I recently went camping on Angel Island, located in the San Francisco Bay, from 1/1/16-1/3/16.
It was a fantastic time and very easy if you’re located in the bay area. Here’s my Angel Island camping guide from how to get there to what I packed and how I fended off the raccoons!!
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First off, I reserved the camp spot through reserveamerica.com. There are only a handful of camping spots, so I had to choose a weekend 6-months out. If you want to catch some of those prime summer spots, reserve it ASAP!
Getting There
Angel Island is accessible via ferry from San Francisco, Tiburon, private charter and probably some other places. Check the schedule as they only run at certain times.
After the short ferry ride our campsite was about a 40-minute walk from the dock on mostly paved roads and a few dirt trails. Aside from the first set of stairs (which are hell.. you’ll see) it is overall a very easy hike in. So yes, you can wheel in your beer coolers.
The Campsite
We stayed in campsite #1 which is on the east side of the island and sheltered from the onslaught of wind from the west.
Pros:
- Pretty sweet views of Oakland, Treasure Island and the Bay Bridge
- Very secluded campsite, site #2 was at least 100 yards away and through some dense trees
- Huge campsite, could have easily fit 5-6 tents.
- Included two picnic tables, water, charcoal grill and a bear locker.
Cons:
- No view of SF or the Golden Gate Bridge
- The girls said the bathroom was gross but I just went in the bushes
Run down on the other campsites…
-#3 probably has the best view on the east side of the island but practically shares a space with campsite #2
– #2 doesn’t quite have a view and it is right next to #3
-#7,8,9 pretty much suck unless you rent them out as one big one.
-All the campsites on the west side of the island had pretty great views however if its windy (which it usually is) be prepared to double stake that tent.
The Food
We decided to opt out of using the charcoal grill as we didn’t want the extra weight. However I do have a camping stove so we ate pretty happily the whole time.
- Breakfast: Apples & 8 Packs of Oatmeal
- Lunch: 4 Sandwiches, extra Easy Mac and Ramen
- Dinner: 10 servings of Easy Mac, 4 packages of Ramen
- SNACKS: Cliff bars, peachy-o’s, various nuts, gum (because no one brushes their teeth camping)
Tips: Remove Easy Mac or any snacks from original packing and place in zip lock bags to save room. Also zip lock bags are super handy to have when camping!
Please note: 4 People, 2 full days of camping and we had a ton left over. Better safe than sorry! 😉
The Gear
I packed fairly heavily for this trip. Since there was no real back country hiking involved I was able to bring some extra weight.
Packing List
- Stove kit, gas and cooking utensils.
- Solar Charger
- Carabiners
- Toilet paper (off the roll), paper towels and trowel
- Sleeping Bag
- Big Agnes Tent
- Paracord
- Dry Stuff Sack
- Travel Towel
- Sleeping Pad
- Hand warmers (early january trip)
- Book (cause books are awesome)
- Camera
- Compass (not necessary, just in the bag)
- First Aid Kit
- Life Straw
- Hammock
- Lantern
- Small Day Back Pack
- Several Fire Starters and Extra Batteries
- Flashlight & Knife
- Backpack!
Tips: Bring extra tinfoil to create a wind shield around your stove. Tinfoil also has approximately 1,000 other uses while camping.
*Please note, if you’re going full on backpacking camping, this is not the ideal setup. I will make another post detailing a backpacking trip setup*
To-Do
Angel island might be small but it packs an impressive punch. I was blown away by the abundance of wild life. We saw multiple deer everyday, tons of beautiful birds and way too many raccoons.
There is the standard perimeter road hike but we typically opted to go off the beaten path and explore typically unseen sections of the island.
After 4pm there are only the campers on the island which makes for a great time to hike to the peak and watch the sunset over the entire bay. Truly the best views I’ve ever seen of San Francisco. Watching the sunset also afforded us with some fun night hiking through the island. Aside from that, the entire island gives you 360-degree breathtaking views and plenty of space to drink those beers you brought.
We spent two nights on Angel Island which I think was the perfect amount of time.
..But seriously, raccoons. They’re everywhere. Be prepared.
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