As a boy, Scott Ammons first visited Catalina Island drifting onto the water in paddleboats under an expansive blue sky. That early experience sparked a passion for recreation that developed into a lifelong career, ultimately leadinghim to a position directing the Conservancy’s recreation division. 

“My grandpa had a boat, so we used to come here on the boat and play around in the coves,” he recalled about trips to Parson’s Landing. “Watching the sun go down over that cove, then the next morning waking up fully refreshed as the sun comes up on the other side… It’s just an absolutely stunning place to be.” 

The Island fox and other endemic animals, as well as rare plants found nowhere else in the world are just a few of the Island’s icons that thrilled Ammons back then. Even after decades of exploring the Island’s wildlands, Ammons said the landscape of mountain ridges that climb down to the shoreline continues to transfix him. 

Over time, Ammons expanded his love for the outdoors through all types of recreation opportunities. 

“As a teenager, I was mountain biking, rock climbing and whitewater rafting and doing a lot of backpacking in the Sierras,” he explained. He went on to become an outdoor educator and joined the National Outdoor Leadership School, a Wyoming-based global wilderness school. He helped educate and train students on leading recreation outings in a sustainable and eco-friendly way. While enrolled, Ammons led groups across the Western U.S. 

“I was leading 30-day wilderness trips,” he shared. “We’d do whitewater rafting trips on the Green River in Utah, basically anything in the Western U.S. that was whitewater, backpacking or canyoneering and some climbing.” 

His career in outdoor education took him to REI, an outdoors retailer and recreation co-op. He led REI adventures and that path brought him back to Catalina Island. 

“I thought the Trans-Catalina Trail was an amazing opportunity for an adventure travel trip,” he said of the rugged 38.5-mile hike along the Island’s interior. “Catalina is both nationally and internationally famous, a place people want to come. The TCT is on people’s bucket list from all over the world.” 

Ammons launched a longtime partnership between the Conservancy and REI, where recreationists would visit the Island for adventures in the interior – the same places Ammons spent time as a child. 

“We were doing backpacking trips to Parson’s Landing and Little Harbor, then doing camping trips at Two Harbors, where we’d kayak, snorkel, mountain bike, hike,” he said. 

After more than 18 years with REI, Ammons decided to forge a new path. But this new route wasn’t unfamiliar –– he joined the Catalina Island Conservancy in 2025 as the Director of Recreation.  

“I could not have designed a better position for what I know how to do and my experience, so it just felt like it was meant to be,” he shared. “Conservation is necessary to make sure there are places left in the world that are still in their natural state, because I think humans –– in order for us to get back to how we’re meant to be –– need a place without the urban landscape, need to get back into nature, experience it and rejuvenate.” 

That rejuvenation, he said, comes from breaking out of the boring, daily routine and trying something new, seeking adventure, getting off the grid and leaving technology behind.  

“Where you use your phone for photos and nothing else. No email, no one’s calling you,” he explained. “Basically, you get out into the backcountry, wild places, the wilderness. Just experiencing life the way humans were meant to experience life, with all your five senses.” 

Ammons wants to share his love for Catalina Island with outdoor enthusiasts around the world. He has big goals for his department, including expanded access and recreational uses of the Airport in the Sky, added programing and community engagement at Conservancy operated sites, and a stronger emphasis on the connection between cultural and natural resources of the Island. Ammons believes these efforts can introduce visitors of all ages to a place that leaves lasting memories and a deep passion for such a unique island. 

Plan your adventure today.