Visitor Information

Location

Angel Island is the largest Island in San Francisco Bay, located one mile south of the Tiburon Peninsula. Park Headquarters and the main visitor's center are in Ayala Cove on the North side of the Island, accessible by commercial ferries and private boats.

Ferries

Ferries are available daily during the peak season to take you to Angel Island. The following links lead you to schedule and fare information for each:

	Tiburon Ferry During the winter (thru March), the Tiburon Ferry runs daily weekday service to Angel Island at 10am, returning at 1:20pm. Winter weekends, there four roundtrips each day.
	San Francisco Ferry (Blue and Gold Fleet) - We are unable to link directly to the Angel Island Schedule. Please click on Angel Island on the Blue and Gold home page and scroll to the bottom of the Angel Island Page for the ferry schedule.
	Alameda/Oakland Ferry (weekends/holidays only from late May through October)
	Hornblower Cruises An Alcatraz and Angel Island Tour is available.
	USS Potomac Special cruises to Angel Island from Jack London Square, once per month from May to October

During the off-season (October thru March), all systems run a reduced schedule. Ferry schedules are subject to change and cancellation. Please confirm the availability of a boat during the off-season.

Hours of Operation

Angel Island is open from 8 a.m. to sunset year around.

General information/Rules

Dogs (except service dogs) are not allowed on the island at any time. Roller skates, roller blades, skateboards, scooters, seqways, and wood fires are also prohibited. Provide your own charcoal for the barbecues on the island. Metal detectors, while allowed, are not recommended because digging or disturbing the soil or ground in the park is prohibited.

Weather on the island varies depending on season and location. It is a good idea to dress in layers.

A few small lockers are available for $1. They are located near the vending machines next to the bike rental kiosk in Ayala Cove.

The Cove Café deli, bike rentals, and motorized tram tours are available when the ferries are running.

The Café also has a barbequed oyster bar and outdoor cantina. Full service catering is available by calling 925-426-3058, or contact Angel Island Catering.

For other questions, not answered here, please contact the volunteer office at 415-435-3522.

Weather/Clothing

Like the rest of the Bay Area, Angel Island is a study in micro-climates. It can be warm and sunny on the north side and foggy and cold on the south. For that reason, we strongly suggest dressing in layers to be ready for both chilly and warm weather. Ayala Cove, which the AngelCam displays, is on the warm side of the island.

If you are looking at local weather forecasts to determine what to wear, you may find that nothing quite predicts what you will see on the island. It is generally enjoys sunnier and warmer weather than San Francisco, which has many more days of fog. However, it is not as warm as San Rafael.

There are some areas of the island that are almost always cool, despite the outside temperature. For instance, docents who give tours inside the Immigration Station nearly always wear slacks and jackets, while visitors have on shorts and tank tops. (Sometimes visitors get chilly during a tour -- could be a good thing on a hot day!)

Tours and Special Event Permits

All prices quoted here are subject to change. Please validate them before committing to a site or event. We do our best to stay current, but are not always notified on a timely basis when there are changes.

Tours of Angel Island's historic sites are offered by State Park Volunteers on many weekends during the peak season, April through October and sometimes in November. Immigration Station tours MAY be available at limited times on the weekends from November to March. During the renovation of the Immigration Station, tours will not be able to enter the barracks or the grounds of the station. Please call 415-435-3522 to verify staffing if this is critical to your off-season visit.

If you have a large group or wish to request a docent-led tour, please call the Angel Island Association at 415-435-3522. Groups from grade or high schools may also request a fee waiver packet while scheduling a tour. This waives the park entrance fee, but not the cost of the ferry.

There are four picnic areas that can be reserved for a fee for day use only. The first three listed below are in Ayala Cove and the other is at Fort McDowell. Please contact the ranger office at 415-435-5390 for information. For reservations for these sites, call Reserve America at 1-800-444-PARK (1-800-444-7275) or visit their website. Costs are as follows:

	Hill Site -- $82.50
	Draw Site -- $118.50
	Platform Site -- $157.50
	East Garrison Site -- $232.50

The Angel Island Cove Café is now open year around, with hours dependent on the ferry schedules. The Café operates bike rentals, motorized tram tours, and Segway tours on the island, for a fee. Please check with their website or phone 925-426-3058 to verify if the services you wish will be available during your visit.

Segway tours are limited to people 16 years or older. NOTE**** Personal Segways are NOT PERMITTED on the island, unless they are being used as an assistance device for a disabled person. The tours offered by the café are guided and Segways will not rented to individuals.

Special event permits are required for any of the following:

	Involve the sale of alcoholic beverages;
	Require liability insurance;
	Charge participants fees beyond regular use fees;
	Involve the sales of items or services;
	Have special conditions or requirements;
	For weddings and wedding receptions;
	For docking charter boats.

Please call the ranger office at 415-435-5390 to arrange for a permit application.

Boating

Private boats can use the boat slips or the 27 new mooring buoys at Ayala Cove. Slips, 30' to 50', are open year round from 8am to sunset and cost $10. The California State Park Annual Day Use Pass, $125, can be used to pay day-use dock fees. Mooring fees are $20/night and can be used up to 7 nights in a row. Slips and buoys are on a first-come first-served basis. Dinghies can be taken to the dock from the moorings to get access to the restrooms until 10 p.m.

