Brooks Island Regional Preserve

Brooks Island Regional Preserve
A gray, dome-shaped island rises out of the water.
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 is located in San Francisco Bay Area
Brooks Island Regional Preserve
Brooks Island Regional Preserve
Brooks Island Regional Preserve is located in California
Brooks Island Regional Preserve
Brooks Island Regional Preserve
Brooks Island Regional Preserve is located in the United States
Brooks Island Regional Preserve
Brooks Island Regional Preserve
Geography
LocationSan Francisco Bay, Richmond, California
Coordinates37°53′47″N 122°21′19″W / 37.89639°N 122.35528°W / 37.89639; -122.35528
Adjacent toRichmond Inner Harbor
Area75 acres (30 ha)[1]
Length2 mi (3 km)[2]
Width0.25 mi (0.4 km)
Highest elevation160 ft (49 m)[2]
Highest pointJefferds Peak
Administration
United States
StateCalifornia
CountyContra Costa
CityRichmond, California
Administered byEast Bay Regional Park District
Demographics
Population1 (2009)[2]
Additional information
Official websitehttps://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]