4 of the Bay Area and Northern California’s odder islands

Treasure Island is famous and Alcatraz infamous but with islands in San Francisco Bay alone and more in lakes and coves up and down the coast the Golden State is home to a vast array of wave-lapped hunks of rock There s a man-made floating island in the Delta a Roaring s ruin at Tahoe and an island that s not an island at all but the last vestige of a drowned town Here s just a sampling of particular of the more peculiar East Brother Island The light station on this island near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was built in to help ships confront the Sacramento River The U S Coast Guard automated the station in but the historic buildings were saved by preservationists At present it s a charming Victorian inn with a fascinating history and five guest rooms They re as of now looking for new innkeepers but normally the island is open for day use on select summer Saturdays as well as overnight stays Learn more at https ebls org The East Brother Light Station is a historic lighthouse built in the s on an island in the San Francisco Bay that is now run as a bed-and-breakfast for community visitors Photo courtesy of Tom Butt Red Rock Island If you re hankering to join Richard Branson Larry Ellison and other celebrities who own their own islands Red Rock Island goes up for sale every limited decades The -acre island near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge was listed majority not long ago by Christie s International Real Estate which was looking for a discerning buyer seeking a truly unique and prestigious trophy venture with million to spend on the Bay s only privately-held island The island has no infrastructure but the views and bragging rights wooed a mystery buyer last year Forbes Island The man-made disclaimer hardly seems necessary for a floating-island-meets-restaurant-campground-venue Forbes Island has rooms several grand state rooms and a salon with a grand piano and an English pipe organ Also a wine cellar Did we mention the palm trees the sandy beach and the lighthouse What began with as a Jules Verne- inspired houseboat in the s an anchor-out moored near Sausalito soon ran into trouble with the BCDC the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Enhancement Commission By owner Forbes Thor Kiddoo had turned it into San Francisco s first-ever floating island restaurant anchored off Pier And by it was on the move again floating up to Brentwood and now the Delta A drone view of the Forbes Island houseboat at its dock on Bradford Island near Oakley Calif on Wednesday July Built in the s by Forbes Kiddoo Forbes Island was docked in Sausalito before becoming a floating restaurant near San Francisco s Pier and is now owned by Heidi Petty and others Jane Tyska Bay Area News Group These days it s a floating campground and event venue moored off Bradford Island reachable by ferry from Jersey Island and available for day use overnights and events for to happy campers Learn more at https forbesisland com Related Articles Bay Area island wine tasting rooms beer gardens and distilleries to try Islands in the lake The tragedy and beauty of Lake Berryessa Behind the extraordinary development of Alameda Island the Bay Area s first suburb With two new apps guiding visitors to scenic views Angel Island is one of the best kept secrets in California Navy subs nuclear secrets and beer The riveting history of Bay Area s Mare Island Fannette Island Lake Tahoe s sole island rises from the waters of Emerald Bay on the west shore where it has been known by names ranging from Emerald Isle to Coquette and for whatever scary reason Dead Man s Island The small castle-like ruins on top of Fannette date back to the Roaring s when philanthropist Laura Knight who built her Nordic-inspired home Vikingsholm on the lake shore decided she required a nice little spot for afternoon tea too The island s rustic stone structure was built in - and used by Knight and her friends as a tea house For more journey coverage in the Bay Area and beyond follow us on Flipboard