National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Channel Islands National Park

San Miguel Island Trail Guide timhaufphotography.com Exploring

Welcome to San Miguel Island, one of private boaters to contact the park to five islands in Channel Islands National ensure the island is open before coming Park. This is your island. It is also your ashore. responsibility. Please take a moment to read this bulletin and learn what you Many parts of San Miguel are closed can do to take care of San Miguel. This to protect wildlife, fragile plants, and information and the map on pages three geological features. Several areas, and four will show you what you can see however, are open for you to explore on and do here on San Miguel. your own. Others are open to you only when accompanied by a park ranger. About the Island San Miguel is the home of pristine On your own you may explore the tidepools, rare plants, and the strange Cuyler Harbor beach, Nidever Canyon, caliche forest. Four species of seals and Cabrillo monument, and the Lester ranch sea lions come here to breed and give site. Visitors are required to stay on the birth. For 10,000 years the island was designated island trail system. No off- home to the seagoing . trail hiking is permitted. The island was Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo set foot here a bombing range and there are possible in 1542 as the first European to explore unexploded ordnance. In addition, the coast. For 100 years the visitors must be accompanied by a ranger island was a sheep ranch and after that beyond the ranger station. it was used by the military. San Miguel is still owned by the U.S. Navy, but it The Nidever Canyon trail will take you is managed under agreement by the to the ranch site, monument and ranger . In 1980 it was station. The trail begins at the top of the designated part of Channel Islands dune above Gull Rock. It climbs along National Park. the east wall of the canyon.

Access Permit Required Arranging a Hike with a Ranger A permit (including liability waiver) is To see other parts of the island, such as required to visit the island. If you are Point Bennett or the caliche forest, you traveling to San Miguel Island with Island must go with a ranger. If you are with Packers, Channel Islands Aviation, or Island Packers, Channel Islands Aviation, Truth Aquatics, they will provide the or Truth Aquatics a ranger or volunteer form to you upon your reservation. will be available for most of these trips Private boaters can obtain the form at a to lead hikes. They will announce time self-registration station in Cuyler Harbor and date during your arrival. If you are a at the Nidever Canyon trailhead entry. private boater, the San Miguel ranger can San Miguel Island is open only when be contacted on Marine Radio Channel National Park Service personnel are 16. You can also arrange a hike with the on the island. It is the responsibility of ranger through park headquarters at (805) 658-5730.

1 San Miguel Island Trail Guide timhaufphotography.com Nidever Canyon

Island Rules Safety Everything is protected. Do not collect The island was a bombing range and anything. there are possible unexploded ordnance. Do not disturb any munitions that San Miguel Island is open only when you may find on or offshore. They are National Park Service personnel are on extremely dangerous and may detonate the island. at any time. Report their location to a ranger, who will have it removed by Access permit (including liability waiver) qualified personnel. is required. Use caution when crossing the rockfall No pets are allowed on shore. along the beach.

No smoking or fires. The Nidever Canyon trail is steep and slippery. Watch your step. Take your trash off the island with you. Hantavirus has been found in deer Clean your boots and other possessions, mouse populations on San Miguel. This such as backpacks, before you visit to is a potentially fatal disease and some avoid introducing nonnative species. basic precautions should be taken: avoid contact with rodents; do not feed wild Hikers must stay on trails. animals; keep food and drink in rodent- proof containers. Hikers must be escorted except where indicated on this map. Carry plenty of water and drink it.

California State fishing regulations apply. Hikers should never hike alone—use the No fishing in marine reserves. buddy system. National Park Service 2 Harris Point Marine Reserve No Commercial or Recreational Fishing Allowed Richardson Harris Point Rock Marine Reserve Lester Point e No Commercial or v o Recreational Fishing Allowed C n Castle to Prince Otter on Cuyler Rock im Island Boating prohibited within 300 yards Harbor S Palm Harbor of shore from Castle Rock to Judith Trees Judge Rock Rock from Apr. 30 to Oct. 1 and Gull Rock Dec.15 to Mar. 15. No boating within Cabrillo Monument 100 yards of shore year-round. Bay Point Green Mountain 817 ft Lester Ranch site Caliche Point Forest Bennett Research Station Cuba San Wreck Miguel Hill Cardwell Tyler 831 ft Adams Bight Point Cove *To avoid disturbing sensitive seals, sea lions, and Judith seabirds, please stay away from the shoreline where Rock you see them congregate. Judith *Refer to the National Marine Sanctuary's Protecting Your Channel Islands brochure for more information Rock Crook on marine reserves. Marine N Point Reserve 0 2 km No Commercial or Recreational Fishing Allowed 0 2 mi timhaufphotography.com Cuyler Harbor

