Alcatraz Island

Open now through February 1, 2021: The Agave Trail wraps around the southern side of Alcatraz Island and is only accessible when migrating birds aren’t nesting ...(typically mid-October through mid-January). The short trail features plenty of its spiky succulent namesake (planted to slow erosion and serve as a verdant fence), as well as breathtaking views of the San Francisco skyline. If you need more reason to venture out, now’s the perfect time to visit the Rock! You can #EscapetoAlcatraz to give yourself a break from the hubbub of city living. #TreatYoSelf by gazing at stunning views of the Bay , learning more about the island’s layers of history, touring the lush gardens , and so much more. To allow for safe passage and social distancing, only 20% of the normal visitors are allowed on boats and the island, so you'll have lots of room to roam. Mid-week days have lots of availability. You can get your tickets from Alcatraz Cruises today! Enjoy your trip! . . . ( 1: Alexandra Grant / Parks Conservancy) ( 2 & 3: Peter Hockaday / Parks Conservancy) ( 4: Michael Badolato / Alcatraz Cruises) See more

Although known popularly as "The Rock," geology isn't the first thing on folks' minds when they think of Alcatraz. #DYK that two species of molluscan fossils were first described from specimens found on Alcatraz in the 1860s? Lucina alcatrazis Anderson obviously takes its name from the island, but the connection of Inoceramus ellioti Gabb is perhaps a bit less obvious. In 1869, Superintending Engineer of the Fortifications at Alcatraz Island, Major George H. Elliot, brough...t this fossil to the attention of William More Gabb, the first paleontologist of the California Geologic Survey. Gabb named the species after Elliot, but the species name has never been applied to specimens outside those found on Alcatraz. : Dave Strauss for the University of California Museum of Paleontology #NationalFossilDay #Paleontology #WildlifeWednesday #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Looking for something to do this weekend? Join us in commemorating the on-going 50th anniversary of the occupation of Alcatraz by the Indians of All Tribes. This Saturday, November 21st, at 11am, the National Park Service and San Francisco Public Library invite you to a virtual discussion about shaping a new generation of Native American activism. ... Asha Nordwall and Benayshe-Ba-Equay Titus will share with us the movements that shaped a new generation of Native American activism. Asha is the daughter and Benayshe-Ba-Equay is the grand-daughter of Adam Fortunate Eagle Nordwall, member of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians and Native American activist. Her grandfather's story of activism has been passed down through oral history and through his extensive archives. Asha Nordwall also was on Alcatraz during the occupation. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #FindYourVirtualPark #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth

"This Island is chiefly composed of irregularly stratified sandstone covered with a thin coating of guano." - Surveyor W.H. Warner, 1874 In 1874, Alcatraz had two main features: birds and bird poop. Everything else you find on the island today was brought here by people. Including the dirt! Soil was taken from nearby Angel Island during the construction of the fort. Biologists think #BananaSlugs were most likely introduced to the island by hitching a ride in one of those soi...l shipments. : NPS / Jordy Conneely Image Description: A large yellow slug crawls along a brown leaf sitting atop a cement surface. #WildlifeWednesday #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

"Play ball!" During the penitentiary era, incarcerated men who earned the privilege, could go to the Recreation Yard (Rec Yard) on weekends. In the Rec Yard, men played a variety of games including softball, handball, horse shoes, shuffleboard, tetherball, chess, bridge, checkers, dominoes, and cards. Robert Luke (AZ #1118) was incarcerated on Alcatraz from 1954-1959. In those years softball was popular. Bob recalled:... There was only one fielder as we had six-man teams. There was no room in the recreation yard for more... What happened when the ball went over the wall? If it went over the right field wall, it was an automatic out. If it went over the center field wall, it was a home run. If it went on the roof of the cell house, it was good for two bases. Basketball became a more popular sport during the final years of the penitentiary. A court was marked atop the ball diamond. Additionally, a fence was put up over the ball diamond beside the basketball court where men could lift weights. The ball diamond we see today in the Rec Yard is courtesy of the 1978 movie Escape from Alcatraz. The film production restored the Rec Yard to its softball-playing years. How do you like to recreate outside? : NPS / GGNRA Park Archives #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #RecreateResponsibly

