How do you reserve an Angel Island environmental campsite, and what are the ferry logistics?

Two bookings, and both matter. The campsite itself is a standard ReserveCalifornia-style state park reservation, but the environmental sites are extremely limited, among the highest-demand camping in the Bay Area, so dates disappear long in advance. Weekends with good weather go first; midweek nights in the shoulder months are the realistic entry point for late planners, and cancellations trickle back often enough that watching a specific date is worth doing.

Then there is the boat. Angel Island has no bridge and no cars, so you arrive by public ferry or your own kayak, and from the ferry dock it is roughly a 2.5-mile hike to the campsites. That shapes everything about packing: you carry all gear, water capacity, and food up from the dock, and you plan around the ferry schedule in both directions. Miss the last boat and you are staying whether you booked or not, so build slack into your departure day. Kayakers have their own option in the group site set aside for kayak-accessible camping.

What you get for the logistics is close to unique: a night on an island in San Francisco Bay, city lights across the water, and the park largely to yourself after the last ferry leaves with the day crowd. The Perimeter Trail and the historic Immigration Station fill the daylight hours. Pack layers regardless of season, since the Bay's wind and fog do not read the calendar.