• COVID-19 Park and Trail Closures
  • Learn about the Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge
  • Shop
  •  

SoCal Hiker

  • Find a Hiking Trail
    • All Areas
    • Arizona
    • Colorado
    • Los Angeles
    • Orange County
    • Oregon
    • San Francisco Bay
    • Washington
  • Trail Guides
  • Six-Pack of Peaks
    • Colorado Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Bergen Peak
      • Rocky Mountain
      • Birthday Peak
      • Horseshoe Mountain
      • Grays Peak
    • New England Six-Pack of Peaks
    • NorCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mount Umunhum
      • Mount Saint Helena
      • Mount Tamalpais
      • Mount Diablo
      • Mount Sizer
      • Rose Peak
    • Oregon Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Tumalo Mountain
      • Black Butte
      • Black Crater
      • Maiden Peak
      • Mount Bachelor
      • South Sister
    • SoCal Six-Pack of Peaks
      • Mt. Wilson
      • Cucamonga Peak
      • Mt. San Antonio (Mt Baldy)
      • San Bernardino Peak
      • San Jacinto Peak
      • San Gorgonio
  • Backpacking
    • High Sierra Trail
    • John Muir Trail
      • Overview of the John Muir Trail
      • Training
      • Day-by-Day Itinerary
      • Resupply Addresses
      • JMT Discussion Forum
    • Lost Coast Trail
    • North/South Lake Loop
    • Rae Lakes Loop
    • Red Peak Pass Loop
    • Theodore Solomons Trail
    • Trans-Catalina Trail
    • Wonderland Trail
  • Gear
  • Forums
    • Latest Topics
    • Ask a Question
    • Campfire
    • Trails
    • Trail Reports
    • Gear Wisdom
    • Classifieds
  • Login

Angel Island Mt. Livermore Loop

November 9, 2012 By Jeff H 12 Comments

IMG_5189

Last year during the holidays, Joan and I visited my mom and her husband in San Francisco. While the city of San Francisco is great for walking, I was surprised how easy it is to find a wilderness experience nearby. I have not hiked much in the Bay Area, so I put out a call to Twitter for suggestions, and got a great suggestion: Hike Angel Island.

img
Trail Details
Distance: 5.9 miles
Time: ~3 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Elevation gain: 1427 ft
Dogs: Not allowed
When to go: Year-round
Angel Island is the largest island in the San Francisco Bay, and a California State Park. To reach the island, we walked down to Pier 41 and took a 15 minute ride on the Blue and Gold Ferry. The trail is a fairly easy 5.9 mile loop with a short spur to 788 ft. Mt. Livermore — the highest point on the island.

This loop uses two trails — the North Ridge and the Sunset trails — and is truly the road less traveled — at least of the options available on Angel Island. Once you disembark from the ferry, bear to the left and look for the sign marking the North Ridge Trail.

You will initially climb a set of stairs set into the hillside by the Conservation Corp decades ago, shaded by towering pine and oak trees.

When you reach the perimeter, the trail continues across the road after a short jog to the right. Most people who visit Angel Island take the wide and mostly level perimeter road, shared by hikers, runners and bikers. In contrast, the North Ridge Trail offers quiet solitude and mostly single track — no bikes allowed.

At last you begin to leave the crowds behind and see a part of the island that few visit. The North Ridge Trail is windy; slowly but steadily climbing in altitude as you near the summit of Mt. Livermore. You’ll notice different climate zones as you traverse the island–the cool shade of the oak trees; the sunny exposure amidst red manzanita; aging pines towering over saplings; and the drier, sunnier south side of the island.

As you near the summit, watch for a spur to the right that leads to Mount Livermore. This final section is not long, and the summit has several picnic tables that make it a perfect place to stop for lunch.

Mount Livermore

On a clear day, you’d see Alcatraz, the San Francisco skyline, the Bay and Golden Gate Bridges from here.

After your break, retrace your steps to the Sunset Trail to your right, following it all the way back to the docks at Ayala Cove. Note that you will cross two roads; don’t follow them, just look for where the trail picks up after a short jog.

