Angel Island

By Kate Riley October 6, 2014

I had plans to write about my ideas for the master bathroom at the fixer Las Vegas house today but I couldn’t resist sharing just a few shots of our weekend adventure so tune in for the bathroom chat tomorrow. Yesterday we journeyed to a place I absolutely love, and for anyone who has grown up around or lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, you know of what I speak: Angel Island.

This State Park a magical place to walk or bike and if you catch it on a perfect day like we did, Angel Island will give you unforgettable views of the San Francisco Bay, the City, and the Golden Gate Bridge – so worth the boat ride and uphill climb.

We’ve hiked here a few times for the exercise and panoramic views and it really is the BEST. For those planning a visit, consider it a worthy stop especially in what I believe are the best months to visit: May, September, and October when you’ll escape the notorious fog bank that tends to hover over the bay throughout the summer. You can take a midday or sunset cruise, we chose an early morning ferry ride from nearby Tiburon in the north bay, where high end homes overlook over the dock and bay.

tiboron homes 2

tiburon sailboats

Catch the ferry service direct from San Francisco or Marin County, either service will bring you to the island and its views.

golden gate view

Bring a bike or rent one there, but packing a picnic lunch is advised since a hike around will take 2-3 hours and there are tables where you can stop and take in the view. If you forget your picnic, there is a cantina/cafe on the island for purchasing food. The adventure is one of those “fill your lungs with fresh air and eyes with a magical view” kind of walks that is work the trek.

picnic table view of sf

 

angel island home

 

hiking trails

 

east bay view

 

angel island coastline

 

golden gate view

 

boats in harbor

 

sf city view

This is such a wonderful weekend day or sunset evening excursion, check out the Yelp reviews here, and add a trip to Angel Island to your To Do list next time you visit San Francisco! .

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10 comments

  1. My boys did a section on the Civil War in 5th grade which included an overnight field trip to Angel Island. The civil war history of the island was a surprise to me…an it is so cool that the buildings are still there. We did a night hike to the top and the views were amazing to say the least!

    • There IS a lot of history to those buildings from the Civil War Laura, so interesting it was a military camp for the Union concerned of a bay attack by the Confederates.

  2. Hi, gorgeous place. Sounds delightful.

    Off topic: I’m painting hanging barstools, that are used heavily daily by my kids. As per your previous instruction, I am going to: prime with 2 coats zinnzer, paint 3 coats with the premium paints, taught key sanded between coats. Then I want to: distress, glaze, then poly OR just use a dark wax?

    • Either poly or dark wax, the poly tends to be shinier (even the satin formula) but more durable, the wax is a matte finish but you may have to reapply it in a year or two. Sounds like a great project StHarris!

  3. I grew up in San Rafael-and that was one of our favorite spots for family picnics. We’d meet our best friends who lived in the East Bay, and we’d take the ferry from Tiburon. We kids loved to run all over the island. Thanks for reminding me that I need to add that to my list of places to now take my own family when we come up from San Diego for a visit.

  4. I LOVE Angel Island and Tiburon. I have had many fun hikes there. My kids are old enough to really enjoy the ferry too. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos!

  5. I lived in San Rafael (hi Heidi!) and went to Angel Island years ago with friends! What a beautiful place! Thanks for bringing back memories! I really miss the Bay Area, especially Marin. Would live there again in a heart beat – if I could afford it!

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