Fodor's Expert Review Angel Island State Park
For an outdoorsy adventure and some fascinating though sometimes disturbing history, consider a day at this island northwest of Alcatraz, the bay's largest natural island. Used by the Coast Miwok as a favored camp, explored by Spaniards in 1775, and declared a U.S. military reserve 75 years later, the island was used as a screening ground for Asian, mostly Chinese, immigrants—who were often held for months, even years, before being granted entry—from 1910 until 1940. You can visit the restored Immigration Station, from the dock where detainees landed to the barracks where you can see the poems in Chinese script they etched onto the walls.
In 1963 the government designated Angel Island a state park. Today people come for picnics, hikes (such as one to the top of Mt. Livermore and a scenic five-mile path that winds around the island's perimeter), and tram tours that explain the park's history. Golden Gate Ferry is the only Angel Island ferry service with departures from San... READ MORE
For an outdoorsy adventure and some fascinating though sometimes disturbing history, consider a day at this island northwest of Alcatraz, the bay's largest natural island. Used by the Coast Miwok as a favored camp, explored by Spaniards in 1775, and declared a U.S. military reserve 75 years later, the island was used as a screening ground for Asian, mostly Chinese, immigrants—who were often held for months, even years, before being granted entry—from 1910 until 1940. You can visit the restored Immigration Station, from the dock where detainees landed to the barracks where you can see the poems in Chinese script they etched onto the walls.
In 1963 the government designated Angel Island a state park. Today people come for picnics, hikes (such as one to the top of Mt. Livermore and a scenic five-mile path that winds around the island's perimeter), and tram tours that explain the park's history. Golden Gate Ferry is the only Angel Island ferry service with departures from San Francisco; boats leave from the Ferry Building.
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