Location: County:Marin. Nearest City: Tiburon.
Campsites, facilities: There are nine walk-in sites
with piped water, toilets, fire grills, and tables provided.
No pets are permitted. A cafe is available on the island.
Reservations, fees: Reserve by phoning 1-800-444-PARK/7275
($7.50 reservation fee); $12 per night (limit eight people per
site).
Contact: Phone Angel Island State Park at 1-415-435-1915,
or call district headquarters at 1-415-893-1580 or fax 1-415-435-0850.
Tours: 1-415-435-3522.
Angel Island SP
P.O. Box 318
Tiburon CA 94920
Directions: Angel Island is in northern San Francisco
Bay and can be reached by ferry from Pier 41 in San Francisco
(for schedule information call 1-415-773-1188); Tiburon (for
schedule information call 1-415-435-2131); and Vallejo (for schedule
information call 1-707-64-FERRY). No weekday ferry service
to Angel Island during the winter. Night travel on Island
prohibited in some areas for park security and
public safety.
Weather,clothing: The weather can be changeable; layered
clothing is recommended.
Trip notes: In the middle of San Francisco Bay sits
Angel Island State Park, offering spectacular views of the San
Francisco skyline, the Marin Headlands and Mount Tamalpais. Camping
at Angel Island is one of the most unique adventures in the Bay
Area, with the only catch being that getting to the campsites
requires a walk of up to two miles. The payoff comes at 4:30
P.M., when all the park's day visitors and most of the staff
depart for the mainland, leaving the entire island to you. From
start to finish, it's a great trip, featuring a ferry boat ride,
a great hike in, and a private campsite. Some protection from
wind. Bring campstove or charcoal, no wood fires allowed. The
tromp up to 781-foot Mount Livermore includes a short, very steep
stretch but in return furnishes one of the most spectacular urban
lookouts in America. The island is also alive with history. Three
thousand years ago the island was a fishing and hunting site
for Coastal Miwok Indians. It was later a haven for Spanish explorer
Juan de Ayala, a cattle ranch, and a U.S. Army post. From 1910
to 1940, the island processed thousands of immigrants. During
World War II, Japanese and German POWs were held on the island,
which was also used as a jumping-off point for American soldiers
returning from the Pacific. In the '50s and '60s, the island
was home to a Nike missile base. Today, there are two active
Coast Guard stations - at Point Blunt and Point Stuart - on the
island. Angel Island became a State Park in 1958.
© 2001, Miwok Lodge 439, Order of the
Arrow, Santa Clara County Council Inc., BSA
Revision 1.2