3 San Miguel Island Trail Guide Harris Point Marine Reserve No Commercial or Recreational Fishing Allowed Richardson Harris Point Rock Marine Reserve Lester Point e No Commercial or v o Recreational Fishing Allowed C n Castle to Prince Otter on Cuyler Rock im Island Boating prohibited within 300 yards Harbor S Palm Harbor of shore from Castle Rock to Judith Trees Judge Rock Rock from Apr. 30 to Oct. 1 and Gull Rock Dec.15 to Mar. 15. No boating within Cabrillo Monument 100 yards of shore year-round. Bay Point Green Mountain 817 ft Lester Ranch site Caliche Point Forest Bennett Research Station Cuba San Wreck Miguel Hill Cardwell Tyler 831 ft Adams Bight Point Cove *To avoid disturbing sensitive seals, sea lions, and Judith seabirds, please stay away from the shoreline where Rock you see them congregate. Judith *Refer to the National Marine Sanctuary's Protecting Your Channel Islands brochure for more information Rock Crook on marine reserves. Marine N Point Reserve 0 2 km No Commercial or Recreational Fishing Allowed 0 2 mi This map is your guide to the open areas campground is about 1.5 miles. From Gull on San Miguel Island. The dashed lines Rock, the distance is .7 miles mark the trails and sections of beach that you may travel on your own with an Pit toilets are available at both the ranger access permit. station and the campground.

On the beach, you may walk to either end There is no drinking water on the island. of the beach to where the sand runs into the rock. Landing is only permitted on the beach at Cuyler Harbor. If seals are present on the beach, do not approach or disturb them. Only the unshaded portion of Cuyler Harbor (outside of the marine reserve) is The distance from the palm trees to the open to fishing.

National Park Service 4 Gull Cuyler Harbor Rock

1

2 Nidever Canyon

3 Cabrillo 4 Monument

Lester 5 Ranch Site

Active Airstrip (Access Restricted) 6

Trail

1 Trail Stops North .25 miles

5 San Miguel Island Trail Guide timhaufphotography.com Prince Island within Cuyler Harbor.

How To Use This Trail Guide This trail guide provides six interpretive other areas without a ranger is a violation stops along the one mile hike (one-way) of federal law. to the ranger station. To see other parts of the island, such as Please see the adjacent map for specific Point Bennett or the caliche forest, you stop locations. Note that many of the must go with a ranger. If you are with topics covered are applicable to any Island Packers, Channel Islands Aviation, island location. So no matter where your or Truth Aquatics a ranger or volunteer visit takes you, carry this guide along to will be available for most of these trips learn about the rich natural and cultural to lead hikes. They will announce time history of San Miguel Island. and date during your arrival. If you are a private boater, the San Miguel ranger can be contacted on Marine Radio Channel 16. You can also arrange a hike with the Due to potential unexploded ordnance, ranger through park headquarters at you may only hike on your own to Cuyler (805) 658-5730. Harbor beach, Nidever Canyon, Cabrillo monument, Lester ranch site and the ranger station. Visitors are required to stay on the designated island trail system. No off-trail hiking is permitted. Entering

National Park Service 6 il Sto ra p T Nowhere Else on Earth 1 Location: Welcome Sign at Nidever Canyon Trailhead

Close to the mainland, yet worlds apart, coastal mainland has seen extensive San Miguel Island, along with the other development, the Channel Islands remain Channel Islands, is home to plants and undeveloped. The islands’ separation animals that are found nowhere else from the mainland by 25 miles of an on Earth. As on the Galápagos Islands often turbulent ocean has limited and of South America, the isolation of the directed human use and occupation for Channel Islands has allowed evolution thousands of years. And this limited use to proceed independently, fostering the continues today, giving us a chance to development of nearly 150 plants and see coastal southern California as it once animals that are endemic, or unique, to was. these islands. San Miguel Island is home to 20 of these species and some, like the So step back in time and experience San San Miguel Island , are Miguel Island’s isolation as you walk up found only on this island. Nidever Canyon to the ranger station. It’s like nowhere else on Earth. Isolation has also played a major role in shaping human activities on the islands. While the southern California timhaufphotography.com Point Bennett

