Short Ferry Boat to Angel Island with the Kids

We lived in San Francisco for seven and a half years and never visited Angel Island State Park. I barely knew it was there, or that it had wonderful walking and biking trails.

The island sits in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. Last weekend we went to a wedding in Bodega Bay and decided to stay in San Francisco. On Sunday we took my in-laws and our boys to Angel Island. It was an absolutely spectacular day with weather in the 80s --a rare occurrence for San Francisco.  We opted to take the ferry from Tiburon to Angel Island -- you can also catch the ferry in San Francisco, but it runs less frequently. The ferry ride was pleasant, and short. As much fun as boats are, our boys get bored easily. So 15 minute rides are preferable.

We only had time to explore a small portion of the island. We decided to hike from the ferry dock to the Immigration Center.  Angel Island was the Ellis Island of the West, but quite different. With the Chinese Exclusion Act it became a prison-like detention center. The Act wasn't repealed until 1943. Then, during World War II it become a POW camp. The hike to the Immigration Center took us about an hour or so each way. It was definitely worth the visit. 

The hike itself was beautiful. You climbed a series of stairs, and then you walk along a road. Along the road you have a wonderful view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the East and North Bays. We also saw several deer. We did have to deal with some whining, and fighting from our boys which slowed down our progress.

One thing we hadn't realized  until we were close to the Immigration Center that there is shuttle bus from the dock to points of interest on the Island. This is good to know, especially since my father-in-law has difficulty walking and stayed near the dock for our entire visit, and we left my mother-in-law at a picnic table halfway up the stairs. We will keep this in mind next time, especially if we want to visit more remote parts of the island.