Catalina Island Conservancy

Went in to get a hiking permit, i.e. trying to do the right thing before going on a 4 mile hike, and staff was UNBELIEVABLY RUDE, spending just about all their time talking on the phone or doing paperwork instead of taking a minute of their valuable time to help us out.
Then they have a sign asking for a three dollar donation for what is supposed to be a free permit! Not a chance after the way we were treated!
I guess if you don’t have money to spend there, you don’t count.

Wow! Bison– check! Eagles– check! Fox– check! Deer– check! Beth was our tour guide and she was absolutely amazing! She had so much knowledge– useful and useless (I love trivia!) to entertain us. I was enthralled the whole 3 hour tour. I would suggest this tour to everyone who wants to see the real Catalina. Avalon isn’t all of Catalina, but so many of us think it is. I did until this trip. Thanks for a fantastic experience!

This is the email «survey» I just sent the conservancy.
Good evening! Today (5−26−15) my wife and I rode your 3 hour afternoon Jeep Eco-​tour on Catalina with your driver Ron. I’m sorry I didn’t see the survey form until I got home. So I felt the quickest way to get my «survey» to you was to send you this email. First off I must say that my wife and I had a wonderful time! We would check all the «excellent» boxes and circle all the «yes’s»!! We were absolutely impressed with our drivers knowledge of the island and he is very experienced. He told of how he grew up on the island so he must know every nook and cranny. We WILL be telling all of our friends and relatives to take one of your tours. We are already planning on getting my kids to come along next time and take Ron up on a charter tour to go on a longer drive. Thank you again for a wonderful experience!
Jerry

GREAT! It was easy to sch a trip to the airport to hike around, eat the best food on the island and take the bus back. We booked while on vacation and went over several different options with the woman at the conservancy to get there/​back via van vs hiking vs bike riding. Her info and maps were invaluable! Highly recommend! Oh! And, it was only $ 32 round trip or $ 16 each way per person! Bear was our driver and when we spotted a bison, he slowed down and stopped for all in the van to get a look and some pictures, and we weren’t even on a tour, just taking the van to the airport! How awesome is that?!? Will use them again!

The Catalina Island Conservancy is absolutely a 5-​star, world-​class operation. I took my girlfriend here on October 18, 2013, and it just so happened to be the day I asked her to be my wife. The people at the Convservancy went above and beyond in every possible way. All I did was inform Rosie that I wanted to take a public Jeep Tour at 1pm on a Friday. When I arrived to the island, I realized that the tour would end by 4pm, and since the sun doesn’t set on the Avalon side, I wouldn’t be able to propose at sunset. I was starting to think of either doing it on the 1−4pm tour if we could get some privacy, or figure out a plan B to propose that night.
I called them a couple hours before the tour, just to let them know of my wishes to propose at sunet. Without me even asking or inquiring about other tour options, Scott and Mary Jane orchestrated a surprise plan for me to go on a private tour with my soon to be fiancé and Beth (our amazing driver). We walked in at 12:45 pm FULLY EXPECTING to go on a 1pm public tour, and this is where Scott «fake» canceled our tour, and was deftly able to explain to me without my girlfriend noticing that they had set us up to go on a sunset private tour with beth from 4−7pm. This way, as the sun sets on the desolate west side of the island, I would have my chance to propose in seclusion at sunset. It blew me away that they would do this, and completely change their company’s schedule to accommodate my proposal plans. They never asked for a penny more than the cost of a public tour, and my fiancé and I were rewarded with a 3 hour tour that we will remember the rest of our lives. And She said YES! Beth, our driver, also turned out to be an OUSTANDING photographer, and she snapped over 150 pictures of us during and after the proposal.
If I could, I would give this company 10 stars out of 5. And the beauty of Catalina and the places you go on a tour are absolutely STUNNING. I will forever be grateful for my experience, and my fiancé and I plan to take another tour as soon as we can return to Catalina.

