Alcatraz Island: Of birdcages and bird sanctuaries

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Alcatraz Island is one of the more difficult National Parks to visit. 

  • Tickets to the island sell out fast, especially on weekends (a very popular tourist destination)
  • The only way to get there from Embarcadero is by boat (15-min trip)
  • The road on the island is uneven and difficult to walk on because of the terrain (wear super comfortable shoes)
After watching Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery's The Rock, I always wanted to visit Alcatraz. Val and I took a cruise around the island once; we didn't land there, though. This is why I was excited when I snagged a day tour slot when I was in San Francisco. Finally, after years of finding an opportune time! 


The highlight of the island tour was the audio-guided tour of the federal penitentiary, which used to be a maximum-security prison (and is famous because of it). Before it became a federal penitentiary, however, Alcatraz Island was home to a military fortress designated to protect the West Coast from foreign invaders (during the Gold Rush) and Confederate soldiers (during the Civil War). This fortress was later converted into a military prison.
 

When maintaining the facility became too expensive, the penitentiary was closed. A few years later, American Indians from different tribes occupied the island. They were young and idealistic university students. Their demands for Alcatraz were not ultimately met by the federal government, but it started a powerful political movement for Indian self-determination.


Alcatraz Island is also a bird sanctuary. During my visit, many places were roped off because waterbirds were nesting on the island, and minimising the presence of people near their nests may help birds raise their new brood of chicks. I saw seagulls, mostly. However, bird enthusiasts and biologists on the island noted the presence of pigeons, cormorants, egrets, herons, and peregrine falcons.


This trip to Alcatraz Island was both educational and thought-provoking. It is a pivotal landmark for various periods in the country's history. It reminds us that the past informs the present towards (hopefully) a better future.

Location: San Francisco, CA 94133, USA

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