Travelers to Alcatraz Now Have the Option to Visit a Second Island
Visitors can also explore the “Ellis Island of the West”
Mason Cummings, courtesy of the Parks Conservacy
Alcatraz Island has long been a tourist favorite, welcoming more than 1.4 million visitors a year. Located less than two miles — or 15 minutes by boat — off the coast of San Francisco, the island is notoriously home to the now-closed federal penitentiary and was the site of the 18-month occupation by Indians of All Tribes. Visitors come to see the prison, visit the oldest operating lighthouse on the West Coast and walk among remnants of a U.S. military fort.
For the first time, travelers to Alcatraz Island can extend their trip to visit a second island. A new trip offered by Alcatraz Cruises takes visitors to Angel Island State Park, known as the “Ellis Island of the West,” where immigrants from all over the world were processed on their journey to America.
The combo tour is only available until October and lasts around 5.5 hours. The trip includes all ferry transportation, a cell house audio tour on Alcatraz Island and an hour-long tram tour of Angel Island — where they claim they have the “most beautiful views in the bay.”
Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area while Angel Island is a California State Park.
