It's unlikely you will see much of San Clemente Island except when you fly over it or float by while sailing the Southern California seas. San Clemente Island or US Navy Station San Clemente NAS North Island has been owned and operated by naval commands since 1934. More than a dozen range and operational areas are clustered within a 60 mile radius of the island. The Commander-in-Chief, Naval Forces, Pacific (CINCPACFLT) is the major claimant for the island, and Naval Air Station, North Island (NASNI) is responsible for its administration and operates an airfield called Naval Auxiliary Landing Facility (NALF) San Clemente Island.

Located 70 miles northwest of San Diego in the California Channel Islands, San Clemente Island is the southernmost of the eight California Channel Islands. It lies 55 nautical miles south of Long Beach and 68 miles west of San Diego. The island is approximately 21 nautical miles long and is 4.5 nautical miles across at its widest point.

The San Clemente Island Range Complex (SCIRC) is the cornerstone of the tactical training ranges supporting the Southern California Operations Area (SOCAL). SOCAL supports the largest concentration of naval forces in the world. The San Clemente Island land, air, and sea ranges provide the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, and other military services space and facilities which they use to conduct readiness training and test and evaluation activities. San Clemente Island's distance from the mainland and its complete Navy ownership make the island and its surrounding area ideal for fleet training, weapon and electronics system testing, and research and development activities.

The early history of San Clemente Island dates back as far as 8000 years when maritime-adapted Indian cultures occupied the island until their removal by California's Spanish colonists. The 19th and early 20th centuries brought periods of sea otter and seal hunting, whaling, sheep ranching, smuggling, and the Chinese abalone industry. An abundance of wildlife and fish inhabit the area today. Birds popular to the area are Loggerhead Shrike. Batrays, Garibaldi and Lobster are common to the region.
 

Below is a list of the Channel Islands open to the public:

Rangers conduct walks on San Miguel and Santa Rosa islands. Call (805) 658-5711 for tour information or (805) 964-7839 for Santa Cruz island. 

Visitor Center in Channel Island Harbor, 1901 Spinnaker Drive, contains the park headquarters, featuring exhibits, hands on displays and slide and film shows about the islands.  Mon.- Fri. 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, Sat.&Sun. 8 am - 5 pm (805) 658-5730

Cost of a round trip ticket runs around $32 to $40 for an adult and air charters from Channel Islands Aviation in Camarillo cost approx. $85 - $139.