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Alcatraz Perimeter Trail May Be Opened Outside the Resident Birds' Breeding Season

 

The perimeter trail at Alcatraz, now fallen into disrepair, was once a vital part of the island.  Now, at least during portions of the year, it may soon be a highlight of any visit.

During Alcatraz' time as a military post and military prison, the rocks below the trail were hewed and cracked to make the shoreline steeper, more slippery and hard to climb by attackers or would-be rescuers.

During the three decades when Alcatraz served as a Federal prison, the Perimeter Trail was patrolled by guards, alert to any prisoners in the pre-triathlon era who might try to escape by swimming to the mainland.

In recent years the nesting birds on the island have taken over the trail, and thoughts of repairing and reopening the pathway have collided with the goal of making the island a safe haven for nesting seabirds.  As a result it has remained closed to public access.

The National Park Service has now revealed that as part of their draft new GGNRA management plan (which covers a range of Bay Area parks, including Alcatraz) they're considering splitting the difference, and giving visitors to the park the chance to walk the Perimeter Trail during the months when no nesting activity will be disturbed.

The gateway to the online pages for the draft general plan is here.

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Civil War Living History Day is Sat. May 1 on Alcatraz

 

On Saturday, May 1, Friends of Civil War Alcatraz and the National Park Service will host Civil War Living History Day on Alcatraz Island.   

This unique event features 150 Civil War re-enactors who will demonstrate military activities of the Civil War period including drills, marching, prisoner escort, encampment cooking, and guard duty.  

A military band in period uniforms will perform music from that era throughout the day.  

An artillery team will fire the 24-pound Howitzer (normally on display in the Sally port) to show how soldiers of the Civil War loaded and fired these large artillery pieces. 

Volunteers and Park Rangers from Alcatraz will answer questions and do presentations about the times of the Civil War.  They'll show visitors all the Civil War era structures on the island, including brick walls, the guardhouse and sally port, the lower level of the Citadel, gardens, and remains of the large artillery batteries.

Although we all think of Alcatraz from its years as a federal prison, from the 1850's until well after the Civil War the Unites States military base on Alcatraz was the largest fort west of the Mississippi River.  Its mission was to protect San Francisco and the Bay Area from attack, and to control the waters of San Francisco Bay.

Copyright (c) 2010, OurAlcatraz.com.