Day 10: Sausalito to Angel Island (with Circumnavigation of Richardson Bay) 10 Miles

Sausalito, Tiburon, Richardson Bay, Racoon Strait and Angel Island are probably the best place to paddle in the bay area for intermediate and advanced paddlers. The view is to die for with Golden Gate Bridge and San Francisco Skyline in the background. The wildlife in Richardson Bay is abundant with sea lions, harbor seals, large variety of winter birds and sometimes you might even see porpoises in Raccoon Strait. Angel Island has some spectacular campsites. The kayak camp site is on the northwest side of the island sheltered from the prevailing wind from the Golden Gate Bridge. A short walk to Camp Reynolds will give you a nice panoramic view of the city, Golden Gate Bridge, Marin Headlands, and Mt Tamalpais. Racoon Strait between Angel Island and Tiburon is a very special place because when the San Francisco Bay was not a bay (the ocean level was lower), Racoon Strait was a canyon that the Sacramento river has cut through with the Golden Gate as the mouth of the river. During king tide events and winter/spring run off periods, the river can still be seen from Angel Island. And with the massive ebb tides, so come the standing waves - super fun!

 
 

On January 13th, I paddled from Bluerush Paddlesports with Jen Fuller to Strawberry Point near the Audubon Society. Then I paddled along Tiburon, crossed Racoon Strait and camped at kayak camp. It was just after a big storm and it was incredibly clear after the fog had disappeared. The king tides were in while I did a hike around Angel Island and got some really nice pictures of the Strait as a river. I also played in the riptides after the hike as the runoff was especially strong. It was great fun playing and surfing with just a minute of commute. 

Put-in: There are multiple places to put-in at Sausalito. There's a public ramp next to the restaurant Salito/Bar Bocce - parking can be difficult to find there. There's the public Dumphy Park and a nice little beach favored by kayakers and paddlers. There's also another public beach and a dock near the Bay Model. 

Take-out: The kayak camp on Angel Island is on the northwest side of the island between Ayala Cove and Point Stewart. There used to be a cable crossing between Angel Island and Tiburon. The kayak camp trail is just behind the cable crossing pilings. It can be difficult to spot but if you see the black rock beach, you've gone too far. The trail is steep and you'll need to bring up your boards to about 100 feet up the trail where there's a clearing. Definitely do not leave your board on the beach because at high tide, there's no beach. Also with ferries and other boat wakes, the waves can reach pretty high up the beach above the high water line. The camp is awesome with lots of flat space, bear box, picnic tables and a bbq rack (no wood fires, coals only). 

Hazards: Racoon Strait can definitely be an intimidating place to paddle due to the fast current and boat channel. Wind and fog can be an issue here so close to the Golden Gate Bridge.

 

Day 8: Mission Creek to Crissy Field 7 Miles

San Francisco waterfront can be an intimidating place to paddle for beginners/intermediates. There is a lot of fast boat traffic especially in the summer. There are two ferry terminals and a cruise ship terminal. The cityscape and the Bay bridge are amazing to look at but be careful of all the boat traffic around you. With that said, I've had many great experiences paddling around San Francisco and there are a lot of places to pull over if you are overwhelmed. 

 
 

On January 9th, 2017, I paddled this stretch with plenty of rain and south wind. Storm-armageddon was back and I was a little concerned of my plan to paddle to Kirby Cove outside of the Golden Gate to camp there. Plus it was gonna be a sog-fest camping anyway. So I cut the plan short and paddled to Crissy Field instead. That turned out to be a great idea except the south wind along the northern city front was pushing me out into the bay and I had to fight pretty hard to stay close to the coast. Also since I paddled with the receding ebb, it gave me an extra push so all told it only took me a couple of hours. 

Hazards: Where to start? In addition to what I mentioned on top of the page, you have to really understand tide currents and wind because now you're in serious open bay conditions. There are tankers, ferry boats, tug boats, speed boats, kite surfers, wind surfers, coast guards, surfers around Ford Point, etc etc... A missed calculation can put you at serious risk in terms of the ebb tide taking you out out of the Golden Gate. If you don't know how to negotiate any of the topics mentioned above, paddle with someone with experience or take a class. Just because you know how to paddle a board doesn't mean you know how to handle yourself in these conditions. 

Put-in: Mission Creek or Mission Bay has several places where you can land. The Ramp (the restaurant) is a great place to land and have lunch. There's a public ramp at Bay View Boat Club which is nice (no bathroom), but you'll need to read the parking signs carefully due to the Giants schedule. Another great ramp is at the end of Mission Creek along Berry Street. There's a public bathroom there and also a boat house that belongs to UCSF. Parking is sparse though. On top of that, there's plans for the Warriors to move their stadium over to Mission Bay in the near future, so definitely forget about parking when that happens.

Take-out: Crissy Field is a great place for paddlers. The SFOCC (San Francisco Outrigger Canoe Club) has a location at Sports Basement parking lot and they have regular practices there. The beach is friendly to both kite/wind surfers and paddlers. 

 

Day 7: Coyote Point to Mission Creek 10 Miles

Crossing SFO with planes flying overhead? Passing by a huge container crane? Three large Navy ships? San Francisco Giants baseball park? Yeah, that's exciting for a SUP trip. Coyote Point to Mission Creek has several put-in and take-outs in between so you can take your pick of the distance between 10 miles as well. Summer downwinders are great with the west wind carrying you down south and winter downwinders with south wind carrying you north. 

 
 

On January 8th, 2017, I paddled from Redwood City to Mission Creek under really favorable conditions. The storm had stopped and I had an opening with slight south wind. The 10 miles was pretty easy to cover under 3 hours. You have to be careful with SFO and stay wide and clear otherwise the police/coast guards might chase you out of there. The current around Hunter's Point could be tricky sometimes and certainly watch out for bridge traffic before AT&T park. The Navy ships that are parked before Mission Creek can be death traps if you paddle between the ships or even close to them during strong current and wind. There are many tug boats that are docked on this stretch and depending on the captain you can have a very different experience even though SUPs have the right-away. Last but not least, sometimes the NW winds during the summer might push you towards East Bay, you'll have to fight your way to stay along the coast.

Put-in: Coyote Point Beach is a perfect take-out for various small boats. There's Boardsports California which rents and sell both wind/kitesurf boards and SUPs. Be aware of GPS confusion, there's a Coyote Hills park in Fremont. Some of our shuttle drivers were reporting that google maps were leading them there instead. Inside of the Coyote Point Recreation Area, there are two parts also - the marina and the beach. Make sure you direct your driver to the beach.

Take-out: Mission Creek or Mission Bay has several places where you can land. The Ramp (the restaurant) is a great place to land and have lunch. There's a public ramp at Bay View Boat Club which is nice (no bathroom), but you'll need to read the parking signs carefully due to the Giants schedule. Another great ramp is at the end of Mission Creek along Berry Street. There's a public bathroom there and also a boat house that belongs to UCSF. Parking is sparse though. On top of that, there's plans for the Warriors to move their stadium over to Mission Bay in the near future, so definitely forget about parking when that happens.