Backpacking at Angel Island

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Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 6.0 miles / 9.7 km
Duration: Multiple days

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Overview: Angel Island can charm the socks off a day-hiker, but it's even better by night, when the state park closes up shop and sends the tourists home.

After that, campers lucky enough to reserve one of the island's 11 sites have the place to themselves. Urban attractions ringing San Francisco Bay light up as the night darkens, creating shimmering opportunities for photographers who know their way around a time exposure. Campers are free to roam to the top of Mount Livermore or just enjoy the view from their sites.

There's no more than 2.5 miles of hiking and 300 feet of elevation gain, so it's an easy outing by backpacking standards. Campers often bring wheeled carts brimming with luxuries unheard of on deep backcountry trips.

Best time to go: September and October are optimal: the warmest, sunniest times of year on the Bay. April and May bring spring wildflowers but campsites are much more difficult to reserve. Summer months are foggy, though fog often burns off. November-February are rainiest.

More on Angel Island: EveryTrail Trips | EveryTrail Guides | EveryTrail Destinations

Tips: Call the Angel Island ranger's office at (415) 435-5390 before you start planning your trip to get the latest on fees and access to the island.

Campsites can be reserved up to seven months in advance at ReserveAmerica.com. Blocks of open dates become available on the first day of each month. Weekend dates fill up fast (often on the first day they become available) but weekdays are often open throughout the year.

Overnight parking at any of the ferry access points around the Bay Area will be very expensive. It's better to use public transportation or have somebody drop you off and pick you up.

Use extreme caution with fires and obey campsite rules to the letter. Angel Island is very dry and vulnerable to wildfires.

What to bring:
Overnight backpacking gear - tent, stove, sleeping bag/pad. (Bicycles and carts are allowed, so you can haul more).
Enough food to last your entire stay.
Flashlight or headlamp for after-dark outings.
Tripod and camera for late-night shots.
Warm clothing: it'll be cold all year, especially after dark

Points of Interest

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Ayala Cove starting point

This is where the ferry will drop you off. It's up to 2.5 miles to your campsite from here.

P1110654.JPG (Tiburon, California, United States) Photo

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East Bay sites

Sites 1, 2 and 3 face the East Bay -- Oakland and the Bay Bridge -- are on the wind-sheltered side of the island. This means less ocean breeze blasting your tent at night, but also less of a view of San Francisco's night skyline. Descriptions of each campsite from the Angel Island Association Boating/Camping Page.

Site 1: "Open, with a view, generally protected from the wind."

Site 2: "Close to site 3, sheltered in a pine grove."

Site 3: "View and some shelter, a small site on a slope."

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Sunrise sites

Sites 7, 8 and 9 are close together and offer the best option for group camping. They provide the best view of the East Bay/San Francisco skyline but are more exposed to ocean breezes and therefore colder at night.

Shore (Tiburon, California, United States) Photo

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Ridge sites

Sites 4, 5 and 6 along this ridge are more exposed to ocean winds and therefore chillier after dark. From the AIA Camping Page.:

Ridge Site 4: "Open space with a view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Can be windy."

Ridge Site 5: "Some shelter, partial view of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge."

Ridge Site 6: "No view, but more wind sheltered, near a public area."

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Kayak campsite

This site is near the shore but accessible via a path from Perimeter Road. You can paddle up to it, but a kayak/boat is not required to camp there.

IMG_1273.JPG (Tiburon, California, United States) Photo

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ADA campsite

This is near Perimeter Road not far from Camp Reynolds. Only those who qualify under the Americans with Disabilities Act are allowed to reserve the site. If you don't qualify, you won't be allowed to use it.

Lone exception: Campers have a first-come, first-serve shot at the site if it hasn't been reserved.