Next time someone visits you in San Francisco, consider taking them to Angel Island instead of regular touristy spots. Because, the view you get from the top of Mt.Livermore at 788ft, will take the visitors breath away on a clear day.
The island can be reached in two ways. A ferry from Pier 41 or Tiburon town. I personally prefer Tiburon as the town is kind of neat with cafes, restaurants and boutiques for window shopping.
There is a parking garage near the Tiburon Ferry terminal for a $5/day parking fee. And no need to book the ferry ticket ahead of time unless you have a large group of 25 or more.
There is one cafe at the Island near the Ferry terminal. However, I recommend packing lunch and snacks for hiking and picnic. It’s a great outdoor anyone’s needs:
– Casual stroll on the park
– Strenuous workout. Take your bike on the ferry or rent the bike (expensive in my opinion) and go around the island.
– Run through the fire road or the paved road around the island for a hilly run-worout.
Or do what we did, just hike up to Mt.Livermore. Have lunch and walk around the Island taking in the beauty that resembles Mediterranean in San Francisco.
The Island is not too big. The perimeter is 6-miles but it’s not entirely flat. So, a day trip is enough to cover. However, camping is allowed with prior permit if you want to spend extra time and watch sunset from the Island.
For serious sports enthusiast, there are races organized from this Island.
For Swimming: http://www.rcptiburonmile.com
Running: http://www.zoomrunningevents.com/ac_ayala_cove.html
Check out the view from the top of the mountain in this video:
Camping Details: http://www.reserveamerica.com/camping/Angel_Island_Sp/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=CA&parkId=120003
Ferry Details: http://www.angelislandferry.com/ferryservices/schedule.aspx
Map of the trails: http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/468/files/AngelIsland2.pdf
Water: There are taps to fill water throughout the Island. However plan to carry at least a bottle full of water with you at any point in time.