Trans-Catalina Trail: 4 stages and when to book
An island off Los Angeles, crossed on foot from end to end: from the town of Avalon up to the ridge of the interior, down to the beach at Little Harbor, over the isthmus at Two Harbors to the far beach at Parsons Landing, and back along the coast. Three nights in a tent, bison on the trail, little shade and long gaps between taps. The season is autumn to spring, and the campsites for a whole year go on sale on 5 January.
Start: Avalon. Finish: Two Harbors.
The 4 stages
| Day | Stage | Distance | Climb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avalon → Black Jack Campground | 17.1 km | 915 m |
| 2 | Black Jack Campground → Little Harbor Campground | 12.6 km | 291 m |
| 3 | Little Harbor Campground → Parsons Landing | 19.4 km | 1,042 m |
| 4 | Parsons Landing → Two Harbors | 11.6 km | 153 m |
The line is OpenStreetMap’s relation for the trail, routed from camp to camp and cut at the campgrounds of the Catalina Island Conservancy’s four-day itinerary. Every stage measures within 11% of the published miles. Elevation is the U.S. Geological Survey’s terrain model, walking times are computed, and nobody has walked this line for the app.
Book these first
Campsites are booked with the Catalina Island Company, online or on 310-510-4205. Two Harbors Visitor Services answers daily from 8 am to 5 pm.
- Parsons Landing, eight primitive sites on a beach and the only camp at the west end
- Black Jack, eleven sites and the only camp between Avalon and Little Harbor
Reservations for a calendar year open online on 5 January at 8:00 am Pacific time. Nights in January and February can be booked by phone from 1 December.
The Conservancy’s advice: book as early as possible, best in January. The sites fill quickly and the hard part is getting Black Jack, Little Harbor and Parsons Landing on nights in a row. If they are taken on your dates, look at the route in reverse.
When to go
The trail is open all year. The Conservancy calls spring and fall the most temperate months; summer has the daylight and the heat, with daytime temperatures that can pass 90 °F, 32 °C; winter brings the rain, which can make the trails muddy or close them, and nights down to 40 °F, 4 °C.
- JanuaryWinter: cool, and the wettest months
- FebruaryWinter, with rain possible
- MarchSpring begins
- AprilSpring
- MayLate spring
- JuneThe heat arrives
- JulyHigh summer, little shade
- AugustHigh summer, little shade
- SeptemberStill warm, the days shortening
- OctoberFall
- NovemberLate fall, short days
- DecemberWinter begins
Trans-Catalina Trail in Treksup
Trans-Catalina Trail is a paid route in Treksup: its full plan, with every stage, water, where to sleep and weekly trail conditions, comes with the paid tier. 7 routes are open in full for free.
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Page updated 30 September 2026.