The Cell House visitors see today on Alcatraz Island is the last of a few prisons built by the U.S. Army at Fort Alcatraz. The Cell House was constructed from 1909-1912 by soldiers incarcerated by the military. These men not only built the Cell House itself but also the outdoor Stockyard. When Alcatraz Island became a federal penitentiary in 1934, the Stockyard's name was changed to the Recreation Yard (Rec Yard). In 1936 the first Warden, James Johnston, added concrete steps... to the Rec Yard for a place to sit or play games. He also covered much of the rest of the Yard with concrete except for a dirt baseball diamond. Warden Johnston, was a strict disciplinarian and initially kept the Army's Rule of Silence that forbade incarcerated men from speaking to one an other. However, men who followed the rules and earned the privilege to go to the Rec Yard, were allowed to hold conversations there. Not every change Warden Johnson brought was to the liking of the men incarcerated on the island. The guards' shooting range was set up just outside the Rec Yard wall reminding everyone in the Yard of where they were. Time in the Recreation Yard was the only time outside for many of the men. What do you like or dislike about spending time outdoors? #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque : NPS / GGNRA Park Archives

Want to work on Alcatraz Island next summer? Now's your chance! See below for opportunities on Alcatraz and across Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

Yeah, I’m into fitness. Fitness whole fish in my mouth. This Western Gull is allofeeding their newly fledged chick. Allofeeding is the act of one bird cooperatively sharing food with another. Chicks will often beg from their parents for several weeks after leaving the nest, until they are weaned and can fend for themselves. : NPS / Jordy Conneely... Video: A mottled grey Western Gull chick squawks and pecks at the beak of a white and grey adult Western Gull. The adult regurgitates fish to feed their chick.

#OTD in 1918, the Allied Forces signed an armistice with Germany bringing the Great War to an end. Soldiers celebrated at the prospect of returning home. Yet not every man drafted into the military was headed home. During WWI, the military tried and convicted conscientious objectors who refused to fight. They sentenced these objectors to hard labor and imprisoned them throughout the U.S. The Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz Island came to hold at least 30 objectors. As of th...e close of the war, hundreds were still incarcerated across the country. It would be over two years before they were all released. In 1919 several objectors at Leavenworth began publishing the Wire City Weekly seen above. As you can see from the cover page, they had quite a few thoughts about the nature of liberty. Following the discovery of this illicit publication, the editors were transferred to Alcatraz. On this #VeteransDay, let us remember those who fought for our freedoms, but also the freedoms they are fighting for. How do you express your freedom? : Library of Congress #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Meet park ranger Andres Vasquez! Andres started his relationship with the outdoors as a way to enhance his mental health . Through those experiences, he found that natural environments have mental, recreational and educational benefits. Today Andres shares his experiences with visitors so that they enjoy their parks with him and learn something new. Learn more about his story via our Youtube channel: Golden Gate National Recreation Area Les presento al guardabosque Andre...s Vasquez. Andres empezo su relacion con la naturaleza como una manera para mejora su salud espiritual. Con esas experiencias el encontro beneficios espirituales, educativo y actividades reactivas. Hoy Andres comparte sus experiencias con visitantes para que ellos tambien disfruten del parque y aprendan algo nuevo. Find an Audio Described version on our webpage: http://www.nps.gov/alca/hispanic-heritage-month.htm : NPS / Jordy Conneely #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #HispanicHeritageMonth #Latinxparkrangers #LatinxHeritageMonth

"[Alcatraz] caught the public's imagination. We will be dead and gone for years, and people will still be saying, coming off the boat: 'That's Alcatraz.'" - Frank Heaney At 21 years old on his first day on the job, Frank was the youngest correctional officer in the island's history. From 1948 to 1951 , he worked up in the guard towers, throughout the cellhouse, and in the hospital. Frank wrote a book about his time on the island, "Inside the Walls of Alcatraz." In the 1980s, ...Frank returned to Alcatraz as a National Park Service Ranger. Over the years he continued to visit the island as a guest author and for the Alumni Reunions. We were saddened to hear that Frank Heaney passed away yesterday. He will be remembered fondly by the island staff. : Frank Heany, NPS / Sarah Anderson #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Visitors always want to know: "Where is Al Capone's cell?" Perhaps they are curious because they're familiar with Capone's unique cell at Eastern State Penitentiary. On Alcatraz, however, the cells that Al Capone stayed in looked much like any other. Each man incarcerated on Alcatraz rotated through several cells during their time on the island. When a cell became available men could request a transfer from the warden. Cells on the upper tiers facing the windows were preferr...ed. We know from these requests that Al Capone resided in Cell 181 on the second tier of B-Block. : Eastern State Penitentiary | NPS / Jordy Conneely Photos: A narrow room with a curved ceiling and narrow skylight. Fine wooden furniture lines the walls, including a desk with a bookcase full of books, a small table with a vase of flowers, and a night stand. Two standard prison cots sit in the back of the room atop embroidered rugs. | A 360 photo taken inside of Al Capone's Alcatraz cell. A metal ceiling lamp illuminates the seafoam green and white paint chipping from the walls onto the concrete floor. A small white porcelain toilet and sink with rusty fixtures jut out from the wall opposite of the steel bar door.

