When you’re planning your trip to Channel Islands National Park, one of the things you’ll need to decide is where to fly into.
In this guide, we’ll look at the airport closest to Channel Islands National Park with commercial flights.
It’s worth noting that although this is the closest airport to Channel Islands National Park, it may not be the best for your trip. For more detailed information about other nearby airports, including the nearest major airport, read my Guide to all the Airports Near Channel Islands National Park.
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Table of Contents
Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)
Santa Barbara Municipal Airport is a much smaller airport than bustling LAX. 20 flights per day to 10 destinations operate from this regional airport. The carriers you can use are American, Alaska, Southwest and United Airlines.
Once you’re armed with directions to Santa Barbara, you can collect a rental car here, as there are seven on-site companies to choose from. The airport is just around 40 minutes’ drive from Ventura, for ferries to the national park.
Location: Santa Barbara Airport is around 7 miles west of downtown Santa Barbara.
Distance to Channel Islands National Park: 41 miles
Travel time to Channel Islands National Park: 40 minutes
What airlines fly out of Channel Islands Airport? Which airports connect to there?
- Alaska: Direct flights to Portland and Seattle
- American: Direct flights to Dallas and Phoenix
- Southwest: Direct flights to Denver, Las Vegas, Oakland and Sacramento
- United: Direct flights to Denver, Los Angeles and San Francisco
Rental car options:
- Onsite: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National
- Offsite: Thrifty
Getting from Santa Barbara – Channel Islands National Park:
- Uber and Lyft ride shares
- Local shuttle services
- Public transport
- Car rental
- Taxis
Pros
- Closest major airport to Channel Islands National Park
- 8 car rental options on and off the airport
- Just 7 miles from Santa Barbara
Cons
- Limited airlines
- Only 10 destinations
Map of Airports Near Channel Islands National Park
Travel Insurance for Channel Islands National Park
A final thought. When you’re planning to fly to Channel Islands National Park, consider getting travel insurance too. Make sure it includes trip cancellation, in case you need to cancel your flight before your travel, so that you can get a refund.
A great insurance option is Travelex. It has coverage for all you’ll need. You can choose the best travel insurance plan for your trip here or get a quote right now:
Have a great trip to Channel Islands National Park! I hope this guide has helped you decide your flights to the Channel Islands.
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Closest Airports to Channel Islands National Park
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Which of the airports near Channel Islands did you choose? I’d love to know. Join my private Facebook group National Parks Collectors and comment and let me know (you can also pick up extra planning tips, share your photos and stories with other national park lovers and more).
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About the Author
James Ian is a national park, camping and hiking expert.
He has dedicated his life to travel, visiting more than 80 countries, all 7 continents and most of the national parks in the United States. With over 35 years experience in the travel industry, James has worked on cruise ships, at resorts and hotels, and as a travel planner who’s helped hundreds of people plan successful trips to US national parks.
Based on his experience visiting our national parks multiple times, in-depth research and expertise as a travel planner, James has published detailed itineraries for most of the major national parks in the US. These itineraries, as well as in-depth park guides, comprehensive camping and hiking gear reviews and buying guides, and helpful packing lists and gift guides will help you have your own incredible trip to US national parks without stress and hassle.
As a national park expert, James has contributed to many publications, including USA Today, Time Business News, Savoteur, Best Trip, and Wired.
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