2009 Activities

Advance registration for scheduled nature hikes and Bike Tours is highly recommended to ensure they are not cancelled due to apparent lack of interest.

Wildflower Ramble: Take a memorable docent-led hike up, around, and down Mt. Livermore (788 feet elevation). Emphasis on wildflowers. See the burned area from the October fire. Approximately 4.5 miles, 4.5 hours. Wear comfortable hiking shoes, layered clothing, and rain gear if rain is pending. Hikes are held rain or shine. Bring lunch and liquids. Take the 10am Tiburon Ferry -- allow time to find parking! Meet at the AIA Gift Shop on Angel Island at 10:30am. If you come on the ferry from San Francisco, catch up with the group on the Sunset Trail. For reservations, call the Angel Island State Park Volunteer Coordinator at 415-435-3522. These popular hikes are often filled in advance. We strongly recommend you register to ensure a space. There will be a $5/person charge for this hike. Note: while many of the wildflower rambles are led by 25-year docent, Silvia Lange, there are other talented and knowledgeable docents who lead these hikes as well.

"After the Fire" Hike: A state park docent will lead an all-day hike to places affected by the October wildfire -- both those burned and those saved. Learn about the historic sites and impact on vegetation and the BayWood Artists. Access to the burned areas will be limited. Routes will change as trails re-open. The hike is about 6 miles along the Perimeter Road and will be held rain or shine. Take the earliest ferry from San Francisco or Tiburon and meet at 10:30 at the Island gift shop. Return on the last ferry. Bring hiking shoes, layered clothing, water, lunch, camera, and binoculars. Group size limited. Call 415-435-3522 for reservations. $5 fee goes to the state park. Firefighters and their families free.

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Customized nature hikes and bike tours led by Angel Island Docents can be requested for any day of the week by calling 415-435-3522. A donation of $5 per person is requested for personalized hikes and bike tours. Tour requests should be made at least two weeks in advance and are subject to docent availability.

General Bike Tour information: Basic biking skills are required. The island’s 5 mile perimeter road is surfaced but gravelly in some spots. The 3˝ mile fire road is unimproved dirt. Expect some moderately steep but short uphill climbs. Some riders may choose to walk the short, more difficult stretches. Mountain or hybrid bikes are recommended. Mountain bikes can be rented at the Bike Concession at Ayala Cove between April and mid-November.

Helmets are required for riders under 18 years of age, and recommended for everyone. Bring water and a lunch. Unless otherwise specified, participants should plan to arrive on Angel Island by 10:30 and bring a lunch, liquids, and comfortable shoes (for hikes). Packaged sandwiches and salads may be purchased at the Ayala Cove Café. A light windbreaker jacket is recommended on most days. Dress for the weather.

Group size is limited to a minimum of five to a maximum of twenty riders. Children under 15 must be supervised by an adult, one-on-one.

Weekday tours: Tours for school groups and others can be arranged any day of the week by contacting the State Park Volunteer Coordinator at 415-435-3522. Groups from grade or high schools may also request the ferry school group rate when scheduling a tour.  Go to the School Tour page for more information. The State Park requests a donation of $3 per person for all school tours and $5 for other tours. Please note that school tours of the Immigration Station are very popular and may book months in advance. There is also a separate fee schedule.  Please review the section below for more information and plan ahead to avoid disappointment.

Scholarships to cover transportation and/or tour costs may be available on a limited basis.

mmigration Station site tours. Visitors can take a free, self-guided tour during park hours, 8 a.m. to sunset.  You will be able to see interpretive panels on the grounds of the former Administration Building and see displays about the Immigration Station in Room 105 of the Detention Barracks when there is a staff person present, normally available from Wednesday to Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to answer questions about life at the Immigration Station. Detailed information is available here.

Weekday group tours must be reserved in advance and are limited to 30 people at one time.  The tour lasts one hour and 15 minutes and begins at the bell on the wharf of the Immigration Station and proceeds through the Administrative footprint and through both the second and first floors of the Detention Barracks.  The tour schedule is as follows:  11 am, 12:30 pm, and 2 pm on weekdays, 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2 pm and 3:30 pm on weekends. (Note: the weekday 2 pm tour on s is only 40 minutes and begins at the bottom of the covered staircase and proceeds to the 2nd floor only of the Detention Barrack to allow visitors to catch the last ferry. )

The cost per person for the regular tour is $7 for adults, $5 children (5 – 11 years old). The cost is for the weekday 2pm tour is $4 for adults and $3 for children (5-11 yrs.) Tours are not appropriate for children under five. The 3:30 pm weekend tours cannot be reserved in advance. Tickets should be purchased on the island when you arrive at the Cove Cafe.

Reservations must be made by e-mail to aivc@parks.ca.gov or via telephone at 415-435-3522.

Motorized tram tours and Segway tours are available through the Cove Cafe. Call 925-426-3058 or visit the Angel Island Company website for more information.

Special event permits are required for any events that: