Seagulls at the cove
(On a side note, I will be doing less photo slideshows for hikes and I will put photos from the hikes on the blogposts instead.)
I will say that Angel Island is a well known landmark in the Bay Area. First, everyone sees the island and then they want to know the name. Many people who visit Angel Island though do not go further than Ayala Cove where the Ferry docks. Many people do but I know many people who have only visited Angel Island a few times or never ventured to certain parts. Angel Island has a large amount of variety with grassland, oak woodlands, history and of course great views of San Francisco and other parts of the Bay Area. There are a few good hikes on Angel Island including the loop up to Mt. Livermore and the loop around the island. I will soon write about the loop up to Mt. Livermore but this post will be devoted to the loop around the island (which can overlap with the route up to the mountain if you want though.) I last visited Angel Island in April and there were places that had people that I thought would not have many. Still, there are a few sections that really feel desolate and open...until you look to the left and see San Francisco. Anyway, Angel Island has some interesting stories to it too. Asian immigrants were held here at the "Ellis Island of the West," soldiers were stationed here during the Civil War and WWII and there is even a slight possibility criminals from Alcatraz swam here. Yes, you may now see where to hike to experience Angel Island...but first, I should tell you how to get there.
Terrain: Mix of oaks and grassland, some buildings
Length: 5.3 miles (excluding the Ferry)
Crowds: Mainly high. The southside is less crowded
Best Times: Good when it is not foggy, best in spring and fall
Difficulty: Mostly flat and easy. This is a good hike for kids who do not mind the length or you could shorten it for them.
Shade level: first part partly shady, middle part unshaded, last part partly shady.
Directions: From Route 101, get off at the Tiburon Exit. Continue on Tiburon Blvd. until you reach Downtown. Go to the marina area and look for the Angel Island Ferry. The Ferry will take you to Ayala Cove.
The hike:
After exiting the ferry, you will see a picnic area, bathrooms and a visitor center, you will see a fire road leading to Perimeter Road. The visitor center is informative and interesting and spending time there is great. Our route though is the road that goes up to the left and right. You can choose whichever way to go but I usually hike clockwise so that is the way this description will go. You will intersect with Perimeter Road with a nice picnic area to your right. Once you turn left, you will enter an oak woodland but the fire road will not get much shade because it is wide. Below you is a steep decline to the visitor center area. The terrain stays similar as the Northridge trail intersects with the fire road. Northridge trail descends to the visitor center on the left and goes up to Mt. Livermore on the right. The forest around the fire road clears a bit and it soon hits a curve to the right. Around this place, views to the East Bay open wide. As you turn right, you will see the old Immigration Station below you. As you pass it, you will see a fire road going down to the Immigration Station. When people immigrated to San Francisco, they went to the immigration station and many of them were kept there for a long time. There are some descriptions there about life there. People even wrote poems on the walls.
After passing the immigration station, the fire road goes through more mixed woodland. If you look down, you will see a small beach and there is a small trail descending to it. Then the fire road visits more old buildings but they are not related to immigration this time. They were barracks during WWII and there are also some buildings that date to the Civil War. This was part of Fort McDowell. You can go into the buildings but be careful. There is one interesting building with a stairway. The stairway is precarious and suddenly stops with its outline along the wall. There are a few more buildings down below too as well as above the building here. If you look down, you will even see an old baseball field. There are a few non native pine trees too. If you look up, you may see evidence from the fire in October of 2008. A few trees look blackened but it has been growing back quickly. After admiring that, you can follow the fire road which turns to the right. To your left, there is a fire road going down to a short off limits peninsula. The fire road rises on the grassland ridge and intersects with a trail leading uphill. The Nike Missile site is nearby. Then the fire road rounds the hill and starts to descend. You should see a small canyon with some dry redwoods. This area was hard hit by the fire and seems to be coming back more slowly than other parts of the island.
Fire Damage
If you look out to the west, you should have good views of the Marin Headlands and Golden Gate Bridge but the best views are yet to come. The fire road curves to the left as it crosses the canyon. To your left, you should see a precarious path leading to the left of the fire road. Although the path heads right back to the fire road, I would not recommend it. The fire road stays on the south shore with occasional views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Finally, the trail reaches a large right hand turn. Here, there is a small viewing place. In my opinion, these are the best views of the hike. On crowded days, there may be a small crowd here but you should be able to get great pictures of San Francisco if you want. Also, there is a small steep trail nearby that descends to Battery Ledyard. The Battery has some stairways and areas to explore but be careful there. Also, there is a large concrete area which I once lay down with a group of friends and looked at the clouds. Anyway, whether you decide to make the short trip or not, the fire road continues into a pine/eucalyptus forest. A small trail goes up to the right which eventually hits the fire road higher up on Angel Island.
View of the city from Perimeter Fire Road
You should see a fire road descending to your left. It has a quick descent to Fort McDowell, a fort dating to the Civil War. The buildings are all organized around a patch of grass. Although the buildings are boarded up, you can look around them and they are still interesting. After looking around at the beauty and history of the place, you can retrace your steps back to the fire road. In a few minutes, you should reach a large boarded up building to your left. When you reach this spot, you are about one mile from Ayala Cove. Right after the building, you will see a small path to your left. It leads to restrooms, a campground for kayakers and descends through a small oak woodland to a small beach. It is a nice quiet beach and you may see some kayakers landing there. When you decide to continue on the fire road, you should see views open up to your left. You can see Tiburon and Mt. Tamalpais. Unfortunately, the views go away soon as you round a bend and enter the oak woodland again. A short trail goes off to your left, descending quickly through the trees to Ayala Cove. If you decide to stay on the fire road, you will notice a slight descent. While I was walking through here, I once saw some caterpillars spinning cocoons which was interesting to watch. Once you reach the intersection with the Sunset trail on your right, you will know the hike is almost over. The fire road that goes to Ayala Cove should be on your left. By now, you can follow the fire road back to Ayala Cove and the visitor center. On a side note, you should check the ferry schedule to make sure you do not wait long on the island.
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