San Francisco Bay's largest
island, rising out of the water between Marin
and San Francisco counties, has served as a cattle ranch, military base,
quarantine station, immigration facility, prisoner-of-war detention center,
and Nike missile site. When the federal government abandoned the island
in the late 1940s, it became part of the state park system, although missile
sites operated until 1962. Years of restoration, the elimination of planted
non-native vegetation, and the passage of time have allowed coast live
oak woods and grassy hills to make a comeback. Park staff returned
the island's highest peak, Mount Livermore, to its original state by restoring
acres of dirt pushed off the summit by the military. With about 20 feet
added back to Mount Livermore's summit, the hill is a peak again, and
native vegetation has been reintroduced.
Angel Island offers two main hikes: a nearly
level 5-mile circuit around the island on a fire road, and this loop,
a combination of Northridge and Sunset trails, with a short out-and-back
spur to the summit. The park is busy during tourist season, but when I
visited with a friend in early summer, we disembarked from a nearly full
ferry, then watched as the crowds made a beeline for the visitor center.
On the trails, we crossed paths with only a dozen other hikers -- trails
are even quieter in winter, when clear days promise long views, and early
spring, when the wildflower displays are legendary.
Begin from the ferry landing on North Ridge
Trail, which sets off to the left (north) of the restrooms. As it
leaves the shoreline area, this footpath climbs through pine, toyon, and
coast live oak, ascends some long steep stairs past a few picnic tables,
then reaches a cluster of eucalyptus and paved Perimeter Road at 0.1 mile. Turn right, walk a few feet, then turn left remaining on North Ridge Trail, entering a more natural area where clarkia and Indian pink bloom in early summer,
freckling patches of grass beneath coast live oak. The narrow path winds uphill through
shaded woods of California bay and hazelnut. When North Ridge Trail emerges
from the woods on the northernmost flank of the island, enjoy views north
across Raccoon Strait to the Tiburon peninsula. At 0.9 mile, North Ridge Trail meets the fire road. Turn left onto fire road for a few feet,
then veer right, continuing on North Ridge Trail. After one last foray
through chaparral, the path, still ascending easily, takes a long tour
through quiet woods of coast live oak, where you might also notice madrone,
gooseberry, huge thickets of hazelnut, and poison oak. Look for milkmaids and hound's tongue blooming here in early spring. North Ridge Trail
levels out as it reaches a grassy plateau dotted with coyote brush, home
to iris, paintbrush, and zigadene blooming in spring; and coyote mint,
venus thistle, and buckwheat flowering in summer. There
are good views, west to Mount Tamalpais, and uphill to Mount Livermore's
summit. Under a few pines at 1.8 miles, North Ridge Trail meets the path to the summit.
Turn right, following the sign to Mount Livermore.
At an easy-going rate, the trail climbs
past coast live oak into grassland. You'll likely see butterflies, including
California sister and a variety of swallowtails, fluttering about in summer,
along with fast-moving swifts and more languid vultures and hawks riding
the thermal air currents. After two bends in the trail, the path makes
a final push to the summit, climbing through grassy slopes dotted with
coyote brush, reintroduced during restoration of the peak. At 2.1
miles you'll reach the top of Mount Livermore, where views are simply
incredible, and even in summer's haze include the Golden Gate Bridge stretching
from San Francisco's Presidio to Marin's rolling Headlands, Alcatraz Island,
Mount Tamalpais, the downtown San
Francisco skyline, Mount Diablo, Treasure Island, and the Bay Bridge.
The picnic table and benches at the summit can be quite windy, but there
are a few other sites, off the slopes of the peak, that are more sheltered.
It can be tough to leave this idyllic setting, but remember that ferry
schedule. Descend back to the previous junction, then continue, to
the right, back on North Ridge Trail.
At a slight descent, the trail heads south, with great views to San Francisco. At 2.5 miles, North Ridge Trail ends at a junction with Sunset Trail and Ida Trail. Turn right, onto Sunset Trail.
Dropping down onto the island's south slope,
there are unobstructed views downhill to Point Blunt, an active Coast
Guard station. Sunset Trail angles across a hillside
heading west. Bushes of sticky monkeyflower, coyote brush, poison oak,
and sagebrush frame awesome views of the Golden Gate and the world's most
famous span, with its distinctive "international orange" paint scheme
so pretty against a clear blue sky. Sunset Trail descends a ridge, offering splendid views of Sausalito, Belvedere Island, the Marin
Headlands, and Mount Tam, then veers right into coast live oaks woods.
At one sunny viewpoint a bench invites a lingering break,
and the trail then begins a campaign of switchbacks. Some shortcuts are
worn into the hillside here, but please stay on the trail, which is well
graded. Poison oak and Italian thistle crowd the trail in places in summer.
At 3.5 miles veer right on a fire road for a few feet, then turn left
back onto Sunset Trail. Switchbacks continue, mostly through California
bay and coast live oak woods. Near a water tank and cluster of picnic
tables, the trail bends left, runs along the road, then ends at 4.6 miles.
Cross the road near a paved route descending to group picnic areas,
then veer right, following the sign to the dock area.
This wide trail starts out paved but soon
shifts to dirt. As you descend toward the visitor center, you might notice
several non-native plants, including pride of madeira, a shrub with big
purple flower spikes, and broom, a wispy bush that bears yellow sweet-smelling
pea-like blossoms. The trail turns sharply left, then ends at the side
of the visitor center, where a grassy picnic area fronts the shoreline
at Ayala Cove. Turn right and walk on a paved road the remaining distance
back to the ferry landing.
Total distance: 5 miles
Last hiked: June 30, 2003