7 San Miguel Island Trail Guide timhaufphotography.com Point Bennett

An Ocean Park and Sanctuary exploiting sea otters, fur seals, elephant From this vantage point, one has the seals, and sea lions for their fur, hides opportunity to gaze upon another part of and oil. Sea mammal hunting ended in the park: the marine environment. One the early 1900’s and laws like the Marine nautical mile of water around each island Mammal Protection Act now protect is part of Channel Islands National Park, these species. and the six nautical miles around each island form Channel Islands National In this isolated environment, their Marine Sanctuary. protected populations have recovered from centuries of slaughter. Today, up to Within this ocean realm, one often sees five different species (northern elephant or hears California sea lions, northern seals, California sea lions, Guadalupe elephant seals, or harbor seals. The fur seal, northern fur seals, and harbor island’s isolated shoreline offers these seals) and over 100,000 individuals use an ideal combination of safety the island’s shoreline. On Point Bennett from predators and freedom from human alone over 30,000 individuals can be disturbance, making the island an ideal found—making it one of the largest place to rest, breed, and pup. concentrations of wildlife in the world.

But even San Miguel Island’s isolation These pinnipeds, along with over 800 could not always protect these and other other marine species, also depend on sea mammals from human predation. As the extensive kelp forests found in these early as the late 1700’s, fur hunters were waters for food, shelter, and protection—

National Park Service 8 Despite these benefits, human activities have placed the kelp forest and its inhabitants in jeopardy. Pollution and over-harvesting of marine species have altered the kelp forest ecosystem. Kelp forests in southern California today cover less than half the area they covered at the turn of the 20th century. John Iwerks and Glenna Hartmann Kelp forest However, improvement to pollution controls, fishing regulations, and from foraging nudibranchs, to grazing increased research and public education snails, to fish seeking refuge, to whales have come with the establishment of feasting on plankton. Kelp is a type of marine protected areas (MPAs), algae that, under ideal conditions (cold, nutrient-rich water), is one of the fastest Within the park and sanctuary, this growing organisms on Earth—it can network of MPAs provides a refuge grow two feet per day. for sea life, as well as opportunities for recreation, education, and science. In While urban and industrial development 11 marine reserves (including three has altered much of the southern around San Miguel Island), recreational California coastal mainland, the isolated fishing and commercial harvesting islands contain the most undisturbed are prohibited; limited fishing and stretches of coastline in this region, harvesting are allowed in two marine providing some of the best conditions for conservation areas. The MPAs total 318 kelp forests and their inhabitants. square miles, the largest such network off the continental United States and an Kelp forests don’t just benefit marine important part of a larger, worldwide species—they benefit us as well. Not effort to conserve natural, historic, and only do we eat some of the animals cultural marine resources. that depend upon the kelp forest, but everyday products like ice cream, salad An Ideal Isolated Home dressing, and even toothpaste also use San Miguel Island and its associated a little bit of seaweed as well. Kelp is islets support regionally important and harvested for a natural ingredient called diverse seabird colonies, including one- algin, which is used as a suspending, third of the breeding seabirds in the stabilizing, emulsifying, gel-producing, Channel Islands. Prince Island, which and film-forming additive in more than lies at the entrance to Cuyler Harbor, 70 commercial products. In addition, hosts the most diverse seabird colony on marine plants and algae such as kelp the west coast with 13 different species. provide Earth with 80 percent of its Ashy storm-petrels, Brandt’s cormorants, oxygen. Cassin’s auklets, pigeon guillemots, California brown pelicans, and common murres all make their home here.

9 San Miguel Island Trail Guide timhaufphotography.com Brad Sillasen The 40-acre Prince Island hosts the most Park staff restores habitat and monitors diverse seabird colony on the west coast with species like the Cassin’s aucklet. 13 different species.

