Drive it: You can experience the wonders of Angel Island without hiking and entirely by car, ferry and tram. Follow the driving route north from the hotel to charming town of Tiburon and the Tiburon-Angel Island Ferry terminal. The ferry lands in Ayala Cove where you can purchase your tram tickets, lunch at the café or have a picnic. Visit the visitor’s center which was part of a Quarantine Station in the late 1880s and has natural and cultural history displays. The hour long roundtrip tram ride leaves from Ayala Cove, follows the Perimeter Road, and includes an audio history of the island. It stops briefly at Battery Ledyard to enjoy its panoramic view of the Bay Area.
Bike it: Bike or drive from the hotel to the Tiburon-Angel Island Ferry, bring your bike on the ferry, or rent one at Ayala Cove. The 10.5 mile bike ride from the hotel to the ferry terminal is fairly level and mostly on bike paths or back roads. The driving and bike routes separate at Highway 101 with the bike route traveling on a raised walkway over the marshlands of Pickelweed Inlet, turning east at Sycamore and south on Hamilton to pass back under 101, and circumventing Strawberry Point on Seminary and East Strawberry Drives. After a mile on Tiburon Blvd and Greenwood Beach Road, the route connects with the Tiburon Bike Path into Tiburon. Once on Angel Island, follow either Perimeter or Fire Roads around the island. No need to worry about cars – only park vehicles and the tram are allowed on the Island.
Hike it: On Angel Island, the fairly level 6 mile Perimeter Road loop provides access to all the historical sites and spectacular viewpoints such as Battery Ledyard. Alternatively, the moderately steep 6 mile loop hike up to Mount Livermore via the North Ridge Trail and down via the Sunset Trail offers unsurpassed 360° views of the entire Bay Area.
