Life Here

May 20, 2021 By Julie Turner

Local Planner: Angel Island

Angel Island State Park is the largest natural island in the San Francisco Bay. The park includes breathtaking San Francisco Bay views, picturesque biking and hiking trails and other outdoor recreation.

The island’s earliest inhabitants — the Coast Miwok — used the island for seasonal hunting and gathering. From 1910 to 1940, the island’s U.S. Immigration Station was used to process immigrants and, during the World War II years, it housed Japanese and German POWs.

Angel Island has nearly 100 years of military history. During the Civil War, it was home to Camp Reynolds. During WWI and WWII, returning and departing troops were processed through Angel Island. Its last military use was as a missile base in the ’50s and ’60s. In 1954, the island began transitioning to a state park lands.

Park services are limited. Please check the current status of the park, reservation requirements for the ferry companies, and food and transportation options before planning your trip.

Angel Island is open Friday–Sunday from 10:00 a.m. until 3 p.m. Bike rentals, tram and Segway tours, and cafe are now open with limited menu. The Visitor Center and Immigration Station Museum and shuttle are still closed. Visitors can access the island by private boat or public ferry.

If you plan to visit, social distancing, mask wearing, hand washing, and sanitizing protocols are still in place.

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