San Miguel Island, the other Channel Today, pelicans and other seabird species Islands, and all of their associated islets are gradually recovering now that their and offshore rocks comprise one of the isolated island home is protected within largest breeding centers on the west Channel Islands National Park. Through coast for seabirds and shorebirds. Their monitoring and restoration programs, isolation and freedom from predators the park and its partners are working and human disturbance, as well as the to conserve critical nesting habitat and abundance of food in the cold, nutrient- to protect the integrity of the island rich ocean waters surrounding them, and marine ecosystems that support 90 make them an ideal place for marine percent of southern California’s seabird birds to breed and rear their young. populations.

However, the island’s isolation was not On San Miguel Island, these efforts able to protect some species of seabirds have focused on restoring seabird from human impacts. The destruction of nesting habitat, removing black rats and native vegetation, importing of nonnative nonnative vegetation, revegetating with species, gathering of eggs, disturbance of native plants, installing nest boxes, and rookeries, and the spread of pesticides closing areas to protect nesting seabirds. in the marine environment have all been detrimental. The most notable results of these efforts have been the successful recovery of the During the 1960s, the pesticide DDT California brown pelican and its removal nearly caused the extinction of the from the endangered species list in 2009. California brown pelican as a breeding species on the west coast of the United States. In 1970, only 552 nesting attempts were made on (the largest colony on the West coast of the United States) and just one chick survived. On October 13, 1970, the brown pelican was listed as an endangered species.

National Park Service 10 il Sto ra p T Return of the Natives 2 Location: Halfway up Nidever Canyon

Halfway up Nidever Canyon is a good The park is working to restore the place to stop, take a rest, and observe the island’s native vegetation, and special island’s plant life including such species focus is being placed on the 10 plants as coreopsis, buckwheat, dudleya, lupine, endemic to the islands—those found and morning glory. This incredible nowhere else in the world. To ensure display of coastal sagebrush and coastal the survival of these unique species bluff scrub native vegetation is very and encourage the recovery of the similar to how the island would have island’s native vegetation, all nonnative looked to the first visitors. animals have been removed and the effort to plant native species and control Unfortunately, the island’s vegetation nonnative weeds is underway. was not always this lush. In the 1870s, the island was described as a “barren lump The recovery of native plants has so far of sand.” For over 100 years sheep (up to been remarkable. Many have spread 6,000 at one point), cattle, horses, pigs, beyond the buried seed banks and burros severely overgrazed the island, steep canyon walls and cliffs, where eliminating most of the native vegetation they remained protected from grazing, and creating open, disturbed, and eroded and have reestablished themselves soils that allowed nonnative plants to throughout the island. flourish. Once established, these hardier nonnatives outcompeted the natives for This reestablishment of native plants has limited soil and moisture due to their also aided in the recovery of endemic longer germination and growth cycles deer mice, island foxes, and nesting land and ability to withstand grazing and birds by providing important habitat. browsing by livestock. Today, there are 16 land birds that nest

11 San Miguel Island Trail Guide timhaufphotography.com Brad Sillasen Once described as a “barren lump of sand,” San Miguel Island is now densely vegetated with a diverse assemblage of native plants. Native vegetation has recovered remarkably well on the island since the removal of sheep in 1966. San Miguel Island in 1930 (top left) and in 2000 (top right) from about the same angle. The island’s native vegetation as it appears today in bloom above Cuyler Harbor (bottom).

annually on the island. Six of these are to the island. Together we can guarantee endemic to the Channel Islands—the the return of native plants and animals song sparrow, horned lark, orange- throughout San Miguel Island. crowned warbler, loggerhead shrike, Allen’s hummingbird, and house finch.

You can help with this recovery of island natives by cleaning your boots and other possessions, such as backpacks, before you visit. This ensures that you don’t accidentally introduce nonnative species

National Park Service 12 il Sto ra p T Geographical Isolation 3 Location: First Trail Junction

