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Channel Islands National Park is an undiscovered outdoor adventure paradise. Photo by Dan Harding Courtesy of Island Packers Cruises.

This year, the editors here at Sunset pored through nearly 700 entries for the Sunset Travel Awards, which honor the best in travel in the West. And this year’s entrants were truly inspiring, especially the winners of the Best Nature Experiences category. 

I’ve always wanted to visit the Channel Islands National Park, but its remote nature has always been a bit of a hindrance. Now, this national park off the Central Coast of California—one of the least visited within the parks system—is made more accessible through Island Packers Cruises, which gives explorers of all skill levels easy access with kayaking, camping, and whale-watching trips to beautiful Anacapa, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa islands. And another winner, REI’s Point Reyes National Seashore Backpacking Adventure, takes travelers to the achingly beautiful stretch of California coastline where stunning estuaries, expansive grasslands, and grand beaches can be seen in their untrammeled timeless form.

See the rest of the Best Nature Experiences winners here!

Happy trails,

—Krista Simmons, travel editor

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Dispatches from WildLands

These Are the Winners of the 2023 Sunset Travel Awards

4 Epic Nature Experiences to Book This Year

Glamping Tents, Luxe Lodges, Sleek Airstreams: Here's Where to Get Your Nature Fix Now

The 2023 Travel Awards Directory

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