Address
1400 Avalon Canyon Rd
Avalon, CA 90704
Experience Type
Nature & Wildlife
Operator Type
Nonprofit
EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION
The trail up Avalon Canyon climbs past the island's golf course and bird park before arriving at the Wrigley Memorial, a 130-foot Art Deco tower set against the canyon walls with panoramic views of the bay. The Botanic Garden surrounding it is planted with species found nowhere else on earth: Catalina ironwood, island oak, St. Catherine's lace. The fox that trots across the path ahead of you is a Catalina Island fox, a subspecies that exists only here. Plan two to three hours, get there early before the afternoon wind picks up, and grab a free hiking permit from the Catalina Island Conservancy before you go.
OPERATOR STORY
The Catalina Island Conservancy has stewarded the island's wildlands since 1972, managing over 88 percent of Catalina's interior in trust for future generations. The botanic garden at the memorial's base was established to protect and propagate the island's unique endemic plant species, many of which are found nowhere else on the planet.
