Trans Catalina Trail

The Trans Catalina Trail (TCT) is the main long-distance hike across Santa Catalina Island, running from Avalon to Two Harbors, then onward to Parsons Landing. It’s typically completed as a multi-day backpacking trip with designated camps along the way.

Terrain is rugged and primitive through the island interior, with sustained up-and-down travel. Expect long stretches of exposure and rapid elevation changes that make the effort feel relentless even when the route doesn’t stay at high altitude.

A common planning structure is 3–4 days. One itinerary breaks the hike into Avalon → Black Jack (~10.7 miles) for the first night, then Black Jack → Little Harbor (~15.5 miles), followed by Little Harbor → Parsons Landing (~13.3 miles), and finishing Parsons Landing → Two Harbors (~7.5 miles).

The route involves steep climbing out of Avalon into the interior, then later steeper transitions down toward beach-side camps. One notable mid-route feature used as a wayfinding landmark is the Airport in the Sky area, which sits between the Black Jack area and Little Harbor.

On the way west, you’ll transition between interior sections and coastal approaches that bring you to beach-access camps. Parsons Landing is described as remote beach camping, while Two Harbors is a more town-connected endpoint for services and the ferry back to the mainland.

Logistics are a major part of the TCT: camping is restricted to designated sites, and campsite reservations function as the legal hiking/camping authorization. Cell service is limited or absent across much of the route, so plan to carry a means of navigation and for emergencies.

More information: Backpacking the Trans-Catalina Trail - SoCal Hiker, Trans Catalina Trail Guide - Hiking Guy, Trans-Catalina Trail