Daily Daydream: Channel Islands National Park, California

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

Caroline joined Boston-based SmarterTravel in 2011 after living in Ireland, London, and Manhattan. She's traveled to all seven continents, jumped out of planes, and bungeed off bridges in the pursuit of a good story. She loves exploring off-the-beaten path destinations, anything outdoorsy, and all things adventure.

Her stories have also appeared online at USA Today, Business Insider, Huffington Post, Yahoo, Boston.com, TripAdvisor, Buzzfeed, Jetsetter, Oyster, Airfarewatchdog, and others.

The Handy Item I Always Pack: "Earplugs. A good pair has saved my sleep and sanity many times!"

Ultimate Bucket List Experience: Hiking Mount Kilimanjaro.

Travel Motto: "Don't be boring."

Aisle, Window, or Middle Seat: "Aisle (when the first class private suite isn't available)."

E-mail her at cteel@smartertravel.com.

See recent posts by Caroline Morse Teel

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The Channel Islands are just off the coast of California, and yet they are one of the country’s least visited national parks, attracting less than 250,000 tourists each year. So if you want to get away from the crowds and see well-preserved nature, these islands are for you!

The park is made up of five different islands, yet is home to over 2,000 plants and animals, including 145 that are indigenous to the islands. Explore the islands by hiking, snorkeling, kayaking, or whale watching.

Best of all? There’s no entrance fee to this park!

Where is it? Just off the coast of California, near the Santa Barbara or Los Angeles airports (check prices).

Where to stay? You can camp on any of the islands for just $15 per night, per site! You do need to make a reservation in advance, however.

What else should I know? To see all the islands, book a multi-day boat tour.

Who’s it for? Biologists, boaters, Californians who need a refuge.

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