Every Trail Tells a Story
Alcatraz Island
Walk America’s most infamous prison island with sweeping Bay views
Birdwatching bonanza-gulls, cormorants, herons, and more
History layered with legend, from Al Capone to The Rock
Once Alcatraz Island was populated with the likes of Al “Scarface” Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and a couple hundred more incorrigibles. Now the isle’s most distinguished residents are the black-crowned night heron, double-crested cormorant, and a few thousand Western gulls.
The birds, with National Park Service encouragement, have taken over Alcatraz. Restoring “The Rock” to some semblance of a natural world has been part of the park service’s mission ever since it inherited this storied slab of stone. And it’s working-these days, the raucous cries of gulls have replaced the clang of prison doors.
The island’s story is long and layered. The Pacific Coast’s first lighthouse was built here in 1854. Later, Alcatraz became a military prison, holding Civil War deserters, Native American leaders, and conscientious objectors from World War I. Then came the infamous years (1934-1963) as the nation’s maximum-security showcase, where “public enemies” were caged within sight of San Francisco’s bright lights.
When the prison closed, the island was abandoned to seabirds and sea spray-until 1973, when it opened as part of Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Since then, millions of visitors have ferried across the bay for a mix of prison lore, history walks, and ranger-led talks on subjects ranging from escape attempts to natural history. The 45-minute audio tour, narrated by former guards and inmates, is a perennial favorite.
Agave Trail reveals another side of Alcatraz. Planted as a deterrent to would-be rescuers during the prison years, the spiny agaves still spike the slopes. The trail skirts tide pools, overlooks a sea lion haul-out, and offers sweeping views of San Francisco, the Bay Bridge, and Treasure Island. Autumn is the season to come: the trail is open only mid-September through January, closed the rest of the year to protect nesting seabirds. Clear skies, fewer crowds, and hundreds of gulls swirling overhead-this is Alcatraz at its most alive.
Pop culture hasn’t ignored The Rock either. Clint Eastwood brooded here in Escape from Alcatraz. Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage fought off terrorists in The Rock. Hollywood loves the place-but seabirds have the final say.
Alcatraz Island is accessible by ferry (Alcatraz Cruises), departing from Pier 33 on The Embarcadero near Bay Street. Park in nearby fee lots. Advance reservations are strongly advised, especially in summer, on weekends, and holidays. Signed Agave Trail begins just south of the ferry dock at a picnic ground.
The path meanders past eucalyptus groves, favored by nesting night herons, then across a hillside bristling with agave. Descend toward the shoreline and, at low tide, peek into tidepools alive with barnacles, anemones, and scuttling crabs. The trail then climbs sandstone steps to panoramas of the Bay Bridge, Treasure Island, and the San Francisco skyline.
Back on top, explore the 1870s parade ground, hewn from solid rock by military prisoners, and pass the ruins of an old guardhouse. Agave Trail links to the main path leading to the cellblock and the island’s venerable lighthouse.