
The pier on Santa Cruz Island in Channel Islands National Park will be replaced/NPS
Channel Islands National Park officials have approved a plan to replace the existing pier on Santa Cruz Island in order to provide safe, accessible, efficient, and sustainable access for visitors at Scorpion Anchorage. The pier will provide more reliable access during low-tide conditions for concessionaire and National Park Service vessels.
Scorpion Anchorage is the most-visited destination in the park, with about 65,000 people coming ashore at Santa Cruz Island each year to enjoy recreational activities such as hiking, picnicking, camping, kayaking, and swimming.
Alternatives reviewed by the Park Service in considering whether to replace the old pier included taking no action, replacing the pier in its existing location, and replacing the pier at a location approximately 300 feet to the south of the existing location.
The preferred alternative is to construct a longer, wider pier to the south of the existing pier that will include a gangway for safer visitor access.
A Record of Decision for this project will be prepared after conclusion of the 30-day no-action period that began Friday.