San Francisco Bay
★ Featured Anchorage
Ayala Cove, Angel Island
Holding: Good
Shelter: Good
55 mooring buoys
Shore access
Anchorage California
About This Anchorage
Ayala Cove on Angel Island is the most popular overnight anchorage in San Francisco Bay — a well-protected indent on the island's northwest shore with room for 50–60 boats on mooring buoys managed by California State Parks. The island is car-free; hiking and cycling trails ring the perimeter with uninterrupted views of the Golden Gate, Bay Bridge, and Marin Headlands. Water taxis run to Tiburon and San Francisco. Juan Manuel de Ayala anchored here in 1775 on the first European survey of the bay.
Highlights
- 360° views — Golden Gate, Bay Bridge, Marin Headlands, and city skyline
- Car-free island — hike or cycle 12 miles of trails
- State Parks mooring buoys — reserve online at reservecalifornia.com
- Water taxi to Tiburon and San Francisco Ferry Building
- Immigration Station museum — history of Pacific immigration
- Perimeter trail completes in 5 miles — best views at Sunrise Ridge
Cautions & Notes
- Strong afternoon westerlies — 20–30 kts common June through September
- Mooring buoys fill fast on summer weekends — reserve ahead
- Current runs hard through Raccoon Strait to the north — plan tidal gate