When you get back to Ayala Cove, you can stop in the Visitor Center for more information on the history of the island.

Trail Map and Elevation Profile

© OpenStreetMap contributors
Download file: Mt-Livermore.gpx

Photo Gallery

Click a thumbnail to view a larger image.

Angel-Island-Satellite
IMG_8102
IMG_8101
Heading up the North Ridge Trail
IMG_5167
North Ridge Trail
The North Ridge Trail picks up across the perimeter road
IMG_5170
IMG_5169
IMG_5176
Shady woods on the north side of Angel Island
IMG_5174
IMG_5172
IMG_5184
IMG_5183
IMG_5182
IMG_5180
IMG_5189
Near the top of the island
IMG_5186
IMG_5185
Signs marking the spur to Mt. Livermore
IMG_5192
IMG_5191
IMG_5202
Picnic table near the summit of Mt. Livermore
IMG_5198
IMG_5197
IMG_5196
IMG_5206
IMG_5205
IMG_5204
IMG_5203
IMG_5210
A glimpse of the bay through the fog
IMG_5208
IMG_5207
IMG_5214
IMG_5212
IMG_5211
IMG_5219
IMG_5216
IMG_5215
IMG_8103
IMG_5226
The last leg back to Ayala Cove
IMG_5220
IMG_8108

Additional Resources

  • Bay Area Hiker Trail Guide
  • Getting to Angel Island

 

Filed Under: State Parks, Trail Guides Tagged With: 3-6 miles, Angel Island, coastal, easy, San Francisco, State Park, vista

Like what you found here at SoCal Hiker? This site is a labor of love. Share your support for the site and help us development of new trail guides and expanded coverage -- make your next outdoor equipment purchase through our advertisers.

You can also subscribe to our weekly newsletter and follow us on Facebook or Twitter.

Jeff H

About Jeff H

I'm an avid hiker and backpacker. My wife Joan and I are on the trails every weekend. I started SoCal Hiker to share my passion for outdoor adventure.

Comments

  1. Wendy Cobrda (@TheDataDiva) says

    November 9, 2012 at 9:00 am

    Now this looks like something I’m going to have to try when I make my way out to San Fran early next year. Thanks for the tip!

    Reply
    • Jeff Hester says

      November 9, 2012 at 11:01 am

      Thanks, Wendy. It’s definitely worth doing. I’m going to hike it again, hopefully on a sunnier day.

      Reply
      • Oscar Gonzalez aka @notagrouch says

        November 10, 2012 at 6:03 pm

        I like the fog that is shown in the pictures. I’d love to hit up this place when I get a chance next.

        Reply
  2. denniscarpenter says

    November 9, 2012 at 9:53 am

    Great find. Hiking is such a great form of recreation and especially in such a beautiful setting.

    Reply
    • Jeff Hester says

      November 9, 2012 at 10:59 am

      Especially around the holidays. It’s a great activity that most of the family can participate in, you get out in the fresh air and burn off a few of those holiday calories. It brings you closer together.

      Reply
  3. Kimbundance says

    November 9, 2012 at 7:57 pm

    That is awesome! What a great stress-reliever. I haven’t hiked this intense before but maybe one day. I’ve only been on easy 1 hour hikes here and there.

    You even got some great pictures! It looks cold, hope you had a great time and warmed up afterwards.

    Reply
  4. Inspired by Learning says

    November 10, 2012 at 3:46 am

    Thanks for the great post Jeff and all of the wonderful pictures. I made this hike many years ago with friends who still live in the bay area, and it was a blast. Another hike or wandering I enjoy there is Muir Woods as it is almost surreal when the fog rolls in and you get a little lost, find your self emerging from the redwoods near Half Moon Bay.

    Reply
  5. Oscar Gonzalez aka @notagrouch says

    November 10, 2012 at 6:04 pm

    I’ve been to SF so many times, and I never realized this even existed and that it is so easily accessible. I’ll have to add it to my todo list. Going to add it to foursquare for now.

