Angel Island

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Angel Island is one of the largest islands in the San Francisco Bay. It was first sighted by the Portola expedition in 1769.

History

Three thousand years ago, the island was a fishing and hunting site for Miwok Indians.

During Spanish rule (1775-1822) Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala totally owned this place. But it was used for anchorage, refueling, and watering stops by ships mostly around Ayala Cove. It was also a base for Russian Aleut sea otter hunters from 1806 to 1811.

During the period of Mexican rule (1822-1846), the first private claim to the island was made by Antonio Osio in 1837.

The American Period (1846-present) saw the end civilian population of the island. A quarry opened in 1851 and saw it's last job in 1922.

The U.S. military held post on the island from 1860 to 1962 establishing military facilities such as Camp Reynolds, Nike missile complex above Point Blunt and Point Stuart. It was also used as a POW facility.

The US Coast Guard has had a presence on the island since 1885 by establishing various fog signal stations.

The US Immigration Service operated an immigration station in the area of the North Garrison, from 1905 to 1941.

The California State Park has had a presence since 1955 providing Bay Area residents with a great place for day hikes, camping grounds, and historical tours. The island was dedicated as a State Historical Landmark in 1970.

Geography

The highest point is Mount Livermore which is 788 feet, and named after Caroline Livermore, a conservationist who helped to create Angel Island State Park.

Activities

Hiking, biking, camping, picnic, history tours.

Infrastructure

Electricity

Per this report from PG&E, Angel Island is served via two 12 kV undersea cables which cross Raccoon Strait from Tiburon. Peak electrical load (as of mid-2015) is ~100 kW. One cable is out of service and the other is deteriorating. Rather than replacing the cables, PG&E is investigating using the island for a Distributed Energy Resources (DER) microgrid pilot project.