Interior Of Catalina

Catalina Island is a beautiful and diverse oasis of mountains, trees, beaches, coves and ocean. The island itself is part of the channel island chain that extends over 100 miles off the coast of Southern California and includes the other islands of Santa Cruz,. Santa Rosa and San Miguel to name a few. Formed by an active thrust earthquake fault, these mountains have been thrust upward and out above the ocean. Due to the geological forces that have formed Catalina, the island is a perfect getaway for those looking to engage in nature, geology and relaxation. There are many opportunities to explore the interior and perimeter of the island beyond just the main arrival point at Avalon. There are two tour services that provide tours of the interior. They are the Discovery Tours and and Catalina Adventure Tours Companies. Both companies provide roughly and identical tour just with slightly different transportation modes. There are three different tours these companies offer: An interior tour that takes visitors up to the Catalina Island airport on winding dirt roads with cliffs hanging off the side down into the ocean, a safari type tour into the Catalina Island interior outback and tram tours of the city of Avalon that include climbing some steep roads that give visitors broad views of all the Pacific Ocean, the island and Avalon.

Inland Motor Tours

One of the most popular motor tours of the island is the inland motor tour. The tour departs from the Tour Plaza in Avalon and is on a bus-The Discovery Tours inland ride is on an old brown 1950s city bus converted into an all terrain vehicle (called the 50's FLxble bus) . With comfortable leather seats and big windows the ride is comfortable and scenic. The Catalina Adventure Tours company offers the tour in a more of an airport shuttle style type bus.

View of the Pacific Ocean looking east from the 1950s FLXBLE bus as the tour climbs deep into the Catalina interior along breathtaking cliffs.

Both tours climb onto steep canyon and mountainside roads out of Avalon. Within ten minutes of the tour riders are high above Avalon looking down into the town and out into the crystal blue Pacific Ocean. The tour begins to travel along dirty and gravel roads and at certain points those sitting on the right hand side will notice there is no guardrail or much of a road between the bus and the cliff-just a 200 foot or more drop straight down into the ocean below. It is said when WIlliam Wrigley was building Catalina Island as a tourist destination he would offer horse and carriage rides on these roads where it was a 4 hour ride up the side of the cliffs but only a full speed 18 minute ride down!

As the tour navigates its way through the Catalina Interior, guides point out the various points of interest of the island. These include Scenic Middle Ranch, Catalina Island Fox habitat, little harbor overlook at Catalina's windward side and the Wrigley Arabian horse ranch. In addition the bus will pass native plants, several reservoirs that water the town of Avalon and interesting facts of the history of the island. The tours finally arrive at the Catalina Island Airport (Also known as Airport in the Sky) . Located on top of a mountain range, the airport is a single landing strip , where its north end hangs off a cliff creating quite an interesting illusion for arriving private pilots. Visitors on the tour bus are let out for fifteen minutes to take pictures, use the restroom, enjoy the airports bakery of delicious homemade cookies and gift shop. After fifteen minutes the tour returns back to Avalon.

Now its not a total guarantee that the tour will encounter any wildlife but there is a good chance that the bus may pass right up next to several wild bison. Catalina Island is home to over 250 of the creatures and they roam freely across the entire island, from the borders of Avalon all the way up to the airport. Those looking to have serious interaction and a guarantee of a spotting may prefer the off road Canyon Tour that also departs from the Tour Plaza in Avalon.

Canyon/Interior Tours

Want to feel like your in Africa? Want to boar and all terrain safari type vehicle and climb deep into the Catalina Interior on narrow deep roads that climb to the very tops of the mountains? Check out the Cape Canyon Tour. Departing from the Tour Plaza center at the center of Avalon, these tours take visitors high into the Catalina Interior giving guests up close and personal views of Catalina's nature, including the over 250 buffalo, bald eagles and red tail foxes.

The off terrain vehicle a 12 passenger Mercedes Unimog looks like something only found in Africa, where passengers sit up high under canopy giving them 360 views. The Unimog climbs high into the Catalina Island interior giving riders breathtaking views where roads are one way, steep and drop off on the sides up to 300 feet into the rocky cliffs and ocean below. The tour is almost guaranteed to come into intimate contact with the many buffalo, some nursing young while others laying out in the sunshine. The tour also includes the Airport in the SKy (Catalina Island Airport) and lunch.

On the left is the 1950s FLX bus that takes passengers in comfortable 2 a breast leather seating high in to the Catalina Interior providing spectacular views of the Catalina Mountains, Pacific Ocean and all of Avalon. On the right is the tram used to take visitors through the streets of Avalon and the surrounding hillsides.

Avalon Tours

For those looking to stay close to the town of Avalon, there is an Avalon Scenic Tour. The Avalon Scenic Tour is a tram experience that takes passengers on a ride through the streets of Avalon and along the beachfront. A tour guide points out all the points of interest along the Avalon Scenic Tour including famous houses that celebrities lived in, historic shopping areas and the original homes of the Wrigleys when they first settled the island in the 1920s.

The tram also takes a dramatic climb into the adjacent hillsides along a coastline road that climbs to 400 feet giving riders a full view of all of Avalon spread out below. In addition to the views of Avalon the views of the Pacific Ocean and the adjacent mountainsides are spectacular. The tram tour also passes through the Avalon Canyon where some of the highlights include camping grounds, the Catalina Golf Course (the site where the Chicago Cubs held spring training for 30 years). The tours last about 50 minutes.

For the Catalina Adventure Tours the tour departs from Cabrillo Mole (the area adjacent to the main boat harbor that most visitors arrive from the mainland.). For the Discovery Tours the tour departs from the Tour Plaza at the center of Avalon.