 The main portion of Brooks Island. At right is the start of the sandspit that extends about two miles west of the main island. Beyond the spit is the small rock of Bird Island. | |
  Brooks Island Regional Preserve  Brooks Island Regional Preserve  Brooks Island Regional Preserve | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | San Francisco Bay, Richmond, California |
| Coordinates | 37°53′47″N 122°21′19″W / 37.89639°N 122.35528°W |
| Adjacent to | Richmond Inner Harbor |
| Area | 75 acres (30 ha)[1] |
| Length | 2 mi (3 km)[2] |
| Width | 0.25 mi (0.4 km) |
| Highest elevation | 160 ft (49 m)[2] |
| Highest point | Jefferds Peak |
| Administration | |
United States | |
| State | California |
| County | Contra Costa |
| City | Richmond, California |
| Administered by | East Bay Regional Park District |
| Demographics | |
| Population | 1 (2009)[2] |
| Additional information | |
| Official website | https://www.ebparks.org/parks/brooks-island |
Brooks Island Regional Preserve includes both the 75-acre (30 ha) of Brooks Island above the low-tide line and 300 acres (120 ha) of the surrounding bay.[3] The only public access to the island is via an East Bay Regional Park District naturalist tour.
Brooks Island is a mostly flat strip of land extending from a round hill, named Jefferds Hill, which peaks at 160 ft (49 m) in San Francisco Bay, located just south of the Richmond Inner Harbor in Richmond, California.[1][2][4]
Originally named as Isla de Cármen by a Spanish explorer, the island appeared as "Brooks Island" on maps from 1850 onward. The eponymous Brooks has never been identified. It has also been called Sheep Island and Rocky Island at various times.[2] The island was bought by the regional parks district in 1968, and was opened to the public in 1988. Access is now available through ranger-led guided tours.[2]
- ^ a b Powell 2005, p. 1.
- ^ a b c d e f Eaton 2009.
- ^ Wichmann 2010.
- ^ EBRPD web page n.d.