Angel Island is the lesser known of the two islands in San Francisco Bay. Its smaller neighbor, Alcatraz, gets all of the attention from visitors to the city. Angel Island seems to attract more of the local San Franciscans than tourists, likely due to the fact that it is more of a sprawling outdoor gem where you are free to choose how you wish to spend your time. And the freedoms inherent in that don’t usually fit neatly into tourists’ to-do lists when they come to town for sightseeing attractions and San Francisco tours, planning their limited days in the area. Last fall the island briefly stole the headlines though when three hundred of its seven hundred acres burned in a wildfire. Though none of the few structures on the island were damaged, sections of the island have been closed so that some dangerous trees and charred shrubs could be removed and some beautification could me employed. As of the first of April, the island will be back with full access in time for spring visitors.
Anyone who goes will be met with a host of distractions, with something for everyone. The island caters mostly to hiking, biking, and camping, though the less mobile visitors will be pleased to know that there is a tram tour of the island as well as a Segway scooter tour. If you take any of the tours on the island, they will take in the few structures which remain on the island and in them you’ll discover Angel Island’s history during the Civil War and World War Two. The island was used during those periods as a military post, but the island also has history as a quarantine facility and immigration station. But one of the favorite activities for visitors is often doing nothing more than sitting somewhere up on the grassy hills and enjoying the 360 degree views of San Francisco and the surrounding towns, the boats and five bridges, and the sunsets as they drop behind the Golden Gate Bridge.
