Alcatraz Agave Trail

View from the Agave Trail with the view of San Francisco and the bay in the background.

Quick Facts

Amenities

2 listed

Scenic View/Photo Spot, Trailhead

Check out the Agave Trail on the southern side of the island. Get a sense of Alcatraz's lesser known natural beauty by experiencing the flora and fauna of the Rock, home to many a feathered friend. Bird life and enviable views of the city make the Agave Trail a great alternative or addition to the main tour. The trail is open when the birds are not nesting, typically from about mid October to mid January.

Naming Alcatraz

The origin of the name "Alcatraz" is debated, but is often attributed as a derivative of a name given by 18th century explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, "Alcatraces," meaning "pelicans" or "seabird." The name is fitting, given the number of birds that call the island home. It's interesting to note that the original name the US Army gave to the island was "the post on Alcatraces."

Bird friends

Alcatraz Island is a prime destination for seabirds including Brandt's cormorants and pigeon guillemots. The bluffs on the island provide habitat where these species can safely nest. These bird friends mostly feed in the open ocean and San Francisco Bay and have a taste for small fish.

But the good life these birds enjoy could be in danger. Changes in ocean temperatures, and wind and upwelling patterns are affecting productivity and the distribution of the fish these birds eat. In some recent years, the distribution of anchovies, a favorite snack of cormorants, shifted south, leading to a near complete failure of cormorant nesting at Alcatraz and other nearby nesting areas. Continued climate change is likely to lead to further productivity and food chain disturbances for seabirds.