Catalina Island, California · July 2020 · Solo
Trans-Catalina Trail
67.9 KM · 2 DAYS · 2,290 M
Avalon to Two Harbors in 2 days.
Watch the film 27:45 · 349K viewsAt a glance
- Where
- Catalina Island, California
- Distance
- 67.9 km (42.2 miles)
- Days
- 2: 20.4 miles on Day 1, 21.9 on Day 2
- Climbing
- About 7,530 ft (2,290 m) up and 7,390 ft (2,250 m) down
- Season
- I went July 28 and 29, 2020
- Difficulty
- Long climbs and descents on dirt roads and steep trail, with almost no shade. Heat and water are the hard part
- Route
- Avalon to Two Harbors
- When I went
- July 2020
Day 1Day 2Highest 1,770 ft (538 m)
Elevation, start to finish: highest 1,770 ft (538 m), lowest sea level.
My GPS recording on a relief map. The numbers are where each day starts. The GPX files come with the guide.
Everything I made about it
The film
Photos
Me on the Big Springs Ridge Trail, from my drone, Day 1 mile 17.0. 
Morning fog over the coast above Little Harbor, Day 2 mile 2.4.
The guide · 47-page PDF + GPX files · 2027 season edition
Do it yourself
Avalon to Two Harbors in 2 days.
- Where things stand
- Both days
- My GPX files
- Permits, campgrounds and rules
- Water
Free sample
Try Day 1 free
The whole Day 1, Avalon to Little Harbor page from the guide as a PDF, plus my camping packing list: the 42 things I carry, with a note on each. Both come by email. You'll also get my emails about new guides and trips, a few a year.
Gear on this trip
Paid links: I earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
What I carried in 2020
- PackHyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400
- TentNEMO Hornet 1P
- Sleeping bagUGQ Bandit quiltSimilar now: Hyperlite Mountain Gear 20° Quilt
- LinerOutdoor Vitals Sleeping Bag Liner
- Sleeping pada Therm-a-Rest mat
- PillowKlymit Pillow X
- WaterKatadyn BeFree AC · 1LA one-liter filter bottle, which I absolutely love: it's collapsible, it doesn't break like the water bladders I've had before, and it filters the water.
- HeadlampSLONIK rechargeable headlamp
- Emergency beaconGarmin inReach Mini
- Sun hoodieAmazon Essentials Quick-Dry Tech HoodieI didn't use any sunscreen, because that's not my thing; I like to cover up with my long-sleeve hoodie, and I definitely needed it. I still got a little sunburned on my chin and the backs of my calves.
- CapZOWYA running capWith just a baseball cap, your ears, your neck and your face are going to burn.
- SunglassesWarby Parker Barkley sunglassesSimilar now: Goodr OG Sunglasses
- Rain shellThe North Face Dryzzle jacketSimilar now: Arc’teryx Beta AR Jacket
- PuffyPatagonia Nano Puff JacketSimilar now: Arc’teryx Cerium Hoody
- ShortsAmazon Essentials training shorts
- PantsPatagonia Terrebonne JoggersSimilar now: PATH Projects Killam PX Pant
- SocksPeople Socks merino crew socks
- ShoesBrooks Cascadia 13
- Phonemy iPhone with the AllTrails appYour phone's GPS works even in airplane mode.
Filming kit
- CameraSony a6600
- LensSony E 10-18mm f/4 OSS
- MicRode VideoMic NTG
- BatteriesSony NP-FZ100 batteriesI used two.
- Tripoda tripod
- Tripod headJoby ball head
- Wrist strapPeak Design Cuff Wrist Strap
- DroneDJI Mavic Air 2Similar now: DJI Mini 5 Pro
- Battery adapterDJI Mavic Air 2 battery to power bank adapterI charged my iPhone overnight from what was left in the drone batteries.
What I'd take now
My current kit
- Sun hoodiePATH Projects Pyrenees T19 Hoodie
- CapPATH Projects Muir Cap 2.0
- Sleeping padTherm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
- PolesBlack Diamond Alpine Carbon Z Poles
- StoveJetboil Stash
- NavigationAllTrails+
The Americas and New Zealand bundle
This guide is in The Americas and New Zealand Hiking Guide Pack: 36 guides for $39. Or all 62 guides for $59.
Short answers
- How long is the Trans-Catalina Trail?
- The Catalina Island Conservancy gives the trail as 38.5 miles, from Avalon to Two Harbors by way of the Silver Peak Trail, Parsons Landing and the West End Road. My own GPS recorded 42.2 miles over two days, with about 7,500 ft of climbing, because it includes the walk through Avalon to the trailhead, a side trip to the airport building and the climb to my lodge.
- Do you need a permit for the Trans-Catalina Trail?
- Yes. The Conservancy requires a free hiking permit for everyone, which you book by date on its website or pick up at its Trailhead visitor center in Avalon. You also need a reservation for every campground you sleep in; wild camping isn't allowed.
- Is there water on the Trans-Catalina Trail?
- Only from taps: at Hermit Gulch, Haypress Reservoir, Black Jack Campground, the Airport in the Sky, Little Harbor and Two Harbors. There's none between Two Harbors and Parsons Landing, and none at Parsons Landing, where you buy a locker with a jug of water. The Conservancy says to be able to carry 3 liters, and about a gallon a day in heat.
- Where does the Trans-Catalina Trail end?
- At Two Harbors. The Conservancy moved the end from Starlight Beach: from Two Harbors the trail now loops up the Silver Peak Trail to Parsons Landing and back along the West End Road. Starlight Beach is a side trip from Parsons Landing.
- How do you get to the Trans-Catalina Trail?
- By boat. Catalina Express sails from San Pedro, Long Beach and Dana Point to Avalon, where the trail starts, and only from San Pedro to Two Harbors, where it ends, so most hikers go out of San Pedro and come back to San Pedro. In 2026 the booking page showed $44.50 each way for an adult, plus taxes and fees, and from late October to late March there are no Two Harbors boats on Tuesdays or Thursdays.
- Can you hike the Trans-Catalina Trail in 2 days?
- Yes: I did, in July 2020, about 20 miles a day, with a night at Little Harbor Campground. Most people take three to five days. Two long days need an early start, a lot of water and a campsite at Little Harbor.
I make my guides with AI, from my own films and GPS recordings. How.