Alcatraz Island
A small rocky island in San Francisco Bay that has held a lighthouse, a military fort and, from 1934 to 1963, a federal prison thought nearly impossible to escape because of the cold water and strong currents. Ferries now carry visitors out to walk its old cellhouse.
- Where
- San Francisco, California, United States
- Grade
- Well known
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site, plus 1 for its grade
- Coordinates
- 37.8267, -122.4228
Get the Alcatraz Island stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Alcatraz Island. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your California volume with your photos and a note.
Near Alcatraz Island
Fisherman's Wharf 2.1 km
The old fishing port on San Francisco's northern waterfront, where seafood stands, sourdough bakeries and souvenir shops have taken over from most of the fishing boats. Crab still steams at the pavement stalls, and the Aquatic Park historic district sits at its western end.
Pier 39 2.2 km
A pier on the San Francisco waterfront turned into shops, restaurants, street performers and a two storey carousel, with the Aquarium of the Bay alongside. Its real draw is the California sea lions that haul out in noisy heaps on the floating docks of its marina.
Lombard Street 2.8 km
One steep block of a long San Francisco street, on Russian Hill, that twists through eight hairpin bends between flowerbeds. Billed as the crookedest street in the world, it draws a steady stream of cars inching down and people photographing them from the bottom.
Palace of Fine Arts 3.5 km
A domed rotunda and curving colonnade beside a lagoon in the Marina District, built for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition. It is the only structure from that fair still standing on its site, though it was entirely rebuilt between 1964 and 1974.
Golden Gate Bridge 5.0 km
A suspension bridge painted International Orange, carrying road, foot and bicycle traffic across the 1.6 km strait between San Francisco and Marin County. When it opened in 1937 it had the longest main span in the world, and its towers often rise out of the fog.
Painted Ladies 5.7 km
A row of Victorian houses facing Alamo Square, painted in three or more colours to pick out their carved trim. The name for San Francisco's brightly repainted Victorians dates from 1978, and this row, with the downtown skyline behind it, is the one on the postcards.
Golden Gate Park 7.9 km
San Francisco's largest park, 412 hectares stretching west to the Pacific between the Richmond and Sunset districts. Among its meadows and old growth woods sit the Japanese Tea Garden, the Conservatory of Flowers and the de Young museum.
Muir Woods National Monument 15 km
A valley of old growth coast redwoods on the slopes of Mount Tamalpais, about 19 km north of San Francisco and named after the naturalist John Muir. Trails run beneath trees that form one of the few such stands left in the Bay Area.
More famous places to visit in California
Questions
Where is Alcatraz Island?
Alcatraz Island is in San Francisco, California, United States. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Fisherman's Wharf (2.1 km), Pier 39 (2.2 km), Lombard Street (2.8 km).
How do I get the Alcatraz Island stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Alcatraz Island and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your California volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Alcatraz Island before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your California volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.