Catalina Island is a fun bikepacking trip full of beautiful beaches, mountains, and wildlife! It’s relatively easy to get to from L.A. via a ferry departing near Long Beach, but feels like you’re on a faraway destination. On your first day, you’ll enjoy a short ride along the coast and camp on the beach before spending the second day crossing the island and mountains with beautiful views and a beach stop for lunch. On the third and final day, cruise back down to the coast. Campsites on this route are only accessible by hiking or biking, making for calm, quiet evenings, and the dirt roads have few cars and are fairly easy to navigate.
Expect stellar views and wildlife sightings, including dolphins on the ferry, foxes and squirrels on the trail, tiny crabs on the rocky shore, and perhaps even a wandering bison in your campsite.