    Reply
  6. Tyler says

    November 23, 2012 at 4:15 pm

    Cooling temperatures make fall a great time to check out a new trail http://bit.ly/TjqbAb

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About SoCal Hiker

Jeff on Mount Rainier

I created SoCal Hiker while preparing to thru-hike the John Muir Trail. My goal? Create guides for the best hiking and backpacking trails with enough detail to make it an enjoyable experience for you. And while I started with trails in Southern California, I’ve expanded across the west. We hike each trail to create these guides, sharing practical advice on gear and outdoor skills. Read more…

Connect with SoCal Hiker

  • 22,158 Fans
  • 12,081 Followers
  • 21,640 Followers
  • 1,714 Followers
  • 5,320 Subscribers
  • 337 Subscribers
SoCalHiker was selected one of USA TODAY's 10 Best Hiking and Outdoor Blogs
Get our day-by-day guide to thru-hiking the John Muir Trail
Get up-to-day wildfire status throughout California

Products

  • Mount Wilson T-Shirt $23.00 – $27.00
  • South Sister Benchmark South Sister Benchmark $39.95
  • Womens t-shirt with all the paths quote All the Paths Women's T-Shirt $26.50 – $28.00
  • Mount San Jacinto T-Shirt $23.00 – $25.00

Sponsors

Sponsor SoCalHiker and see your banner here

Featured Posts

Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Turtlehead Peak is a great way to get that big picture view of Red Rock Canyon … [Read More...]

Maiden Peak via the Maiden Lake Trailhead

Maiden Peak sits on the Cascade crest, straddling the Willamette and Deschutes … [Read More...]

Hiking Black Butte from the Lower Trailhead

Black Butte is an iconic mountain that stands alone, prominent and proud. The 6,436' … [Read More...]

Lastest Comments

  • Nash Irongay on Muir Monday: One Touch of Nature Makes the Whole World Kin
  • Omar M on Backpacking the North/South Lake Loop in Six Days: An Overview
  • edi consultants on Lost Coast Trail: Sea Lion Gulch to Spanish Flat
  • Lindsa on Hiking South Sister
  • Yvonne on Hiking Mitchell Canyon to Mount Diablo
Get your SoCalHiker stickers now

Get your SoCalHiker stickers!

Latest Posts

  • Hiking Turtlehead Peak from Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area July 15, 2022
  • Maiden Peak via the Maiden Lake Trailhead July 14, 2022
  • Hiking Black Butte from the Lower Trailhead May 24, 2022
  • Hiking Monserate Mountain May 6, 2022
  • Hiking Sutton Mountain April 25, 2022

Recent Forum Topics

  • Overnight Hike in Mammoth Lakes/ June Loop area
  • All about permits for newcomers
  • 1st overnight backpack trip with my son
  • JMT NOBO from Red Cones to Happy isles – how many days?
  • Early Spring SoCal Backpacking

The Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series

Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge SeriesThe Six-Pack of Peaks Challenge Series gives you an opportunity to explore your world while supporting a great cause. There are eleven challenges around the country. Hike or run them at your own schedule.

Flex your adventure muscles!

Learn more here.

 

Search

Tags

3-6 miles 6-8 miles 8-10 miles 11+ miles Arizona Backpacking coastal dog-friendly easy family-friendly High Sierra Trail hiking Hiking The John Muir Trail hipster inspiration JMT John Muir John Muir Trail Kings Canyon National Park LA County moderate Mount Rainier National Park Muir Monday National Forest National Park Orange County Oregon out of bounds Pacific Crest Trail peak peakbagging quote scenic Sierra Nevada Six-Pack of Peaks State Park strenuous Thru-hiking Utah vista Washington waterfall wilderness Wonderland Trail Yosemite

Copyright © 2022 SoCalHiker.net · Metro Theme on Genesis Framework with WPEngine Hosting · Contact SoCal Hiker · Sitemap · Privacy Policy

 

Loading Comments...