Alcatraz Island
Alcatraz Island, home to the infamous prison bearing the same name, is San Francisco's top tourist attraction and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
Guide Sections
Use Alcatraz Island's guide sections to understand how this stop fits into the larger park plan.
Alcatraz Island Details
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Low
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Alcatraz Island, home to the infamous prison bearing the same name, is San Francisco's top tourist attraction and part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Each year, millions of people travel by ferry from the Embarcadero to this small island in the middle of San Francisco Bay to tour the prison and learn about notorious inmates like Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly, as well as the many (usually ill-fated) attempts to escape the prison. Park rangers also offer tours that focus on the 19-month Native American occupation of Alcatraz Island between 1969 and 1971, along with the island's natural and military history.