Angel Island State Park
The Park is currently OPEN WITH RESTRICTIONS IN SERVICES AND/OR FACILITIES.
Please check the hours of operation.
Dock Slip Re-Opening: Park staff have worked to make critical repairs and address safety concerns on the docks, and we have opened 16 slips that are now available. We understand the importance of providing recreational boating infrastructure for the public and are working hard to ensure continued access.
In addition to the 16 day-use slips, moorings are also open and there is a 15-minute zone on the dock, as well as a slip for dinghies or other small watercraft to land and pay for mooring fees. Please beware of shallow water in the mooring field at low tides.
China Cove Beach Warning: Oil and oil sheening has been observed near the shoreline at China Cove where the Immigration Station Bell is located. Oil and oily film on the surface of the water may worsen after rainfall due to a historic release of oil from tanks in operation when the federal government controlled the island prior to 1963. Water contact may cause illness and swimming and fishing at China Cove are not recommended. China Cove is the only beach on the island where oil and sheening have been observed.
Out-of-Order Immigration Station Elevators: The elevators in the Detention Barracks Museum and the Angel Island Immigration Museum (AIIM) are temporarily out-of-order. The first floor of the detention barracks is still ADA-accessible, but the second floor is only accessible by stairs. Most of the exhibits in AIIM are on the second floor that is also only accessible by stairs.
In addition to the 16 day-use slips, moorings are also open and there is a 15-minute zone on the dock, as well as a slip for dinghies or other small watercraft to land and pay for mooring fees. Please beware of shallow water in the mooring field at low tides.
China Cove Beach Warning: Oil and oil sheening has been observed near the shoreline at China Cove where the Immigration Station Bell is located. Oil and oily film on the surface of the water may worsen after rainfall due to a historic release of oil from tanks in operation when the federal government controlled the island prior to 1963. Water contact may cause illness and swimming and fishing at China Cove are not recommended. China Cove is the only beach on the island where oil and sheening have been observed.
Out-of-Order Immigration Station Elevators: The elevators in the Detention Barracks Museum and the Angel Island Immigration Museum (AIIM) are temporarily out-of-order. The first floor of the detention barracks is still ADA-accessible, but the second floor is only accessible by stairs. Most of the exhibits in AIIM are on the second floor that is also only accessible by stairs.
Park Facilities
Environmental Campsites
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Primitive Camping
Family Campsites
Group Campsites
Primitive Camping
Food Service
Camp Store
Restrooms
Camp Store
Restrooms
Boating
Boat Ramps
Boat Ramps
Tri-County Partnership to Create a Cleaner Coast
MARIN, SONOMA AND MENDOCINO COUNTY PARTNER TO CREATE A CLEANER COAST Teaching Leave No Trace Practices to Growing Visitor Audiences in Coastal Communities. Learn more by reading the Tri-County Partnership Press Release (6/15/2022).
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Key Features and Services on Angel Island
Points of Interest
Map of Angel Island State Park
Recreation
- Visitor Center
- Individual and Group Picnic Areas
- Campsites
- Day use boat slips (Partially closed, 16 slips open)
- Overnight mooring buoys in Ayala Cove. Pay before tying up.
- Ferry service from Tiburon and San Francisco
- Seasonally available café, bike rentals, and tram tours
Historic Sites
For more information, please see the "Visiting the Historic Sites" related page.
- Immigration Station (Museums have LIMITED HOURS)
- Camp Reynolds (West Garrison)
- Fort McDowell (East Garrison)
Golden Poppy, Golden Bear, and Library Parks Passes are not valid at Angel Island State Park. The only way to the park is by boat (or swimming for the brave).
Pricing
Public Ferry Tickets
Operated by the San Francisco Golden Gate Ferry & the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry
Want to visit Alcatraz too? For the Alcatraz & Angel Island Combo Tour, visit City Experiences.
Shuttles, Tram Tours, and Rental Bikes
Operated by the Angel Island Company/Café
Campsites and Picnic Site Reservations
Reserve through ReserveCA
Private Boat Use
Payment covers the park entrance fee for the first 8 people on the vessel. For detailed information on payment for groups larger than 8, senior rates, disabled discount pass rates, validity of other state parks passes, and more, see the Dock Slips & Mooring related page.