If there is no ranger available, please pay at the 'Iron Ranger' near the head of the boat dock. Your fees help maintain the park. For details on mooring, click here.

Hiking, Biking, and Maps

Over 13 miles of foot trails and fire roads circle the entire island. Trails also lead to the 788-foot high summit of Mt. Livermore. The main trails are well-marked and are designed to avoid most hazards, including the poison oak that is native to the region.

The Perimeter Road and access roads to Immigration Station and Fort McDowell are paved. Other roads are gravel. Trails are packed dirt. Due to the road construction process, even paved roads may have fine gravel on them. During the rainy season, trails may be muddy.

Take the Northridge/Sunset loop trail to Mt. Livermore for spectacular views. Take the Perimeter Road to access the island's beaches and historical sites.

Eight miles of roadway are available for bike riding. Bicycles can be used on the island-circling Perimeter Road and the fire road.

We recommend that you bring a helmet and a bike lock. Island roads are steep and in some areas (such as the foot trails and the road to Mount Livermore), you must leave your bike behind for reasons of safety and resource conservation. Children ages 17 and under are required to wear helmets while bike riding.

A map is available when you arrive at Angel Island during the tourist season (March - November). In addition to showing a topographical map of the island with hiking and biking trails, it also includes limited information on the history of the island. You may also purchase an information packet about Angel Island and its services, including a map of the island and Ayala Cove by sending $3 to:

Angel Island Association
P.O. Box 866
Tiburon, CA 94920

Click here for an overview map. Click here for a copy of the official park map.

Camp Sites

There are several primitive campsites on Angel island. The ADA site and the 9 numbered sites, listed below, accommodate up to 8 people at each site. Costs are $20/night from May15 to September 15 and $15/night the rest of the year. For a park campsite brochure, click here.

There is also a kayak-accessible site (holds up to 20 people). Costs are $30/night.

For reservations for these sites, call Reserve America at 1-800-444-PARK (1-800-444-7275) or visit their website. If a campsite is not reserved, it is sold on a first-come, first-served basis in the park. See Campsite details for more information and photos of the sites.

	Camp sites #1, #2, and #3, the East Sites, are on the east side of the island, out of the wind.
	Camp sites #4, #5, and #6, the Ridge Sites, are on the west side of the island, with views of San Francisco.
	Camp sites #7, #8, and #9, the Sunrise Sites, are close together with unobstructed views of the east bay.
	The ADA accessible camp can only be reserved by campers who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act. If it has not been reserved, it will be available on a first come/first served basis to campers at the island camper kiosk. If you reserve this site and do not qualify, you will not be allowed to use it.
	The Kayak camp has beach access so that you can kayak to it, but you do not have to.

A service camp is available for groups doing service work on the island. The service camp is reserved only as part of a park project. Please contact Angel Island State Park Rangers at (415) 435-1915 to schedule. The service camp can normally be reserved up to seven months in advance, and is very popular. Advanced planning is recommended.

Be prepared to carry your equipment two miles, some sections uphill, to the camp sites. (Total elevation gain may be over 300 feet.) Tables, food lockers, running water, pit toilets, and a barbecue are located at each site. Bring charcoal or a stove as no wood fires are allowed. Raccoons are active on the island, making food locker storage very important.

Recreation Facilities

	Biking: The Perimeter Road and fire road are available to bikers. Bikes can be brought by ferry or rented on the island. (Rental services are normally provided daily from April to October as well as weekends in March and early to mid-November.) Helmets are required for bicyclists age 17 and under. During the winter, you may be able to locate other bike rental services in San Francisco and Tiburon and bring the bike with you.
	Hiking: Thirteen miles of trails are available.
	Volleyball: Nets are set up in Ayala Cove in the group day use picnic site called the Draw Site, which must be reserved for the volleyball nets to be used. There are also volleyball nets at the East Garrison (Fort McDowell), which are NOT included with the group day use picnic site reservation, but the park is unable to guarantee the nets will be usable.
	Baseball: A baseball diamond located at East Garrison (Fort McDowell) that is near, but not included in the group picnic site. The park is unable to guarantee that the diamond will be usable.
	Fishing: Normal fish and game laws apply
	Photography: Wildflowers, nature, historic buildings, and spectacular views are all available.
	Picnicking: Many picnic tables and charcoal barbecues are available for small groups near the ferry dock. You will also find picnic tables a various locations around the island. If you have a group of 35 to 200 people, you may reserve a site by calling (800) 444-7275.
	Camping: Several camp sites are available for rent.
	Tours: Docent-led tours of historic buildings are often available on weekends and holidays, April through October. Nature walks are also available, with two-weeks advance reservation. To reserve any tour, please call 415-435-3522. Also, check our event calendar for scheduled hikes.

Panoramic view of Racoon Strait from Mount Livermore. Mount Tam is in the far distance on the left, Tiburon and Belvedere are in the left-middle, and Ayala Cove in in the foreground.

General information/Rules