Two Big Days, One Magical Island

There are some trips that feel bigger than the mileage. The Trans Catalina Trail was one of those for me.

Overall, we hiked the trail in 3 nights and 2 big hiking days. Most people complete the trail in anywhere from 2–4 days, but we squeezed it into a long weekend adventure and honestly… it made the whole thing feel even more memorable.

We booked the trip somewhat last minute in March and ended up deciding to hike the trail backwards, starting in Two Harbors and finishing in Avalon. It made campsite availability a little easier, although finding a campground on a Saturday night was definitely its own challenge.

We took the ferry from San Pedro into Two Harbors, did a chaotic final repack in the parking lot, grabbed groceries and gas on the way, and before we knew it, we were officially headed to Catalina Island.

Day 1 — Ferry Rides, Whales, and Sunset Monopoly

We arrived in Two Harbors around 5 PM after an hour-long ferry ride spent sipping margaritas and scanning the water for wildlife. Somehow we got lucky enough to spot two whales swimming together, which already made the trip feel magical before our feet had even touched the trail.

That evening was slower paced. We went to the only restaurant/bar in town, but unfortunately my stomach was acting up and I started spiraling a little thinking about the massive mileage we had planned for the next day. Thankfully, our server noticed I wasn’t feeling great and brought me a Sprite that somehow completely revived me.

It’s funny how tiny acts of kindness can shift an entire evening.

After dinner, Madi and I watched the sunset fade behind the island mountains before settling into a game of Monopoly Deal as the last light disappeared. We crawled into bed early knowing the next morning would be a big one. I was trying out a completely new setup- shown below. It is a quilt from Zenbivy and I think this is going to be a game changer for me. It saved so much weight in my bag and it also was so warm! I ended up writing another article on the gear I brought here!

Day 2 — 22 Miles, Foggy Ridgelines, and the Best Swim Ever

Our alarms went off at 5:30 AM. And I had one of my best nights of sleep in a tent ever!

We had packed running vests so we could do the Parsons Landing loop without our full backpacks, which ended up being one of our best decisions of the trip. We originally planned to fully hike the trail in reverse, but decided to do the Parsons section the standard direction so we could tackle the steepest climb before the sun got too intense.

Thankfully, the weather stayed cloudy almost the entire morning. For a 22-mile day, we were not complaining.

One of the coolest parts of the day was watching the fog move through the island. The ocean could be completely visible a thousand feet below us one moment and then disappear twenty seconds later. It felt like nature reminding us how quickly everything can change.

We reached Parsons Landing around 9:45 AM and decided that counted as lunchtime. We sat there eating salami and chunks of cheese, fully convinced it was the best meal either of us had ever tasted.

The stretch after Parsons felt completely different from the rugged ridgelines. The other side of the island was full of coves, camps, and long road walks overlooking beaches packed with kids running around at summer camp. It made us reflect on the camps we went to growing up and how special those memories are.

Eventually, we made it back into Two Harbors where we had left our backpacks stored in campsite bins.

Now let this be your warning: put EVERYTHING remotely scented into the animal lockers.

The birds and squirrels on Catalina are ruthless.

I came back to every zipper on my bag opened, my stuff scattered across the ground, chewed-up birthday candles, and even a little squirrel poop gift left inside my backpack. Humbling, honestly.

After emotionally recovering from that situation, we rewarded ourselves with snacks, ice cream, and of course I got a Sprite from the general store. This store genuinely has everything you could ever need. Camping supplies, groceries, alcohol, sunglasses… it’s basically island REI meets convenience store.

Then came the final six miles to Little Harbor.

The climb out of Two Harbors was steep, but once we hit the ridgeline, the views became some of my favorites from the entire trail. Looking down the coastline with mountains dropping straight into the ocean made it impossible to forget we were hiking across an island.

We kept joking beforehand that islands are supposed to be flat. So anytime we saw a hill we would say, “look how flat it is”. It is truly so fun to laugh at yourself.

By the time we saw Little Harbor below us, all I could think about was taking my shoes off and getting into the water. We immediately changed into swimsuits, cracked open a canned margarita on the beach, and went for a freezing cold swim before dinner.

And honestly? That moment felt perfect.

I remember sitting there thinking how lucky I was to spend the day celebrating my friend’s birthday by walking across half an island together.

The campground itself felt luxurious by backpacking standards. Outdoor showers overlooking the ocean, potable water, picnic tables, trash cans, a fireplace — it honestly felt like backpacking at a resort.

That’s part of what makes the TCT such a good beginner backpacking trip. You still get huge views, challenging miles, and remote-feeling sections, but with enough amenities to make it approachable.

We made Backpacker’s Pantry dinners, played more Monopoly Deal, stretched our aching hips and knees, and were asleep by 8:30 PM.

Day 3 — Bison Burgers, Trail Friends, and Pushing Through

Another 5:30 AM wakeup.

I ate Pop-Tarts while watching waves roll into Little Harbor and honestly could have stayed there forever.

The morning climb out of camp was moody and dramatic with shifting clouds and little patches of sunlight spotlighting us as we climbed. We spotted our first bison way off in the distance and decided that was exactly how far away we wanted it to stay.

One thing we almost messed up: our lunch plans.

We realized the night before that we had never checked whether the Airport in the Sky restaurant would actually be open when we planned to arrive around 9:45 AM. Thankfully it was, and once again we somehow found ourselves eating “lunch” before 10 in the morning.

I ordered the famous bison burger and honestly loved it. It tasted like a leaner hamburger, while my friend’s veggie breakfast burrito also looked like such a great option.

Because we were hiking the trail backwards, we didn’t see many hikers overall, but eventually we started chatting with three guys we had unknowingly camped near the night before: Ben, Chuck, and Alec.

They completely changed the energy of the afternoon.

There’s something so special about meeting people on trail. Within an hour you’re suddenly talking about hometowns, favorite books, impactful movies, jobs, relationships, and trading candy like little kids.

The miles started flying by.

Ben was taking his friends on their first backpacking trip, and it genuinely sounded like it wouldn’t be their last.

Eventually our groups split as they took a shortcut to catch their ferry while we continued on the official route toward Hermit Gulch.

And wow… that final road walk humbled me.

It was hot. My feet were throbbing. And I was ready to be done for the day.

At one point we collapsed into the shade of a pavilion for a snack break where I’m pretty sure I was making donkey noises out of pure exhaustion. Sorry to the girl sitting next to us.

A ranger had suggested we avoid the steep switchbacks into Hermit Gulch by taking the road, but honestly the trail ended up being faster and way more enjoyable than another exposed road walk.

The moment we finally saw our campsite felt euphoric.

Even better? The showers were HOT and the group next to us gifted us quaters they weren’t using, so thanks friends for the free shower!

We made ramen bombs for dinner, drank hot chocolate mixed with whiskey for dessert, played another game of Monopoly Deal, and passed out early yet again.

Day 4 — Avalon, Dolphins, and Looking Back

Our final morning felt slow in the best way.

We spent the morning at diner eating a great breakfast then at the beach soaking up the first truly sunny weather of the trip. I swam around spotting bright orange garibaldi fish weaving through the water before we wandered through Avalon eating ice cream and exploring beach shops.

Eventually it was time for the ferry home.

And trust me: when they say the ferry leaves at 12:45, they mean it. The boat was literally pulling away from the dock at 12:44.

As the island slowly disappeared into the distance, it felt surreal realizing how much of it we had crossed on foot over the past few days.

I spent most of the ride back staring at the water hoping to spot dolphins — and somehow got lucky one last time.

What the Trail Left Me With

I still can’t stop thinking about the trail.

Trips like this always remind me how strong the human body really is. I hadn’t specifically trained for this hike and hiking season hadn’t even fully started yet, but all the running and consistent workouts I’ve been doing showed up when it mattered.

It also reminded me that strength isn’t just about fitness. It’s about taking care of yourself consistently — stretching, recovery, PT exercises, hydration — all the little things that allow you to keep doing what you love.

But more than anything, this trip made me grateful for friendship.

There aren’t many people who would happily celebrate a birthday with two 20-mile hiking days, but somehow this adventure was exactly my friend’s kind of fun too.

It made me think about how strange and beautiful it is that people find each other.

Six years ago, I made a post in a Facebook hiking group. If I hadn’t done that, maybe we never would have become friends. Maybe we never would have ended up hiking across a California island together, laughing hysterically from exhaustion and having the absolute time of our lives.

And honestly, that kind of invisible thread connecting people together feels like some of the coolest magic out there.