Home.: Angel Island

The fog was rolling in mid-day in the bay. I'm pretty sure this is a pretty common site around the bridge.

Looking for hikes in the Bay Area and North, I happened upon an interesting little possibility on Angel Island. It's a small island in the Bay just East of Tiburon by ferry. The island has been turned into a state park but it has served quite a few purposes in it's lifetime.

The day started a bit early for a Sunday as we needed to be in Tiburon by 10 am. The drive is about 1.5 hours if no delays or major traffic. During the days of Covid-19, a bit more planning is needed as the space is limited and they don't offer quite as many trips to the island. Perfect weather, mild fog in the Bay but was otherwise blue skies in Tiburon.

We didn't bring bikes this time as we weren't really sure of the types of terrain but it could very easily be a really good way to explore the island in the future. There is a paved road on the perimeter of the island with many tiny little footpaths throughout the island. In a very short hike, you can go from sea level to a bit over 700 feet of elevation and the views from many points of the island are quite incredible.

As I mentioned above, the island has served a few different roles. It has served as a military station to protect the Bay, a Nike missile site, a Coast Guard station, immigration station, and now as a state park.

Strava segment for posterity.

One of the many views. If you look closely in the panorama the Golden Gate bridge can be seen through the fog.

Butterflies, hummingbirds, and bees love the local flowers.

The red brick hospital has seen better days but it does make for some interesting photos.

Red brick hospital

Alcatraz in the distance

Baracks of the West Garrison

Officer quarter of the West Garrison

As I mentioned, there are more than a few similar views around the island

Eastern Garrison

Drew Battery gun mounts. The various signs posted around the island hinted that the guns that once existed were nearly obsolete when they were installed. This particular gun was placed and removed in the very early 1900s.