How do I get to and from the trailhead? That’s often one of the very first questions hikers have to resolve when planning a thru-hike.

Sometimes you get lucky. Perhaps there’s a trail organization operating a local shuttle service to/from the trail for a small fee. Or maybe you can convince friends, family members, or a generous trail angel to give you a ride. But, all those tried and true transportation methods go out the window when you’re hiking a trail on a remote island.

Overview of the Trans-Catalina Trail

Let’s start with the basics. The Trans-Catalina Trail (or TCT) is a 38.5 mile point-to-point trail located on Santa Catalina island, approximately 22 miles off the coast of Southern California. The eastern terminus of the trail is in the island’s main town of Avalon, and the western terminus is in Two Harbors – the island’s only other town.

The vast majority of visitors to Santa Catalina Island never venture beyond the seaside town of Avalon. It’s the tourist hub of the island. Close to 99% of the restaurants, hotel accommodations, shopping, and other activities are located in Avalon. It’s also the port where the majority of the ferries and cruise ships will drop their passengers.

The only other town on Santa Catalina Island is the village of Two Harbors. Located at the is narrow isthmus of the island, Two Harbors is home to fewer than 300 residents. So it’s tiny by pretty much any standard.

Two Harbors is has very limited amenities, including a small general store, one seasonal restaurant, and a single B&B. It’s much quieter than the town of Avalon, and it caterers more to the sailing crowd and a few seasonal summer camps on the west end of the island.

Catalina Island’s unique geography creates several novel issues for hikers who want to hike the entire TCT. But, before we cover them in detail, let’s address some basic planning considerations that may impact your hiking agenda.

• What direction do you intend to hike? Most TCT hikers begin in Avalon and hike toward Two Harbors. But, this isn’t the only option available – or even the best one for every hiker hoping to tackle the trail. There are one-way hikes, yo-yo hikes, and reverse direction hikes. If you want to know more about this subject, check out my blog discussing The Absolute Best Trans-Catalina Trail Hiking Itineraries.
• What time of year do you intend to hike? Although Catalina Island is accessible and lovely all year round, the transportation options and amenities tend to dwindle in the off-season. So remember, some options discussed below only exist during the peak tourist season.
• What is your budget? Most of us aren’t independently wealthy, so cost is always a major consideration when planning a thru-hike. Your transportation costs can vary significantly based on the time of year you hike and the size of your group. Options that seem completely reasonable for a bunch of hikers splitting the cost, might seem ridiculously expensive if you’re a solo hiker absorbing the entire burden.

Key Transportation Issues

Once you’ve figured out some of these hiking basics, it’s time to plan how you’ll to get to and from each terminus of the TCT.

Avalon is not a difficult town to get to. Ferries operate between Southern California and Santa Catalina Island every day of the year. The Catalina Express ferries run from three ports along the coast (Dana Point, Long Beach, and San Pedro), and the ride to Avalon only takes about an hour. The Catalina Flyer also runs ferries from from Newport Beach out to Avalon, with a similar travel time.

But, this only helps you get to one end of the trail. What do you do when you get to the other end?

As mentioned above, Two Harbors doesn’t have the same amenities and infrastructure as Avalon. The demand to visit Two Harbors isn’t very high, so the ferry companies don’t focus their efforts there. As a result, there is only one ferry option that will get you to/from this terminus.

The Catalina Express runs the sole ferry route to Two Harbors, and it departs from the port in San Pedro. This ferry consistently runs twice a day, with one morning ferry and one mid-afternoon ferry. Beware though, if you plan to hike between January and early April, because the San Pedro ferry curtails its schedule. It doesn’t operate to Avalon or Two Harbors at all on Tuesdays or Thursdays during this low-season period.

Don’t fret though. There are still several other options if the San Pedro-Two Harbors ferry doesn’t fit into your schedule or plans. Hikers can use local transportation to shuttle them between Avalon and Two Harbors once they arrive on the island. Just be mindful that this method will take a fair amount of prior planning.

