Catalina Island camping (Memorial Day weekend)

CURRENTLY FULL

Little Harbor Campground on Catalina Island is a sandy, beachfront campground which has been rated "One of the Best Campgrounds in the West" by Sunset Magazine. And I have a group reservation for May 25-27, Memorial Day weekend... join us!

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Our campground :)

Trip schedule

Saturday - Meet at Long Beach Downtown Catalina Landing on Sat, May 25 at 7:30am. Board the Catalina Express boat at 8:00am, depart at 8:30pm. Arrive in Avalon at 9:30, pit stop, then catch bus at 10am. Arrive in campground by shuttle bus at about 11:30am. (Optional: 4 people can ride bikes instead of taking the bus.) Entire day for kayaking, beach volleyball, snorkeling, etc.

Sunday - Optional hike to the top of Mt Orizaba (2100ft), the tallest mountain on the island. Views of LA and nearby channel islands. 8 mi round trip. Return midafternoon. Whoever stays back can spend the day kayaking, snorkeling, etc.

Monday - Depart campground in the morning, 10am bus. 5 hours to spend in Avalon. Depart on Catalina Express boat at 6:45pm. Arrive in San Pedro at 7:45pm.

Budget

Group costs

• Round trip on Catalina Express boat: $75 per person
• Transportation costs to/from campground: $52 per person
• Campground reservations for 2 nights: $36 per person
• Kayak rentals (*we will rent 2 double kayaks for 2 days): $13 per person
• Firewood, food to grill over fire, smores, etc.: approx. $13 per personGroup savings: I was able to negotiate getting 2 days of kayak rental for the cost of 1!TOTAL shared costs: $190 per person.

Other costs (paid individually)

• Parking your car: $15/day. Save money by carpooling.
• You will need to bring your own gear and food for 2 days.

Amenities and food
Showers, fresh water, chemical toilets, BBQ and fire rings, lockers. Snorkel gear rentals available by advance reservation.

Meals: Let me know if you'd like to volunteer for organizing a group meal! We can arrange a budget for it. Otherwise, everyone will be responsible for bringing their own food and snacks for 2 days. (Saturday lunch and dinner, Sunday breakfast, lunch and dinner, Monday breakfast.) On the 3rd day, you can buy lunch in Avalon if you wish.

Things to bring
Bring your own tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad. You can bring ONE LUGGAGE ITEM per person. Bring beach toys if you have them; that's okay as a 2nd item. (Only 2 items are allowed on the bus from Avalon to our campground, and we'll need extra allotment for firewood that we will buy in Avalon, group food, beach toys such as volleyballs and snorkeling gear, and for helping out in carrying some of the bikers' gear.) BYOB plus some to share. :)

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO RESERVE A SPOT
Please sign up on the waiting list initially and pay me (Aliz, raliz12@hotmail.com) for a portion of the group costs ahead of time. ($190 per person). Make sure you use the personal payment option and provide your Meetup user name in the message so I know who the payment is from. The email address to send this money to is provided when you answer the sign-up questions in order to hide it from "web crawlers". Once payment has been received I'll add you to the attendee list.

If you decide to cancel, please do so as early as possible to give someone else a chance to get ready to go in your place. Full refund is provided up to 5 days prior to the trip - after that if someone else is able to go in your place. Note: If you do not use the personal payment option in PayPal as I requested, a PayPal fee will be deducted.

Details about biking to the campground
When I tried to reserve spots for the morning bus to/from Little Harbor, there were not enough spaces left, meaning that 2 people would have to ride bikes instead of taking the bus. The 10 others will help out those riding bikes by holding on to some of their heavier gear on the bus. For those interested in riding a bike, it is a 16 mile trip from Avalon to Little Harbor, and you will have to bring your own bike (mountain bikes only) from the mainland.

Details for optional Mt Orizaba Hike on Sunday
Distance: 7.1mi one way (14.2mi round trip)
Elevation gain: 2090ft
Mt Orizaba coordinates: 33°22′31″N 118°25′11″W
Topo map: USGS Santa Catalina North
For weather reports, check Avalon, CA.
This hike will be exploratory.

Instructions for Saturday morning, May 25 We will meet at the Long Beach Downtown Catalina Landing dock for the Catalina Express, at 7:30am. We will meet near the bottom of the stairs in front of the building that leads to the dock.
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Address: 320 Golden Shore, Long Beach 90802
General driving directions: 710 Freeway South into Long Beach. Stay in left lane, follow signs to downtown and exit at Golden Shore. Turn right at stop sign; follow around to Terminal on the right. Parking is in the parking structure on the left.
Parking is $15/day, paid individually.

Please post in the comments if you would like to carpool with someone!

DISCLAIMER:
As an event organizer I assume absolutely no responsibility for you on my trips and hikes. I am simply a "hiking buddy", nothing more. If you choose to participate on any of my hikes you assume all responsibility for yourself and agree not to hold me or our Meetup group liable in any way. Make sure you do not participate on a hike you do not feel capable of doing without putting yourself or your health at risk. If you are in doubt please get a check-up with a physician, research the event further, or contact the organizer.