Took the 2 hour tour of the island yesterday and had a blast! Our guide Laura was excellent! Her knowledge and enthusiasm for conservation of Catalina’s natural resources was admirable. While we only singed up for the 2 hour tour it actually later for almost 3. Laura took us on an adventure I will never forget. I’ve been coming to Catalina for over 30 years but have never seen or learned so much about the island in that short amount of time. We saw bison, Catalina island fox (lucky us) and a bald eagle flying in the sky overhead. While some might think the tour is a bit expensive its worth every penny and your money is going to a noble cause.

I won 2 tickets for a circumvent cruise around Catalina from the Queen Mary in Long Beach to Avalon, Catalina, then around Catalina Island with a lunch and hike time at Emerald Bay. Excellent experience, informative experts onboard, great crowd, delicious onboard snacks, large windows with beautiful views as we sailed.
Classic…

This place is awesome.
I come from an environmental sciences background and volunteered with the conservancy for a week through a college volunteering program. It was definitely a highlight of my college career.
The conservancy controls a majority (88%) of Catalina Island and all of their area is maintained by staff and volunteers. This work includes invasive species removal, beach and trail clean-​up, wildlife population (eg bison) control, and native planting programs. The result is one of the most successful examples of ecosystem management in the United States and one that is definitely worthy of appreciation. They have kept healthy populations of the Catalina Island Fox, bison, and bald eagles which you may be able to spot on a hike around the island.
Groups can volunteer with the conservancy and (potentially) stay in their volunteer camp which is located on a picturesque mountainside overlooking Long Beach. If you have a church group, Boy Scout pack, or any sort of group that is interested in volunteering and is not afraid to get their hands dirty, then I highly suggest contacting the conservancy and trying to make an arrangement.
The views are amazing. From the two beaches at Shark Harbor, to the Catalina Airport, the rolling hills and steep cliffs, the gnarled hardwood trees, soft grey sand beaches, I could go on and on. This place is well worth the visit. I’ve added some pictures of things that you might see on a visit. But definitely, absolutely, positively go into conservancy territory. Avalon is cute, but the rest of the island is breathtaking.

Great place to book your tours while on Catalina! We went on an awesome jeep tour!

Beautiful area. Peaceful and relaxing. A neat place for exercise too

Catalina HQ
This is the headquarters of Catalina. If you want to hike, you will need a permit, free at the conservancy. Definitely buy a map ($ 0.50) and get advice on which trail suits you the best. The folks who run the conservancy are knowledgeable and can tell you how much time your route would take, but I would allot more time per mile because some of the trails are strenuous and can get pretty steep. There’s no flat land on the island!
Tips: For the geeky, they host a museum documenting the history, wildlife, and plants of the island.

look, it’s a slice of the Mediterranean! and it’s only an hour away by ferry!
Catalina Island is gorgeous and a must-​see destination if you’ll be in the LA area for a few days. The ferry ride over (or charter helicopter, if that’s more your style) is relaxing and gives you just enough time to enjoy the salty air before depositing you on the island.
Be forewarned, the beaches where you dock are only about 7 feet wide; they’re these narrow little strips that border a fairly noisy, touristy part of the island, so don’t expect to get a tropical vacation-​like snooze in. If you want sand head about 20 minutes north where you’ll hit a nicer, more beach-​like area.
Instead, I highly suggest exploring any or all of these options:
1. Rent a jetski! Trust me, it’s so worth it to fly over the waves.
2. Rent a golf cart (these are the only method of transportation on Catalina, except for a few cars brought over decades ago before ecoconsciousness set in). Drive up the hilly roads and admire the lush scenery, stately houses, and the amazing view. Or, you can take it off-​roading at 50 mph with 4 people in it, and return it with the axle a little off. That’s fun too.
3. Go see a movie at the theater that used to be a casino.
4. Hunt for buffalo. REally! Apparently they were airlifted to the island in the 60s to film a western, and just left there… so if you’re lucky you’ll spot one.
5. Cry when you have to go back to the mainland.
6. Go back soon!