Best Of Award

Best Urban Camping

Angel Island

At night, the scrubby pile of rocks in the center of the bay becomes a magical place. Everything gets silent and peaceful, and you find yourself smack dab in the middle of a major metropolitan city and in the wilderness at the same time. Even in the foggy summertime — when camping reservations are hardest to come by — the dramatic view of the San Francisco skyline from the mouth of your tent is unmatched, surrounded by the shimmering lights of the bridges, Alcatraz, and the downtown skyscrapers. The price of admission for such a private view is slight — only $10 per night to camp — and the ferry from San Francisco, Marin, or Oakland is under $15 per person round trip. When the sun is up you can join other day trippers in exploring the trails that cross the 781-foot Mount Livermore, but as soon as 4:30 p.m. rolls around, when all the landlubbing tourists load up onto the ferry and push off, the splendor is all yours.