OK, I’ll admit that I still haven’t made it out to Catalina. From what I hear, the hiking and camping are pretty great, but it can get crazy crowded during the summer months — which apparently are already going on in Southern California, as it’s already next to impossible to find a beachside campsite on the weekend.

But now there’s a reason to start looking into late summer or next summer trips to Catalina, as the Catalina Island Conservancy just announced the completion of the island-long, 37-mile Trans Catalina Trail.

LAist got the scoop on the trail, apparently, as the Conservancy doesn’t have anything listed about the trail yet, and the only graphic I’ve seen is the map posted on LAist, showing the route highlighted in yellow.

The trail rises from 10ft above sea level to 1752 feet, and features a few areas of Class III terrain to keep your interest up.

The Conservancy requires day hikers to have free permits, but apparently camping reservations and planning are done through a separate group.

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by Casey Schreiner

Founder and Editor of Modern Hiker, Author of "Day Hiking Los Angeles." "Discovering Griffith Park," and "Cloud Spotting." Walking Meditator, Native Plant Enthusiast.