The highpoint of the island is called Mount Livermore. North Ridge Trail and Sunset Trail both reach it from different directions. This loop takes North Ridge—the longer and more scenic of the two—in the uphill direction, and Sunset Trail to go downhill. If you want to stop in the visitor center before beginning the hike, you may prefer to loop in the opposite direction, because Sunset begins nearer to the visitor center. North Ridge Trail begins right at the ferry dock, close to the Angel Island Café.

You can only reach Angel Island by ferry, either from San Francisco or from Tiburon. Buying the ferry ticket, hearing offers for Segway tours, and seeing advertisements for the café makes the place feel rather commercialized at first, but after starting the trail you’ll leave all that behind.

The trails can be crowded, but aren’t always. Most people stick to the lower elevations of the island. Hiking to the top gives the place a much wilder and natural feel, so it’s well worth the effort. There are a few picnic areas near the top where you can enjoy a packed lunch, or wait until you get down for a specialty meal at the Angel Island Café.

Sources: https://www.parks.ca.gov/?pageid=468 https://angelisland.com/hiking/ https://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/468/files/AngelIslandSPFinalWeb070618.pdf