Although it probably feels as if the steep volcanic rocks (deposited between 15–30 trail up Nidever Canyon will never end, million years ago) and the eventual uplift eventually, at about 500 feet in elevation, of the islands. These compressional the terrain will level out to a plateau. This forces are still ongoing, making this area plateau is a marine terrace—an ancient geologically active today. Earthquakes shoreline carved flat by wave action and are quite common and all the islands exposed through changes in sea level continue to be uplifted. and tectonic uplift of the land. Remnants of this and other marine terraces can Ever since these compressional forces be found around much of the island’s caused the islands to emerge from coastline. A future marine terrace (called the sea, they have been separated from a wave-cut platform) is being created by the mainland. For decades, scientists wave erosion at the base of the sea cliffs assumed that the two were connected below you. by a land bridge, but as bathymetric information (or topography) of the sea The island’s first shoreline was created floor improved, it revealed that even around five million years ago, when during periods of lowest sea levels compressional forces, caused by (about 20,000 years ago), the islands still the ramming of Baja California into remained isolated by at least four miles of southern California, resulted in folding ocean. It is this continuous geographical and faulting of marine sediments and isolation that has shaped island life. timhaufphotography.com Aerial view showing San Miguel Island’s marine terraces.

13 San Miguel Island Trail Guide Although never connected to the mainland by a land bridge, the four northern islands were once part of the Pleistocene “super island” known as Santarosae, nearly four times as large as the combined areas of the modern Channel Islands. The dark-shaded area on the map depicts the ancient coast of Santarosae and California around 20,000 years ago when sea level was approximately 350 feet lower than it is today. As the ice sheets and glaciers melted and the sea level rose, only the highest parts of Santarosae remained as modern islands. (Adapted from a map by geologist Tom Rockwell)

Caliche Forest The island’s isolation has also helped to preserve one of the island’s most interesting features—the caliche forest, calcified casts of ancient vegetation that have been exposed in several areas by the eroding sand. This ancient fossilized vegetation is comprised of roots and

trunks of a variety of plants, including timhaufphotography.com possibly pine and cypress that once grew Caliche forest on the island during periods of colder and wetter climates. The most unusual Please note: To visit the caliche forest, you casting that has been found is a huge must go with a ranger. You can arrange a caliche log that was 2½ feet in diameter hike with available island staff. and about 30 feet long.

National Park Service 14 il Sto ra p T Window into Their World 4 Location: Cabrillo Monument

In 1937, the Cabrillo Civic Club of California built this monument to commemorate Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo as a “Portuguese” explorer who discovered San Miguel Island and to mark his place of burial. Today, however, research has revealed that Cabrillo was most likely Spanish, probably died on Santa Catalina Island, and was most likely timhaufphotography.com buried at sea. Cabrillo monument

And although in 1542 Cabrillo was the before the present—some of the oldest first European explorer to reach San evidence of human presence in North Miguel’s isolated, windswept shores, he America. was certainly not the first to “discover” it. When Cabrillo came ashore there were Most of these archeological sites are approximately 100 Chumash living in two “middens,” a debris pile containing villages along the island’s coast, including remnants of those societies who came a village at Cuyler Harbor. The Chumash before. These midden sites offer us a and their ancestors had been living on window into the Chumash world. By San Miguel almost continuously for examining these sites, archeologists can nearly 12,000 years. piece together a picture of their ancient island life. Today there are over 600 fragile, relatively undisturbed archeological sites. The The Island Chumash were skilled oldest one dates back to 11,600 years crafts people and seafarers with a vast knowledge of the world around them Taking from or disturbing and how to use it for their survival. The archeological sites or artifacts is a predominance of shells and fish bones violation of state and federal law. within the middens reveal that although The archeological sites around the the islanders exploited terrestrial plant Channel Islands are a testament to the resources, such as acorns and cherries, importance of the Chumash and other they subsisted primarily on fish, shellfish, American Indians. Archeological sites are and other marine organisms. They often sacred to Chumash peoples today, are plied the channel in search of this rich protected by federal law, and are a vital variety of marine food, traveling in nonrenewable scientific resource. Please (canoes) made of redwood or help us in protecting and preserving this rich part of California’s heritage. pine planks caulked with tar from natural seeps.