Traveling between the two towns isn’t an easy (or cheap) prospect. Most of the locals who live on Santa Catalina Island stay in and around Avalon, and they tend to get around by walking or via golf carts. There aren’t any rental car agencies catering to tourists, and there’s no Uber and no Lyft on the island either.

Despite these obstacles, there are five great alternatives to get you to and from each terminus of the TCT. So without further ado, let’s get to them!

Getting to each Terminus of the TCT

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The Cheap Option – The San Pedro Ferry

Details: The least expensive way to get to each terminus of the TCT is to use the port of San Pedro an your point of embarkation and return. While their schedule isn’t as flexible as some of the other ferry options, the San Pedro ferry automatically stops at each terminus of the trail. This means you won’t have to hassle with any on-island transportation to get you where you want to go. You simply need to purchase a one-way ticket between San Pedro and Avalon and a second one-way ferry ticket between San Pedro and Two Harbors. It’s definitely worth the time and effort to make advance reservations though, as this ferry often fill up.

Cost: $74.50 per person for two one-way ferry tickets.

Who it’s best for: This option is ideal for solo hikers and those on a tight budget. Just remember that the San Pedro doesn’t run on Tuesdays/Thursdays between January and early April.

Reservations: Book your passage on the Catalina Express, by clicking HERE.

The Expensive Option – Taxi between Two Harbors and Avalon

Details: One of the more common ways to get between each terminus of the TCT is by hiring a taxi to travel between Two Harbors and Avalon. This option provides you with maximum flexibility to take any ferry to Avalon. Then once you complete the TCT in Two Harbors, you can use the taxi to ride back to Avalon and catch your return ferry. Just know, there’s only one taxi company serving the interior of the island, so you can’t shop around for fares. Also, the travel time for the 21-mile drive between Two Harbors and Avalon is approximately 80 minutes.

Cost: $221 (plus gratuities) for a one-way taxi between Avalon and Two Harbors. All taxis on Santa Catalina Island are large white 7-passenger vans, and charge a flat rate, regardless of the number of passengers. (Don’t forget, you’ll also need to purchase a roundtrip ferry ticket to/from Avalon, which will cost $70-$76, depending which port you use.)

Reservations: To charter a taxi to/from the interior of the island, hikers can call the taxi dispatch at 310-510-0025 or book on online HERE. Advance coordination is strongly recommended.

Who it’s best for: This option is ideal for groups of hikers who can split the fare to keep costs down. The taxi company charges a flat rate whether you are a single hiker or completely fill the van with seven hikers and their gear.

The Shuttle Option – Safari Bus & Wildlands Express

Details: If you’re hiking in the peak season and your budget doesn’t accommodate a taxi ride between Two Harbors and Avalon, don’t worry. There’s a cheaper on-island option out there. Catalina Island has multiple shuttle routes that travel the island for a pretty reasonable fare, provided you have the patience to time them right.

• The Catalina Safari Bus runs between Two Harbors and Airport in the Sky. This shuttle runs twice daily during the peak visitor season and takes about 30 minutes.
• Once you get to the airport, the Wildlands Express Bus can take you the rest of the way. This daily shuttle bus runs between the Airport in the Sky and Avalon 5-6 times each day, and operates year-round.

Cost: $28.75 total for the two shuttle buses. The one-way shuttle bus ride between Two Harbors and the Airport costs $11.75, and a one-way shuttle bus ride between the Airport and Avalon costs $17. (Don’t forget, you’ll also need to purchase a roundtrip ferry ticket to/from Avalon, which will cost and additional $70-$76, depending which port you use.)

Reservations: Advance reservations are STRONGLY recommended. More information about the shuttles can be found one the airport’s webpage located HERE. You can also find the schedule for the Wildlands Express shuttle on the Catalina Island Conservancy page located HERE.

Who it’s best for: This option is really only feasible for late spring and summer hikers because the Safari Bus only runs the route to between the Airport and Two Harbors seasonally.