Did you know that #AmericanSignLanguage was used in an escape attempt on Alcatraz? Today is the #InternationalDayofSignLanguages. Sign Languages are for everyone. Join on of our volunteers to learn both how Joseph Paul Cretzer used ASL in his escape attempt and how he came to sign ASL in the first place. #IDSL2020 #IDSignLanguages #IWDeaf #DeafAwarenessWeek #DeafHistory #ParksForAll #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque

Hello Father! Now that I am more or less settled down from my bewilderment, I feel somewhat safe in writing you without sounding like a complete idiot. I left Alcatraz on the 21st of September, and I saw for the first time in 19 years the stars in the sky (and they were beautiful!) while passing through Wyoming. John Paul Chase #OTD the Bureau of Prisons released John Paul Chase from USP Alcatraz for transfer to USP Leavenworth. Enroute to Leavenworth, Kansas, Chase pass...ed through Wyoming. The above passage is from a letter he wrote to former Alcatraz Chaplain Joseph Clark. When was the last time you looked up at the night sky? : NPS / J. Griggs Photo: The Milky Way and countless stars glow above the mountains of Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming

September is #SuicideAwarenessMonth Below is the story of a man incarcerated on Alcatraz who struggled with mental health and suicide. "I wanted to die out there, and tried to make it so. But not because I was a coward. But because it was just too much hell for me and my face was black." - James Grove, 1935... James Grove was transferred to Alcatraz in 1934. He was labeled a "mental patient," but had received no formal diagnosis. After three suicide attempts, the Bureau of Prisons transferred him several times before he ended back on Alcatraz in 1939. During this time, he wrote letters to the NAACP and Attorney General complaining of poor conditions for "colored inmates," racial prejudice, and discrimination. Grove spent almost 40 years behind bars and was approaching his release. On the morning of August 11, 1961, a correctional officer found Grove dead in his cell at Leavenworth. In his suicide note Grove wrote that he was taking his life because he refused to shine a white man’s shoes. He had been told that he was going to be forced to shine officers’ shoes starting the next day because he was told, Negros love shining shoes. Studies show that long prison terms and solitary confinement, both of which are disproportionately experienced by incarcerated Black men, contribute to poor mental health and death by suicide in prisons. If you or someone you know is contemplating suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline '1-800-273-TALK (8255)' : National Archives and Records Administration

Alcatraz Island is CLOSED today (9/11) due to air quality conditions. The Air Quality Index (AQI) is Purple (200-300) for Friday, September 11. Current air quality in our parklands may pose risk to everyone on some level. Some individuals may experience more serious health effects. Staff and visitors should avoid unnecessary outdoor activities. Please visit our park website for additional updates: https://www.nps.gov/goga/planyourvisit/conditions.htm... You can also follow our alert advisory Twitter account: https://twitter.com/GGNRANPSAlerts

I said 6 feet! Respect your fellow visitors (and feathered friends!) by social distancing as you enjoy your time exploring the outdoor experience on Alcatraz Island. #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #SocialDistance... #WildlifeWednesday #KeepWildlifeWild #RecreateResponsibly #OptOutside : NPS / Tori Seher Image: Two Western Gulls squawking with beaks agape.

One inmate, Bill Baker, recalls coming in from work to find a library book on my bed...it was a raggedy old science book that I’d had on my list forever. So I plopped down on my bunk and consumed it, one painful word after another. I walked around with a sprained brain for weeks as I read it over and over trying to figure it out. And when it was due back at the library I didn’t send it back, and I got a dirty note from the librarian, and I still didn’t send it back. Bill c...ould not physically escape Alcatraz, but he could mentally. Many men incarcerated here escaped the monotony of their time with books. What do you use as an escape? #ReadABookDay #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque : Golden Gate NRA Park Archives Image: Two inmates looking for books in the Alcatraz cell house library.

These big birds look like they’re heading to Alcatraz, and you peliCAN too! Come visit Alcatraz for a memorable outdoor experience. Be sure to check out the #gardens, the nesting #seabirds, and the panoramic #views of the bay! #FindYourPark #EncuentraTuParque #RecreateResponsibly #OptOutside #KeepItWild #AlcatrazCruises... : Jordy Conneely Video Description: A line of pelicans flying low across the waters of the bay towards Alcatraz.