15 San Miguel Island Trail Guide The middens also reveal that other Ancient Ocean Pathways Lead the items not available in this isolated Chumash Home island environment had to be obtained from villages on the mainland or other islands. One of the principal products manufactured and traded by the islanders were shell beads, which were the currency of trade in the Chumash area and throughout California. Peter Howorth

To produce these beads, chert microdrills In 1976, the Chumash Brotherhood were used to bore holes in pieces of of the built and paddled the olivella snail shells. Chert, a hard, durable tomol, Helek (Peregrine Falcon), from silica rock, was found in considerable San Miguel Island to Santa Rosa Island, and finally to . This quantities on Santa Cruz Island. Because historic ocean voyage, the first since the Eastern Santa Cruz Island had chert of mid-1800s, brought the Chumash back the proper type and quality needed for to their island home and sustained their tool construction, this location became traditional way life. the center for manufacturing chert Then in 1997, a group of Chumash built microdrills. One particular site contains the traditional style tomol, ‘Elye’wun evidence of the highest density of (Swordfish), the first to be owned by microdrill production in North America. the Chumash in 150 years, and paddled Other sites on San Miguel, Santa Rosa, her from the mainland to Santa Cruz and Santa Cruz Islands have been labeled Island in 2001, completing the island circle begun by Helek. by archeologists as “bead factories,” with amazing amounts of discarded drills and Members of the Chumash community bead debris. continue to celebrate their heritage and culture through annual tomol crossings San Miguel Island and the other Channel to Santa Cruz Island. These journeys are an affirmation of tradition, which Islands were not isolated enough to contemporary Chumash regard as a gift protect the Island Chumash from the to their ancestors and children. diseases the Spanish explorers and missionaries brought with them as they Centuries ago, the tomol was used to connect different island began colonizing California in the late Chumash groups with each other 1700s. By the early 1800s, the Island and the mainland. Today, it links past Chumash had been devastated by generations of Chumash with the measles and other introduced epidemics, present-day Chumash community. as well as by drought and the disruption of their trade-based economy. The last of remains to remind us of this unique the islanders would leave their traditional part of San Miguel Island’s past. San Miguel Island home by 1816. These midden sites, along with today’s descendants of the Island Chumash, Although much of the islander’s history remind us how important and sacred and way of life has been lost, enough these isolated islands are.

National Park Service 16 il Sto ra p T Preserving the Past 5 Location: Lester Ranch Site

An island ranch is a study in self-reliance. With no stores, phones…everything has to be fashioned from whatever is on hand; it’s the art of making do. Gretel Ehrlich, Cowboy Island: Farewell to a Ranching Legacy

While the isolated island offered ranchers Nevertheless, ranching persisted for several advantages over the mainland, over 100 years on San Miguel Island including no predators and the world’s and included such colorful characters as best fence (the ocean), it created special George Nidever, a prominent California challenges as well. Supplying such a pioneer, William G. Waters, an eccentric remote outpost was probably the most entrepreneur, and the well-publicized considerable of these. The transportation family of Herbert Lester. of supplies and stock on and off the island was always an adventure—the Nidever was the first to begin ranching in distance to the mainland, rough seas, and earnest on the island. In 1850 he brought high expense made it very difficult. 45 head of sheep, 17 head of cattle, two hogs, and seven horses and by 1862 the However, ranchers adapted to the stock had increased to 6,000 sheep, 200 challenges of island life through self- head of cattle, 100 hogs and 32 horses. reliance and, as one ranch foreman During the drought in 1863 and 1864 wrote, “learning to make do with what Nidever lost most of his livestock and [they] had.” In order to produce income those that remained denuded much of and be as self-sufficient as possible, the island, leaving just sand dunes. ranchers developed a diverse operation: they raised barley and potatoes, Nidever is most noted for finding the maintained a vegetable garden, and “Lone Woman of .” imported different animals, including She was an American Indian woman sheep, cattle, horses, mules, pigs, lived isolated on the remote island for chickens, turkeys, and ducks. 18 years after her people were taken to the mainland in 1835. While collecting Not all of these enterprises succeeded. seagull eggs on the island, Nidever found Several attempts to grow crops were her and eventually brought her back severely hampered by the island’s to Santa Barbara where she delighted unrelenting winds and blowing sand. the town with her language, songs, and And droughts caused ranchers to remove dance. Tragically, however, within a short their livestock, impacting the raising of period of time she became ill and died. wool and meat for market. In the 1880s William Waters acquired the ranching rights to the island and became

17 San Miguel Island Trail Guide California State LIbrary California State LIbrary Santa Cruz Island Foundation Santa Cruz Island Foundation Top: William Waters. Bottom: Waters’ road Top: Waters’ Nidever Canyon ranch complex, built in 1888. 1903. Bottom: Waters’ Nidever Canyon ranch house, 1895. the longest-lived resident of the island, Waters and his work staff constructed the spending almost thirty years there. He island’s first road from Cuyler Harbor proclaimed himself the “King of San beach to the top of the island via Nidever Miguel,” stating that the United States Canyon, blasting rocks and making a fine had no right to the island and that it was but narrow grade for hauling supplies up his for the taking. When the government and products down. The road remains tried to investigate, Waters threatened to as a hiking trail today and some of the shoot any invaders of his nation. rockwork is still evident.

