Tour
A popular tour, which we opted to do, is the local Bison Expedition. With a converted Hummer Jeep the tour takes you up to the highest mountain peaks and through private lands not normally accessible to try and catch a glimpse of the local wild bison population.
According to the Catalina Island Conservatory, there are no more than 150 bison on the island. Our guide told us he suspected the real number was closer to 90. He also mentioned that on some tours, they unfortunately don’t even spot any which is frustrating for both the tour company and of course for the tourists. Whether he was setting our expectations for the worst or not, I’m not sure, but on our tour, we did indeed drive up to a small herd of about six bison including one male. We also saw another solitary male at a distance on the tour.
The bison on the island can range from 900 lbs. to 2000 lbs. Some say the bison were originally brought to Catalina Island in the 1920s for the filming of a movie and may have originated from Yellowstone. Impressive beasts, they did not seem to be bothered by us in the jeep watching them. Our ranger guide told us at one point that he saw the male with his small tail raised, suggesting he may be getting annoyed, so we opted to move on.
Other activities
Being a tourist hot spot for many to escape from the hustle and bustle of LA, Avalon offers myriads of activities for its visitors. From submarine tours to ziplining, scuba diving to island tours, there is plenty to see and do here to keep one occupied for a few days. Those looking for more peace and quiet can also find relaxation at the many resorts and spas. The Catalina Casino historic building was also something we would have liked to see.
Conclusion
While we found that the day trip was quite an ordeal to come out and spend only a few minutes viewing bison, we did appreciate getting the chance to come and see Catalina Island.
Being our last day before the flight home, and perhaps a little nervous about being sure to make it back to Long Beach on the eve of our flight we didn’t give ourselves much time beyond the tour to explore the island. With the 9:30 am ferry (they ask you to arrive an hour earlier), and the one-hour crossing, we only had a spare hour before our bison expedition tour started at 12:30 pm. After the tour ended at 2:45 pm, we were booked on the 3:55 pm return ferry giving us just enough time to walk around and peek into a few shops to get t-shirts.
If we could do it again, we would opt to stay for dinner and take the later ferry back. They had them running up to 8:30 pm. These 300+ passengers ships run every day and are unlikely to be canceled unless there is extreme weather. If we had more time, we might have even opted to spend the night and to brave the cold waters to get in a dive or two and finally see those beautiful kelp forests. Even from the shoreline, we could see the kelp with some bright orange fish beckoning us.
2 replies on “Catalina Island Day Trip and Bison Expedition Tour”
Me and my son went on that tour Catalina see the Bison it was a joke dried up bushes hot we seem to Bryce’s about a thousand feet away from you you couldn’t even recognize him I booked a hotel with my son for three days we went home after the second day we got so bored it’s a definitely a tourist trap was it worth the money what they show you about the Bison are there site it’s not true you don’t get that close it is only green probably cuz it rained
Hi Alex, and yes, we were also told that on some expeditions there were no sightings at all. I understood that the Bison population is now down to about 90, and as they are free to roam around it can happen. We were lucky enough to drive up to a herd of 6 bison on our adventure and we stopped and parked for a while as we enjoyed the encounter. I guess with any kind of nature outing, it is the luck of the draw. We did not spend the night, but felt we would have enjoyed a couple of days on the island to explore. Perhaps 3 is too many, unless of course you are scuba diving. Thanks for writing and sharing your experience.