The Long Option – Plan an extended or yo-yo hike

Details: One way to avoid the logistical hurdle of Two Harbors is to treat it as just one more waypoint. There’s no reason your TCT hike must end at mile 38.5. You can hike the entire TCT from Avalon to Two Harbors, then continue back toward Avalon using one of my 3 yo-yo itineraries. These hikes allow you to see the majority of the trail from both directions (eastbound and westbound) and eliminate the need for any additional transportation other than the ferry to get on the island. Of course, there’s no need to do a true yo-yo hike (i.e.,hike the entire length of the trail in both directions). From the trail’s western terminus in Two Harbors, you can opt to just continue 5.1 more miles back to Little Harbor or 12 miles back to the Airport in the Sky, and then grab the Wildlands Express Shuttle back to Avalon from either location.

Cost: None, if you begin/end your hike in Avalon. However, if you opt to end in Little Harbor, a one-way shuttle ticket back to Avalon will cost $34. And, if you opt to end at the Airport in the Sky, a one-way ticket will cost $17. (Don’t forget, you’ll also need to purchase a roundtrip ferry ticket to/from Avalon, which will cost and additional $70-$76, depending which port you use.)

Reservations: If you take the Wildlands Express shuttle from Little Harbor or the airport, their phone number and schedule can be found HERE.

Who it’s best for: This option is ideal for anyone who wants to turn their TCT thru-hike into a longer adventure or see the island from both directions.

The Water Option – The Cyclone

Details: If you’re hiking the TCT in the peak season and want to add an extra bit of adventure to your trip, there’s an another memorable way to get between Two Harbors and Avalon. The Catalina Island Co. runs a high-speed boat along the Catalina coastline connecting these the two towns. The Cyclone is actually a sightseeing activity for tourists who want to visit Two Harbors as part of a day trip. While it’s primarily geared toward passengers with some minimal beach gear, the company does allow passengers to bring oversized luggage on board for a small fee (subject to the space and approval of the crew).

Cost: $32.10 for one-way general admission ticket on the Cyclone, plus $3 fee for oversize baggage. (Don’t forget, you’ll also need to purchase a roundtrip ferry ticket to/from Avalon, which will cost $70-$76, depending which port you use.)

Reservations: To make a reservation on the Cyclone, or get more information about this high-speed boat adventure, check out their website HERE.

Who it’s best for: This option is best for peak-season hikers who are willing to make advance reservations, and who don’t have any health issues such as high blood pressure, neck or back issues, or motion sickness. Note: unlike some of the other options above, bad weather may cause delays and cancellations of these boat tours.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have a five options of how to get to and from each terminus of the TCT, here’s a few final things you should keep in mind about this island trek.

• Plan in advance. Regardless of what time of year you plan to hike the TCT, the availability of these resources is constantly changing. In the peak summer season, demand is high, so it’s critical to make advance shuttle/taxi reservations. Similarly, in the off-season, demand may be so low that some of the shuttles aren’t running. Contacting the provider to make reservations in advance will ensure you aren’t stuck.
• Give yourself extra time. When planning your transportation, remember that vehicles on Catalina don’t travel fast. The roads on the interior of island are rudimentary dirt roads and traveling between Two Harbors and Avalon will probably take longer than you think. Moreover, if bison decide to cross or stop on the road, you may be delayed while waiting for them to amble along. Give yourself at least an extra 30-60 minute buffer to get to Avalon before your ferry departs for the mainland.
• It’s definitely worth it. Remember, if this process was simple, then everyone would do it. The logistics of planning a TCT thru-hike can be daunting, but all the extra preparation is going to scare off a lot of prospective hikers. You’ll appreciate your efforts all the more when you’re out on the trail enjoying the serenity and views without the crowds.

Want to know more about the Trans-Catalina Trail?

Check out these other blog posts:

• Top 10 reasons to Hike the Trans-Catalina Trail in Winter
• 22 Things Every Hiker Should Know Before Tackling the Trans-Catalina Trail
• Trail Journal: Day 1 on the Trans-Catalina Trail Hike

All prices provided in this article are accurate as March 2020. These prices are provided for planning purposes only. Hikers should anticipate that ferry, taxi, and shuttle rates may increase.