Santa Barbara Islands, a group of eight islands in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of southern California. The group, also known as the Channel Islands, lies some 20 to 60 miles (32 to 96 km) offshore and extends for about 160 miles (257 km). Most of the islands are hilly and sparsely populated. Santa Barbara, Anacapa, and San Miguel make up Channel Islands National Park, featuring bird and sea-lion rookeries; Santa Catalina is a popular resort. The other islands are San Clemente, San Nicholas, Santa Cruz, and Santa Rosa. The Santa Barbara Islands were discovered by Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo in 1542.