Today I want to share my guide to doing the Garden to Sky Hike on Catalina Island in California with you. This is one of the best day hikes on Catalina, and it’s a fun one to do if you want to get outdoors, take in great views, and see places most visitors miss. There are over 165 miles of paths on the island, and the Garden to Sky trail is an ideal way to see Catalina’s highlights on foot. I’ve included a map of the route, too.
Garden to Sky Hike
The Garden to Sky Hike can be done as a loop or as an out-and-back hike. I’m on Catalina to do the latter, which is a round-trip route from Avalon. This moderately challenging hike is easy to start from the heart of town, the ferry dock, or a hotel or local accommodation.
I’ve heard great things about the views from the summit, and I can’t wait to see them for myself.
How Do You Get to the Garden to Sky Trail?
So how do I get to the Garden to Sky trail? I’ve picked a specific starting point in Avalon.
Avalon
Along with the friend I’m traveling with, I begin the hike at Wrigley Fountain on Crescent Avenue in Avalon in the morning. It’s right on the waterfront in the heart of town, and its central location makes it a good place to take off from.
From the fountain it’s 1.5 miles up a slight incline on Sumner Avenue and Avalon Canyon Road to reach the entrance of the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden. This stretch of the route is a 35-minute walk. It can be done faster via golf cart, taxi, or local bus, but we want the full experience.
The walk takes us past pretty houses in Avalon, the Catalina Island Golf Course (where I spot a fox in the distance), the Catalina Island Conservancy Nature Center, and the Hermit Gulch Campground as it leads us from the center of town to the Botanic Garden.
Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden
When we arrive at the garden we pay the entry fee, get a free hiking permit online, and walk up the path to the Wrigley Memorial. There are little trails through the plants around us, and we stop a few times to admire the trees and flowers.
It’s a 5-minute walk up a slight incline to cover the 0.3 miles from the entrance of the garden to the memorial. The memorial itself is a grand building set in the hills, and we spend a minute taking it in before heading through a gate to the right of the memorial to get to the Garden to Sky trail.
Garden to Sky Hike
There’s a sign just after the gate telling us it’s 1.2 miles to the Garden to Sky Summit. We’ve arrived at 8:40am and there’s still some shade on the wide dirt path as we make our way up. It’s a good thing, too, as it’s already getting hot outside. We’re glad we’ve brought plenty of water and sunscreen with us.
It takes us 30 minutes to get to the top. It’s uphill the whole way, but there are distractions in the form of flowers and lizards as we climb. The path is even and we’re hiking in tennis shoes, so it’s not too much of a challenge.
As we get closer to the top, the Garden to Sky Hike offers increasingly beautiful views of Avalon, the Pacific Ocean, and the surrounding hills. It’s a good route, and we’re glad to get the exercise. The rest of our Catalina itinerary has been pretty indulgent.
Garden to Sky Summit
When we reach the summit on Divide Road, we’re met with a sign congratulating us for having made it to the top.
We’re also rewarded with views of the other side of Catalina Island. The visibility isn’t crystal clear, but it’s still fun to take it all in.
The Descent
After admiring the panoramas, we start back down the Garden to Sky trail. It takes 30 minutes to reach the memorial. We meander through the garden on the way back, so it takes 10 minutes to get from the memorial to the entrance of the Botanic Garden.
Along the way we admire California native plants, exotic succulents, Catalina Island endemic species, and American desert plants.
From there it’s a 35-minute walk back into Avalon. Instead of ending at the fountain, we head to nearby Cafe Metropole on Metropole Avenue for a celebratory breakfast of bagels and avocado toast. It’s a delicious way to end our hike, and a fun treat as well.
How Long is the Garden to Sky Hike?
In all, the hike is 6 miles from the Wrigley Fountain to Cafe Metropole via the Garden to Sky Summit.
How Long Does the Garden to Sky Hike Take?
It took us 2 hours and 25 minutes round-trip from the Wrigley Fountain to Cafe Metropole. We could have done it slightly faster if we hadn’t spent time in the Botanic Garden on the return trip.
We could have done it a lot faster if we had taken a golf cart, taxi, or bus from Avalon to the Botanic Garden and back, but we wanted to do the full hike.
Garden to Sky Hike Map
You’ll find an interactive map of the Garden to Sky Hike we did on Google Maps here. It will help you follow in our footsteps and enjoy this outdoor adventure yourself. You can learn more and see another map here.
Garden to Sky Hike
I hope you’ve enjoyed my guide to the Garden to Sky Hike on Catalina Island and that it’s inspired you to get out and do this route yourself. It’s a fun way to spend a couple hours, and a great way to get some exercise while enjoying the scenery.
If you want to see more, you can check out my video about this hike on YouTube. Happy travels!
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