Day-Use Dock Slips (Partially closed, 16 slips open): $15
Mooring (Day use, includes overnight, covers until 12pm the following day): $30
2nd Mooring (If second vessel is "rafted" to the same set of 2 mooring balls): $15
US Immigration Station
Detention Barracks Museum
Historic building preserved to show the original carvings that the detained immigrants left behind from 1910-1940. Rooms staged to reflect detention conditions.
Self-Guided Entry (for groups of 10 people or more, please make a reservation): $5 (Adults), $3 (Youth 5-17yo), Free (Under 5yo)
Guided Tour: Please look at the "Immigration Tours" related page.
World War II Mess Hall: Included with Detention Barracks Museum entry. Note prices above.
An exhibit about Angel Island's role in Japanese internment during WWII.
Angel Island Immigration Museum (AIIM): FREE
Historically, the hospital of the US Immigration Station. Currently, a renovated and contemporary museum telling immigration stories of the past and present.
Please note what is not allowed:
For the safety of visitors, wildlife, and the park:- Dogs are NOT allowed on the island, except service animals. This does not include the use of emotional support animals which are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Collecting or destroying anything in the park, including mushrooms, is NOT allowed.
- Bicycles are allowed on the island, but all riders under 18 years of age are required to wear helmets. Bike rentals for adults are available seasonally through the Angel Island Café.
- NOTE: "Bicycles" are wheeled conveyances that have brakes and pedals. Balance bikes and scooters, for example, are NOT allowed. Devices required for mobility or disability assistance are welcome.
- Roller skates, roller blades, skateboards, and personal Segways are NOT allowed.
- Drones and drone filming are NOT allowed without a permit.
- Charcoal grills or camp stoves are permitted in campsites. Wood fires are NOT allowed.
- Night travel after sunset on the island is NOT allowed in some areas, including all historic sites and buildings.
About The Island
Angel Island State Park, the largest natural island in the San Francisco Bay, offers some of the best views of the surrounding Bay Area. With great hiking trails and many other recreational opportunities readily available, Angel Island is truly a hidden gem in the midst of the urban Bay Area.
Experience a walk through time. Beginning with the earliest inhabitants, the Huimen tribe of the Coast Miwok, Angel Island was a seasonal hunting and gathering location for the local native tribes. Then, thousands of years later, a supply stop for Spanish explorers like Juan Manuel de Ayala, one of the first to map the San Francisco Bay.
Starting from the Civil War at Camp Reynolds to the Cold War at the fenced remnants of the Nike missile site, Angel Island also has nearly 100 years of military history. Through World War I and World War II, thousands of returning and embarking troops were processed at Fort McDowell.
From 1910 to 1940, the U.S. Immigration Station processed hundreds of thousands of immigrants, the majority from China due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882. During WWII, Japanese and German prisoners of war (POWs) were detained at the Station before being sent to facilities farther inland.
In 1954, the transition of Angel Island to a California State Park began. Starting with Ayala Cove on the western side of the Island, park visitors had the first opportunities to enjoy the beauty of this amazing Island. In the early 60's, the final departure of the military allowed the rest of Angel Island to become park lands and the rest is history!
Location - Directions
Access to the Island is by public ferry or private boat.
From San Francisco
Golden Gate Ferry
https://www.goldengate.org/ferry/
415-455-2000
From Tiburon
Angel Island Tiburon Ferry
www.angelislandferry.com
415-435-2131
There is limited weekday ferry service to Angel Island during the winter. Check with ferry provider.
Want to support the island?
Non-Profit Cooperating Organizations
Angel Island Conservancy
The Conservancy works in partnership with Angel Island State Park to facilitate the preservation, restoration, and interpretation of historical and natural resources on the island.
Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation
The Foundation is committed to protecting the historic site of the Angel Island US Immigration Station, elevating the diverse experiences of detention and immigration, and committing to a future where all persons across the US understand the history of immigration through Angel Island.
Volunteering
If any of the following sound interesting to you...
- Preserving immigration history at the historic barracks
- Baking bread in a Civil War-era bakehouse
- Costumed interpretation in the WWI-WWII era chapel and guardhouse
- Habitat restoration and park beautification
...then you should volunteer at Angel Island State Park! Contact tours.angelisland@parks.ca.gov or (415)435-5537 for more information.
Employment
Seasonal and, occasionally, permanent positions are intermittently available at Angel Island State Park. Positions come with optional housing. Find the latest job postings at https://calcareers.ca.gov/ .