According to Waters, only when Grover Waters and his staff also constructed the Cleveland sent a civil request as the head island’s largest ranch house—the ruins of one nation made to another would he of which lie before you. After sand drifts allow government surveyors to access had buried the old ranch house in upper to the island. In reality, what probably Nidever Canyon, work began on this new convinced Waters to allow the survey house in 1906. It was constructed out party access was the visit to the island by of materials salvaged from shipwrecks a U.S. Marshal and a contingent of armed around the island – most of it from the men. Waters was eventually denied his lumber schooner the J.M. Coleman request to remain as the self-appointed which had gone aground inside Point king and remained a U.S. citizen until his Bennett in 1905. The house was 125 death. feet long and 16 feet wide with double- walls to withstand the strong winds. A

National Park Service 18 blacksmith shop/harness room, tool the wound with Lysol and stitched it shed, well, cistern, and root cellar were closed with a curved burlap sack needle also constructed. and some fishing line. The ranch had no radio at the time so the American flag Robert Brooks acquired the island was hoisted upside down in the hope of lease from Waters in 1917 and hired attracting a passing vessel. Two weeks his friend from the Army, Herbert later their regular supply ship arrived Lester, to manage the ranch from 1929- and transported Brooks to the hospital. 1942. Herbert brought his new bride, The doctors were quite impressed with Elizabeth, with him to the island, and Lester’s work and refused to take any pay eventually had two daughters out here, as Lester had completed all the treatment Betsy and Marianne. Herbert and his necessary and had saved Brooks’ life. family enjoyed isolated island life and saw it as an escape “from the shallowness In 1948 island ranching came to an end of civilization and its incessant and when the Navy revoked Brooks’ lease so inconsequential demands.” that the island could be used as bombing range to train and test for the nation’s San Miguel Island soon came to be Cold War defense system. known as Lester’s Island, and following in Waters’ footsteps, he too dubbed Unfortunately, the ranch house built himself the “King of San Miguel.” He by Waters and lived in by the Lesters wore a makeshift insignia to designate his burned down in 1967 when the Navy rank and their mailbag read “Kingdom of inadvertently started a fire during San Miguel.” weapons testing. All that remains today is what you see before you (piles of rubble, Numerous stories are known from the hardware and metal pieces, and two Lester era, due to extensive coverage in cement-lined excavations considered the press. In 1940, Life magazine ran an to be a cistern and a root cellar) and, article about the family entitled “Swiss of course, the stories of survival on a Family Lester,” including a story about weather-beaten and most isolated island. the kids being educated in the “tiniest schoolhouse in the world.” Even today, the isolation of this island still affects visitors and the National Park In 1937, The Santa Barbara News-Press Service. Public boat trips for park visitors carried an article headlined, “Man’s are limited to only a few days each Life Saved by Island King.” The story month during the summer and visitors described how Robert Brooks was must bring (and carry up to the top of working on the reconstruction of the the island) all their own food and water. landing down in Cuyler Harbor when Park staff must import food and drinking he lost his footing, fell and impaled his water as well, and have established a solar thigh on a rusted bolt. He was in danger power system for energy. Like so many of bleeding to death if he did not receive who visited and resided here before, immediate attention. Lester, relying on we must learn to make do with what we his Army experience, quickly sterilized have.

19 San Miguel Island Trail Guide Santa Cruz Island Foundation SB Museum of Natural History Cockwise from top: (1) The ranch house built by Waters in 1906. Note the shearing shed and barn visible in the background and the tiny schoolhouse within the fence. (2) The Lester family in front of the ranch house, 1939. (3) Hauling wool to the landing in Cuyler Harbor, 1939. (4) Herbert Lester shows Betsy his elephant gun in the ranch house living room in 1942. Marianne is at left, Elise at right.

National Park Service 20 il Sto ra p T Back from the Brink 6 Location: Ranger Station

Perhaps by now you have been lucky Channel Islands were never connected enough to cross paths with an . to the mainland, scientists currently have They are frequently seen along the trail two theories on how the fox arrived on as well as around the campground area. the islands. However, due to the scant The island fox (Urocyon littoralis) lives fossil history, significant questions still on six of the eight Channel Islands—San remain on the exact mechanism of the Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, Santa initial arrival. Catalina, San Nicolas, and San Clemente. Each island has its own subspecies, and it One theory is that the island fox’s is found nowhere else in the world. ancestor, the gray fox, “rafted” to the islands on driftwood, propelled by a The island fox is the largest native storm or currents. During the last ice age, mammal on the the islands, but one of the 10–20,000 years ago, ocean levels were up smallest foxes in the world. It is nearly 20 to 400 feet lower than today, narrowing percent smaller than its closest relative, the channel between the islands and the mainland gray fox. It’s about the size mainland to perhaps just four to five miles of a house cat, averaging from 12 to 13 across and grouping the northern islands inches in height, 23 to 27 inches in length together into one large island we call (including tail), and three to five pounds Santarosae. The other theory is that gray in weight. Similar in appearance to the foxes were transported to the northern gray fox, the island fox has a gray back, Channel Islands, like they were to the San rufous sides (reddish-brown), and white Nicolas and San Clemente Islands, by undersides. There are distinctive black, American Indians. white, and rufous markings on the face. The foxes adapted to their new island Unlike the nocturnal gray fox, which home, evolving into a dwarf, or smaller, hunts at night to avoid predators, the form of the gray fox. Environmental and island fox is also active during daylight ecological factors such as overcrowding, hours. As a “generalist omnivore,” it eats reduction in predators, food limitations, almost all available foods on the islands, and genetic variations could have including fruits, vegetation, insects, mice, contributed to the natural selection for a and crabs. Mating takes place in February smaller size. As the climate warmed and and March, with pupping usually in April ocean levels began to rise, Santarosae or May. Average litter size is two. The was divided into the islands of San adult males play an important role in the Miguel, Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz, and raising of young. Anacapa. Because of a lack of permanent freshwater, the island fox did not inhabit The fossil record for the island fox Anacapa Island. dates back at least 6,400 years. Since the

21 San Miguel Island Trail Guide fox photo timhaufphotography.com Steve Smith The island fox has recovered from the brink Bald eagles have been reestablished on the of extinction. Channel Islands.

Between 1994 and 1999, island foxes The National Park Service needs almost disappeared on San Miguel, Santa your help as well. We encourage you Rosa, and Santa Cruz Islands. Predation to explore and learn more about San by nonnative golden eagles caused over a Miguel Island and the rest of the 90 percent decline in the population with Channel Islands—but don’t stop there. just 15 foxes left on San Miguel Island, In recognizing the importance of these placing the island fox on the brink of islands, take your awareness to the action extinction. By 2004, the island fox was level. Make every effort to preserve the listed as a federally endangered species. plants, animals, and artifacts found not A successful recovery effort included only within this park, but throughout the captive breeding of island foxes, world as well. relocation of golden eagles, and the reestablishment of bald eagles (a natural competitor of the golden eagle). In all, on Area Beyond Ranger Station is Closed to Unescorted Travel San Miguel Island 62 foxes were released Due to unexploded ordnance, visitors over a six-year period with the final fox must be accompanied by a ranger set free in 2007. This recovery effort has beyond this point. Entering this area been recognized as one of the quickest without a ranger is a violation of and most successful recoveries of an federal law. When not accompanied endangered species. by a ranger, visitors may only explore Cuyler Harbor beach, Nidever Canyon, Park Protection the Cabrillo Monument, and the Lester In 1980, San Miguel Island was Ranch site.To see other parts of the designated part of Channel Islands island, such as Point Bennett or the National Park to protect, preserve, caliche forest, you must go with a and teach us about the island’s ranger. fragile resources and unique past. By understanding these resources and the role isolation plays on these islands, the National Park Service can preserve them for future generations to study and enjoy.

National Park Service 22 National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior

Channel Islands National Park 1901 Spinnaker Drive Ventura, CA 93001

805.658.5730 nps.gov/chis

2019, 1st edition Written and designed by Derek Lohuis

Printed on 100% recycled paper

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